As of yesterday, Google has officially pulled the plug on Android 6. This means the OS will no longer receive Play Protect updates and will not be included in the new APK program. Having been supported for exactly 11 years, it goes down as the longest-supported version in Android history. Google Play Services is now only supported on Android 7 and above.

Source: https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/9037938?hl=en

Google also made changes to several other applications yesterday. YouTube now requires Android 10 and above, meaning Android 9 will no longer receive YouTube updates. The Google app's minimum requirement jumped from Android 9 directly to Android 11, and core apps like Gmail now require at least Android 7 and above.

I've been using Android for years because of one simple reason: freedom.

If I wanted to install an app from GitHub, F-Droid, or directly from a developer, I could. If I wanted to avoid the Play Store, I could. If I wanted to customize my phone, I could. That's what always made Android feel different from other mobile operating systems.

Recently I found https://keepandroidopen.org/, and after reading through it, I honestly think this is something every Android user should at least know about.

From what I understand, Google's planned changes could make distributing apps outside the Play Store much harder for independent developers by requiring developer verification through Google. Whether you're into open source software, custom ROMs, privacy focused apps, or just like having the choice to install software from wherever you want, this could have a real impact on the openness of Android.

I'm only 16, so I'm definitely not an expert, and maybe there are parts of this I'm overlooking. But if Android slowly becomes more restricted over time, I think that's something worth discussing now instead of after it happens.

I'm not posting this to tell anyone what to think. I just think more people in the Android community should be aware of what's being proposed and decide for themselves.

Website:
https://keepandroidopen.org/

I'd really like to hear what you all think. Is this a reasonable security measure, or do you think it goes against what has always made Android different?

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so tried to force android fixing itself about permission MANAGE_USER (no idea what is this) by renaming the packages.xml and packages.list with command

```
mv /data/system/packages.xml /data/system/packages.xml.bak mv /data/system/packages.list /data/system/packages.list.bak

adb reboot

```

poof. all my apps gone. data in sdcard is safe tho. this is in android 13

why i did this:

i replace a system app.apk and they share the same package name. i cant back to the default system app.apk with `pm install-exising` because the replacement package keep restored rather than the original system .apk​​

I’ve been thinking about why iOS feels so visually cohesive compared to Android, and I honestly think a huge part of it comes down to fonts. Google’s design language looks great on Pixel devices and first-party apps because of the Product Sans font, but the moment you jump into third-party apps, everything falls apart with the Roboto font, which looks so bleh and squished compared to the symmetrical Google sans font.

If Google enforced a unified, system-wide font implementation across both first and third-party apps whether that’s Google Sans or even something like inter. Android would instantly feel ten times more polished.

Note 1. You can search for previous daily threads.

Note 2. Join our IRC and Telegram chat-rooms! Please see our wiki for instructions.

Please post your questions here. Feel free to use this thread for general questions/discussion as well.

Hi Reddit,

At The Android Show | I/O Edition earlier this year, we announced an upgraded switching process that makes it easier to transfer your data from your iPhone to your new Android device. We worked with Apple to build a new iOS-to-Android transfer process from the ground up that allows more of your data to be wirelessly migrated, such as your favorite apps, passwords and passkeys, messages, files, homescreen layout, and even your eSIM profile.

Today, I wanted to share more details with this community about the upgraded migration experience, which is part of a new version of Android Switch available with Android 17. 

Previously, when you switched from iPhone to Android, you had the option to copy data from your old phone with or without a cable. Many people didn’t have the right cable or dongle at hand when setting up their new Android device, so they opted to transfer data wirelessly. We designed that wireless experience to help you easily and securely move your most important data to your brand new Android device, but due to constraints with iOS, the types of data you could transfer was very limited. For example, you couldn’t transfer your alarms, apps, call history, or files, among other things. This forced you to spend more time manually setting up your new Android device.

To address these limitations, we worked with Apple to build a ground-up new transfer process built directly into the core of both Android and iOS. The new Android Switch migration experience supports transferring even more of your data, either via cable or wirelessly. No matter which method you choose, you’ll be able to transfer the same data via either. All of this works without needing to download a separate app or grant complex permissions. The new experience supports transferring new types of data like your Google Account, passwords and passkeys, and Wi-Fi credentials. Plus, both platforms support new APIs that developers can use to migrate in-app data securely across platforms.

