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.

If you've ever tried to scan a QR code using your phone's camera, you know that sometimes it can be hit or miss. For example, sometimes the QR code might be printed on a busy background which could distract the camera from picking it up, or it might be a distance away and you can't get the camera to focus.

It looks like that could soon be a thing of the past. According to a tweet by Mishaal Rahman, it appears that Google is working on an update to its ML Kit's Barcode Scanning API. With this update, it seems that once the camera detects that a QR code is in view, it will automatically zoom in so that users won't have to do so manually.

As you can see in the video above, it seems to work pretty well. There is a slight delay from when it's detected to when it's zoomed in, but it's not too bad where it's unusable. That being said, this is an API which means that it's up to developers to choose whether or not they want to incorporate the feature into their own apps.

Rahman also notes in a follow-up tweet that Google is already preparing to upgrade Android's built-in QR code scanner with this auto-zoom feature, so we just need to wait until the feature is publicly available before taking it for a spin.

While we live in a time where smartphones can get prolonged support and usability by way of software updates, it stands to reason that nearly all software and hardware platforms have a finite lifespan. With that in mind, Google recently announced that it will be discontinuing updates for Android version 4.4, otherwise known as "Kitkat".

The announcement was made via Google's Android Developers blog. A statement from Sarat Tummala, Product Manager at Google Play services reads:

The Android KitKat (KK) platform was first released ~10 years ago and since then, we've introduced many innovative improvements and features for Android, which are unavailable on KK. As of July 2023, the active device count on KK is below 1% as more and more users update to the latest Android versions. Therefore, we are no longer supporting KK in future releases of Google Play services. KK devices will not receive versions of the Play Services APK beyond 23.30.99.

Android KitKat first arrived on the scene back in October of 2013, and brought some pretty significant improvements towards performance, allowing Android to run on devices with less-than-impressive hardware. It also came with the Kitkat logo design, drawn directly from the popular chocolate brand.

Currently in its 13th iteration, Google is expected to launch Android 14 just a couple of months from now. Android 14 is still in beta phase at the moment, and interested users can check out our guide on how to it on their devices.

An advantage of being important for Mac's environment is the Handoff highlight, where you can fundamentally switch between gadgets like an iPhone and iPad effectively and take up where you left out. It likewise works with FaceTime calls, so on the off chance that your phone isn't close by, you can respond to it on your tablet, and afterward move it to your iPhone later assuming you like.

It's anything but an especially new component, yet it seems as though Google is at last prepared to add it to Android. This will be finished through Google's new Telecom Jetpack library that the organization declared at I/O back in May, which is a Programming interface that engineers can utilize so they can reroute sound to viable gadgets, similar to a smartphone to a tablet.

One benefit of this is that since it's a Programming interface, it will permit engineers to integrate it into their applications, giving clients greater adaptability not at all like Apple's execution which is by all accounts limited to their own applications. Likewise, something else to note is that the component is more similar to a stream, implying that you're not actually moving one call starting with one gadget then onto the next.

The principal call itself will in any case be dealt with by the source gadget, as in the gadget you responded to it on, however you'll in any case have the option to control parts of it like hanging up, changing volume, etc, yet in the occasion the source gadget runs out of battery or accidents, it will influence the approach the other gadget too.

It is hazy as of now which applications will be exploiting this new Programming interface, so we'll simply need to sit back and watch, yet we envision that Google will most likely be carrying out it into its own local applications and administrations.