When developers introduce updates for their apps, it might land on one platform first before making its way to another. This is the case with the audio and video calling features on X, where it initially arrived on iOS last year before making its way onto Android now.

 

An X employee confirmed the rollout of audio and video calling for Android in a post on the platform. They noted that the feature is rolling out "slowly". This means that not all users will see it right away, but as long as you're using the latest version, you should get it eventually.

 

 

That being said, there is something you will want to take note of before you get too excited. The app's audio and video calling features are only available to X Premium users. All users can receive calls, but only those who are subscribed to the Premium will be able to make AND receive calls.

 

If you don't really plan to use the platform to make calls we suppose it's not a big deal. There are plenty of other messaging apps that you are using that offer it for free. If anything, these features on X are more about convenience than being a must-have.

 

Gmail on the web is a pretty great user experience. It has everything you might need from it, but the mobile app is a bit different. Obviously this is the case as Google would have to optimize the experience for mobile, but one feature has been lacking for years - the ability to select all emails.

 

This is a feature that can be easily found in many email apps, so it's odd that Google has not included it in the Gmail app, at least until now. According to a recent post on Reddit, it seems that users are starting to discover that in the latest version of the app, the ability to select all emails at once is finally available to them.

 

Android Police confirmed this themselves with multiple devices and Google accounts which suggests that the changes could be rolling out to a pretty wide audience as we speak, so keep an eye out for it if this is a feature that you've been sorely missing.

 

As noted by the publication, it was initially discovered back in September that a Select All button was being worked on, but it wasn't ready for the public just yet, so this new report suggests that it's good to go and that Gmail users who rely on the Android version of the app should be able to expect it soon enough.

 

Android users, if you're starting to feel like your device is starting to get a little long in the tooth, then you might be pleased to learn that Google has officially announced that the Android 14 update has been released and is in the process of being rolled out to its Pixel devices first.

 

In the meantime, here are some of the new features that you can look forward to once the update eventually makes its way to your device.

 

More customization

One of the changes in Android 14 is Google is introducing more customization options for users. For example, there will be a new way of choosing from different wallpapers at once and update what you want to see, such as creating a custom lock screen with shortcuts, changing the fonts, font color, and more.

 

Google is also offering curated lock screen templates which will also be powered by AI that can update itself accordingly depending on the situation at hand. Also, Pixel 8 and 8 Pro users can look forward to features like AI-generated wallpapers so you can create something truly unique for yourself.

 

Better control over your data

Our smartphones contain a lot of personal information that we probably wouldn't want the rest of the world to see. It might not always be "bad" data per se, but it is our data and we should have a say in how it is being used.

 

With Android 14, Google is giving users more control over their data related to their health and security. For starters, Health Connect will now be built into the Android 14 settings so that users have a more central way of storing their data.

 

Android 14 will also provide users with more visibility on how their data is being used by apps. For example, an app might request permission to use your location, but users will also be notified if that location data is being shared with third-parties so that they can revoke access if they're not comfortable with it.

 

Accessibility features

Since not everyone who uses their phone is able bodied, certain features or functions that we use everyday might be a bit more tricky for others, which is why improved accessibility is another feature of Android 14 that users can look forward to.

 

This includes an improved magnifier feature for users who might have vision issues. The new magnifier is more intuitive to use with pinch to zoom gestures, and users will also have more choice when it comes to changing the magnifier size and how much of the screen they would like magnified at once.

 

There will also be a new Quick Settings tile that will allow users to change Android 14's font size, and with nonlinear font scaling, it ensures that text is already large enough won't get too large and cause issues like text wrapping or breaking a website's layout.

 

There are also improved accessibility features for those who are hard on hearing, where there will be a new dedicated hearing-aid setup flow that can be found in the Accessibility settings, providing users with easier ways to route audio to different outputs.

 

Availability

Like we said, Google will be rolling out the Android 14 update to its Pixel devices first starting today. Other smartphone brands and models will eventually push out the update to eligible devices, but when exactly that will happen remains to be seen.

 

One of the things you've got to love about Android is that it isn't quite as restrictive compared to iOS, which means that developers can get creative with their apps and the things that they can make their Android phones do.

 

Now, if you love the Nintendo Switch but don't want to bring it with you all the time, you might be interested to learn that there is a new Switch emulator available for Android called Yuzu. Yuzu is not the first Switch emulator to launch on Android. Prior to this, there was another emulator called Skyline Emulator that was in development, but it was ultimately cancelled as the developers expressed their concern over potential legal risks.

 

For now, Yuzu appears to be forging ahead with their plans, but it should be noted that the emulator is currently in early access release, which means that there might be bugs and issues that haven't been sorted out yet. Also, there might be some compatibility issues although the developers claim that users will need to own a device with at least a Snapdragon 865 or newer and a minimum of 8GB of RAM.

 

Also, there might be glitches with the graphics for some games, as XDA noted when they tested Animal Crossing New Horizons. Either way, if you're looking for a way to play Switch games on your Android phone, Yuzu could be an emulator worth checking out.

 

We've had QR scan codes since forever, but for some reason, they continue to feel a bit clunky to use even though there has been so much time to improve them. It sounds like Google is well aware of that, however, as the company is reportedly working on an auto-zoom feature that would make the whole process of scanning QR codes with your phone easier.

 

The report comes from reputable Android analyst Mishaal Rahman, who recently shared that Google has updated its ML (machine learning) Kit's Barcode Scanning and Code Scanner with a new auto-zoom feature. As the name suggests, this enables the camera to automatically zoom in when it is pointed at a QR code that's too far away.

 

 

Essentially, this is a quality-of-life improvement, as users will no longer have to manually zoom in or physically get close to the barcode. Currently, this new feature seems to already be available in Google Mobile Services (GMS), as shown by another X (formerly Twitter) user under Mishaal Rahman's tweet.

 

One concern about this new QR scanning feature is how well it would work on different types of Android phones. Google is using its impressive machine learning and AI smarts to make it possible, so would other handsets support the feature? Even though it is supposedly coming with the release of Android 14, we can't know for certain if it would be a Pixel-exclusive feature.

 

Android 14 should be just around the corner though, and set to start rolling out this August. Alongside the improved QR code scanning, there are other notable quirks and features coming with the new update. For example, we expect to see improvements with the Material You visual language making it even more customizable than it already is. A more practical change is increased power efficiency and performance.