Google Play Music is shutting down for everyone in October

For those of you who still love and use Google Play Music, I’m sure you’ve heard of this news by now…but Google is killing off the service and replacing it with YouTube Music. Since YouTube Music launched in 2018, both it and Play Music have coexisted even though Play Music was no longer in active development. Google slowly added new features to YouTube Music to convince people to migrate from Play Music, and more recently, introduced a migration tool to transfer your songs, albums, and playlists. The goal was to get people to fully migrate to YouTube Music so that Google can shut down Play Music. That day will soon arrive: Google Play Music is shutting down for everyone by December 2020.

According to the official YouTube blog post on the matter, the final stage of Play Music’s shutdown will go pretty quickly. Starting in September in New Zealand and South Africa and October for the rest of the world, you won’t be able to use Play Music anymore. This means that you won’t be able to stream from the app or, well, use the app at all. Google will, however, still hold onto your Play Music data until December so you still have time to migrate all your uploads, playlists, and purchases over to YouTube Music, or if you have any podcasts, to Google Podcasts. After December, however, the service will be killed off once and for all.

The other way you can save your content is to use Google Takeout to download all your purchased and uploaded content. Google will notify you before you lose access to what’s on your Play Music account, but be mindful that you only have a few months left before all of it is gone forever.

On the bright side, Google has already built most of Play Music’s features into YouTube Music, so after migrating, most users won’t miss much. Google Play Music is dead, long live YouTube Music. (Feel free to vent in the comment section if you need to, though.)

Google Play Music (Free, Google Play) →

YouTube Music - Stream Songs & Music Videos (Free, Google Play) →

Google Podcasts: Discover free & trending podcasts (Free, Google Play) →

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Files by Google starts rolling out a Safe Folder to hide your private files

Files by Google is a file manager app for Android that started out as a simple file cleaner and browser for Android Go Edition devices, but it has grown so popular over the years that Google essentially made it the de facto file manager app in Google Mobile Services. The app has received a handful of new features over the years, and the latest one that’s now rolling out to users is a Safe Folder to hide your private files.

Back in June, we spotted a new “Safe Folder” feature in development in the Files by Google app. The Safe Folder appears as a button in the “Collections” section of the “Browse” tab. Files added to the Safe Folder can only be accessed after entering a 4-digit PIN but can be freely moved in or out of the folder. Google encrypts the files in the Safe Folder, meaning they can’t be decrypted if you ever forget the 4-digit PIN. Furthermore, the Safe Folder isn’t saved to the cloud, so you can’t transfer its contents between devices.

The Safe Folder feature is currently rolling out for users with Files by Google version 1.0.323, according to AndroidPolice. You can download this version from APKMirror or from the Google Play Store link embedded below.

Our tipster informed us that the feature is available for them on the Android 11 Beta, but there’s no indication the feature requires a specific Android version. One issue you may come across when seeing the feature for the first time is a notice that the feature isn’t supported anymore—yes, even though it just started rolling out, Google has already prepared for its eventual deprecation. We have no idea what Google plans to do with this feature, so at the moment, I would advise against using the Safe Folder to store any critical documents.

Files by Google: Clean up space on your phone (Free, Google Play) →

Thanks for the tip, @Alpertcr7!

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Google Assistant adds Family Bell for scheduled reminders, broadcasting to a specific room, and more

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the fall school year will be a little different for many families across the U.S. To help parents and kids cope with the new normal, Google has introduced new Assistant features to make balancing school and home life a little easier.

One of the big new features is called Family Bell, which allows Assistant users to add bell reminders throughout the day, such as when it’s time to start an online class, take a break, or sit down to read. It’s supposed to mimic what kids would experience at school, bringing a similar structure and routine to the home.

With the update, users should now see a Family Bell option in their Assistant settings. The feature is rolling out today in English in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and India.

In addition to the sound of a school bell, Google is also bringing the sounds of a school hall to your home. Simply say, “Hey Google, start the school day!” and Smart Displays will show a school-themed visual and play sounds you’d hear while in school, including kids shuffling through their lockers.

If you have smart lights, they can also be triggered to go along with the Assistant’s new school-focused capabilities. These sights and sounds are now available on Assistant-enabled devices around the globe.

Google is also making Assistant-enabled devices better sources of information, so you can ask your Nest Hub, for example, to tell you about the animal of the day. The search giant said users can also ask for homework help, and they’ll be given information about historical events, the periodic table, and more.

Finally, Google is allowing Assistant users to broadcast to a specific room or device. If you’re in the kitchen and want to reach someone in the bedroom, just say, “Hey Google, broadcast to the bedroom, ‘breakfast is ready!’” Previously, broadcasting a message would send the message to every device in the current home. The feature is rolling out now in English for Assistant-enabled smart speakers and Smart Displays around the world.

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Source: Google

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New OxygenOS update for the OnePlus 7 series adds OnePlus Buds support, new clock styles, Chromatic reading effect, more

OnePlus is now rolling out a new OxygenOS stable update to its mid-2019 flagship smartphones, the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro. The latest updates bring the devices to OxygenOS version 10.0.7 (in Europe) or 10.3.4 (in India and other regions).

OnePlus 7 Forums ||| OnePlus 7 Pro Forums

There are a few notable changes in this update. First, OnePlus has merged the July 2020 Android Security Patch Level (SPL), which as of yesterday has been superseded by the August 2020 Android SPL. Next, OnePlus has added the system app for OnePlus Buds support. The OnePlus Buds are the company’s first TWS earbuds with great audio quality at a decent price, and they work best with OnePlus phones as you can enable Dolby Atmos support, upgrade the firmware, and customize the double-tap gestures in settings. The changelog also mentions new ambient display clock styles have been added—we assumed they’re the same ones added in an earlier Open Beta update. Next, OnePlus has added the Chromatic effect option in Reading mode; this mode applies a sepia filter to the screen for a more calming reading experience. The Chromatic effect debuted with OxygenOS on the OnePlus 7T series and was brought to the OnePlus 7 series in an Open Beta update, but it’s finally here in a stable release. Finally, OnePlus has added support for Bluetooth hearing aids under the ASHA agreement.

Here’s the full changelog for the updates:

OxygenOS 10.0.7 (EU) and 10.3.4 (Global/India) Changelog for OnePlus 7 series

System

• Newly adapted OnePlus Buds, easier to take advantage of wireless connection
• Provided a variety of clock styles for you. You can customize on your own. (Go to Settings>Customization>Clock style)
• Fixed the issue that double tap could not wake up the screen in some settings
• Updated Android security patch to 2020.07

Reading mode

• Added the Chromatic effect option to adapt color range and saturation intelligently for a better reading experience (Settings – Display – Reading mode – Turn on reading mode – Chromatic effect)

Bluetooth

• It has adapted to Bluetooth hearing aid app connection under the Android 10 Audio Streaming for Hearing Aid (ASHA) Agreement

Network

• Fixed the wrong display of names of inserted SIM cards from different carriers

Download Links

As always, we’ll be providing the download links so you can sideload the update without waiting for the OTA to roll out. Thanks to XDA Member Some_Random_Username for providing the download links!

• OnePlus 7
  • OxygenOS 10.3.4 (Global/India)
    • Full OTA
    • Incremental OTA from 10.3.3
  • OxygenOS 10.0.7 (EU)
    • Full OTA
    • Incremental OTA from 10.0.6
• OnePlus 7 Pro
  • OxygenOS 10.3.4 (Global/India)
    • Full OTA
    • Incremental OTA from 10.3.3
  • OxygenOS 10.0.7 (EU)
    • Full OTA
    • Incremental OTA from 10.0.6

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How to watch the Galaxy Unpacked live stream and what to expect

Samsung is scheduled to host its second Galaxy Unpacked event for 2020 later this week, during which the company is expected to launch the all-new Galaxy Note 20 series, the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Buds Live, and more. As with most smartphone launch events these days, Samsung will live stream the Galaxy Unpacked event and if you’ve been thinking of tuning in, we’ve got all the details for you.

What time is Samsung Galaxy Unpacked?

The Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on Wednesday, August 5th 2020. Here’s the kick off time in your region:

• West Coast: 7am Pacific
• East Coast: 10am Eastern
• UK: 3pm British Standard Time
• India: 7:30pm Indian Standard Time
• China: 10pm China Standard Time

The event will be live-streamed on Samsung’s website and we’ll also embed a feed in this post on the day of the event. In case you don’t wish to miss the live stream, you can also set a reminder on the company’s website and you’ll be notified when the live stream goes online.

What can we expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked?

As mentioned earlier, Samsung is expected to unveil the heavily leaked Galaxy Note 20 series at the event, along with the new Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Watch 3, and the Galaxy Tab S7/S7+. The company may also announce a 5G variant of the Galaxy Z Flip at the event. We already have quite a bit of leaked information about all the upcoming Samsung devices and if you’re interested in learning more, you can check out our previous coverage by following the links below:

• Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
• Samsung Galaxy Buds Live
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Don’t forget, you can already save $50 off the next Galaxy

It hasn’t even been announced yet, but you can already reserve it early through Samsung’s own store, and you’ll get a $50 discount in addition to any other trade-in and/or pre-order offers. If you’re planning to buy one unlocked, this is a deal you don’t want to pass up but act quickly, as it will probably only be available until the Galaxy Unpacked event.

Get $50 off by reserving the Galaxy Note 20

It hasn't been announced yet but Samsung already has a blockbuster deal for anyone planning to pre-order it unlocked. Reserve your place in line now and you'll get $50 off in addition to other trade-in and pre-order offers.

Reserve yours now at Samsung!

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Google is rolling out Nearby Share, its file-sharing AirDrop clone for Android 6.0+

Last year, we learned that Google was preparing a new file-sharing service for Android. This file-sharing service was originally called “Fast Share” during early iterations, but Google eventually rebranded it to “Nearby Share” during the course of development. We got an early glimpse at Nearby Share in January, and in late June, Google started testing the service with a handful of users on the latest Google Play Services beta release. Today, Google has announced that they are finally rolling out Nearby Share to millions of Android smartphones running Android 6.0 and above.

For those unaware, Android has never had a simple, fast, and unified way to share files between devices. Until Android 10, most Android devices did have access to Android Beam, a file-sharing service that required users to tap their phones together to initiate a handshake over NFC followed by a file transfer over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct. Android Beam is, however, deprecated, clunkier, and slower than AirDrop, the file-sharing service on iOS that’s been around for years and is used by millions of iPhone and iPad users. AirDrop lets you quickly share files with any fellow iPhone or iPad users that are nearby. There are file-sharing services on Android that are arguably as simple and fast as AirDrop, but they all either require users to either download a third-party app or own a device from a specific smartphone manufacturer. Google is uniquely equipped to roll out a simple, fast, and unified file-sharing service thanks to its control over Google Play Services, which is installed on the vast majority of Android devices sold outside of China regardless of the manufacturer. That’s exactly what Nearby Share is—a simple, fast, and unified file-sharing service for Android.

With Nearby Share, Android users can quickly share files to nearby users with the tap of a button. After tapping the “share” button in an app, users can share file(s) by selecting the “Nearby Share” option. Nearby users will then get a notification that someone wants to share content with them. Users will always have the option to “accept” or “decline” the file, so files are never transferred without explicit confirmation. After tapping “accept”, the file(s) are transferred using the best available communication protocol: Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC, or peer-to-peer WiFi. Thus, files can be shared even when the sender and recipient devices are both fully offline.

Google designed Nearby Share with privacy in mind. You can send and receive files anonymously, for example. You can also choose which contacts (all, some, or none) are able to immediately see you when you turn on Nearby Share.

Perhaps the best part of Nearby Share is that Google is making it cross-platform. While we don’t know about iOS compatibility, Google confirmed they’re working to expand the feature to additional platforms. The company confirmed that Nearby Share will work with Chromebooks in the coming months. In fact, it’s already available on Chrome OS if you enable a few feature flags. More general OS support, such as Windows, will be available via Google Chrome.

Starting today, select Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy smartphones running Android 6.0 or later will start getting Nearby Share. Since this feature is baked into Google Play Services, it’ll eventually become available for more Android smartphones. Check out this support page for more information on how the feature works.

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The Razer Kishi mobile gaming controller is now available in a special “Designed for Xbox” edition

Back at CES, Razer announced the Kishi, an extending game controller for smartphones. The Kishi is what’s called a “telescopic” gaming controller, meaning it extends to mount smartphones of various sizes. Unlike many other gaming controllers, the Razer Kishi is not wireless. Rather, it connects to your phone’s charging port. Because of this, Razer made two versions of the Kishi: One for Android devices with a USB-C port and one for iOS devices with a Lightning port. Now, Razer is unveiling a new version of the Kishi controller for Android devices. Like the standard version, this new one connects to your Android’s USB-C port. However, Razer says its new controller has been “Designed for Xbox” in preparation for the launch of Microsoft xCloud and Xbox Game Pass later this year.

The new “Designed for Xbox” edition of the Razer Kishi is nearly identical to the standard Kishi controller for Android phones. They both have 4 face buttons, 2 joysticks, a directional pad, 4 shoulder buttons, a passthrough USB-C port for charging, and a USB-C connector to connect to your smartphone. What differentiates the “Designed for Xbox” edition controller is the addition of an Xbox Nexus, View, and Menu buttons. These buttons have been mapped to send the same inputs as the corresponding buttons on a regular Xbox controller. That means this controller can fully mimic an Xbox controller’s inputs when playing Xbox games through Microsoft’s xCloud cloud gaming service.

Left: Razer Kishi “Designed for Xbox” edition. Right: Standard model.

The new Razer Kishi “Designed for Xbox” edition controller is available on Razer.com, Microsoft.com, Amazon, and other retailers starting today in the U.S. and Europe for a retail price of $99.99/€109.99. That’s $20/€20 more expensive than the standard model, but Razer is also throwing in a 14-day free trial of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to compensate. Razer says that Microsoft xCloud will launch with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on September 15th, and when it does, it’ll require a compatible controller to play on Android. You can opt for an Xbox controller and a phone grip, but Razer believes its Kishi is the best choice for Xbox game streaming on Android.

When I reviewed the standard Kishi for XDA, I found it to be an excellent controller for Android phones when playing games through emulators or cloud gaming services. However, I was disappointed in its size constraints. While you can remove the rubber inserts to free up some space for slightly larger phones to fit, the Kishi still won’t support every large smartphone out there. Furthermore, because the Kishi requires a center-mounted USB-Type C port, some rare devices like the ASUS ROG Phone 3 won’t fit. Based on the leaked dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, it seems that the upcoming phone should just barely fit, but only if you remove the rubber inserts as previously mentioned. Current rumors suggest the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will be optimized for Microsoft xCloud and Xbox Game Pass, so it would be a shame if the device can’t fit in the Kishi. We’ll know for sure once the phone’s specs are confirmed tomorrow, though.

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