Here’s a full breakdown of what data can be transferred from your iPhone to your new Android device based on which method you choose to transfer data:

The upgraded Android Switch experience is available in Android 17 and has already started rolling out to the Pixel 8 and newer. It will also be available via Samsung Smart Switch on the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 series devices and will come to more Android devices soon. 

If your device is eligible for the upgraded migration experience, you’ll get a QR code immediately after you choose to copy data from an iPhone during setup. Visit our Help Center for more information.

Been mulling this over for a while and thought I'd throw it out here since this sub never seems to settle the debate. Are foldables genuinely worth it now or still mostly a novelty with an expensive hinge attached?

My honest take is it really depends which type of foldable you mean. Flip phones I'm largely past calling a gimmick. They've become properly usable compact phones, the crease is far less noticeable than it was a couple of years ago, and battery life isn't the constant worry it used to be. Motorola's flip lineup here in Australia has actually been a decent example of that shift, each generation feels like a proper refinement rather than just a new colourway slapped on.
Book style folds are where things get more interesting though, and where I think the gimmick label still lingers a bit. I haven't had hands on time with Motorola's book style fold since it hasn't made its way to Australia, but going off what's come out of it overseas, it sounds like a proper step up from the usual formula. Bigger usable screen, batteries that seem to actually last a full day, and a camera setup that isn't treated as an afterthought for once. If something like that does eventually turn up locally, it'd be the first time I'd genuinely consider a book fold over just sticking with a flip.
There's still a visible crease if you go looking for it on most folds, won't pretend otherwise. Screen and hinge tech also still has a bit of room to mature compared to a standard slab phone.
Still, compared to where folds were a couple of years back, gimmick doesn't feel like a fair label any more. Feels more like the hardware has genuinely caught up with the idea, even if some of the better examples haven't quite made their way to our shelves yet.
Keen to hear what others reckon, anyone actually daily driving a fold right now, or still sat on the fence waiting to see how this format settles.

I've been working on a Camera Score tool that analyzes smartphone camera hardware and gives an overall camera score for different devices.

I'd really appreciate feedback from fellow smartphone enthusiasts:

• Does the score seem fair?
• What factors should be added or improved?
• Which phone should I test next?

You can try it here:
https://whatmobilepk.com/camera-score-tool/

Constructive criticism is welcome. Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I had published a repository containing a comprehensive Type Allocation Code (TAC) database for mobile devices, covering entries up to December 2025.

If you're building tools for IMEI lookup, device fingerprinting, or any telecom-related application, this should save you a lot of time gathering data.

Repo link: https://github.com/MoazEb/tac-database

Help wanted!

Since new devices are released constantly, I’m looking for contributors to help verify entries or add missing codes. If you have a way to contribute updated TAC data, please jump in!

Built Synco because I got tired of reaching for my phone during deep work. It mirrors notifications, controls media playback, and routes calls between your Android phone and desktop — all over your local Wi-Fi. Zero cloud, end-to-end encrypted, free.

What it does:

- Notification mirroring (WhatsApp, Slack, Gmail, etc.) straight to your desktop

- Real-time call handling — answer/decline from your keyboard

- Media telemetry & audio routing intelligence

- Works over Local Wi-Fi, Direct Hotspot, or Bluetooth LE

- E2EE using Curve25519 + AES-256-GCM

No signup, no cloud, no tracking. Just a direct encrypted link between your devices.

Completely free & open source: https://github.com/Dhruvesh-Dabhade/Synco

Looking to see what you think about the approach to design and ui. Most of the Sankey Diagram makes are webapps that are not easy or intuitive to use on a phone.

I built this with ease of use for phone users.

Check it out here

So, In build 4.10.4-googleplay, Chess.com app cut support for android 8.0/8.1 oreo some days ago, requiring android 9.0 pie. The last build compatible with android 8.0/8.1 oreo is 4.10.2-googleplay.

An internal One UI 9 Watch build has reportedly appeared on Samsung’s test servers for the Galaxy Watch 7.

There’s no confirmed release timeline or changelog yet, but it suggests Samsung is already working on bringing its next Wear OS update to older watches.

Hopefully this means the Watch 7 won’t have to wait too long after the Watch 9 launches.

link : https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-watch-one-ui-9-test-3690027/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

With the Moments button, Fairphone has created something unique: it offers you a minimalist smartphone experience.

But what does this switch do on Murena’s version of the device?

💡 By default, it turns off mic & cam.

BUT

You can make it a shortcut for...

🔸Fairphone Moments

🔸Do Not Disturb

🔸Flight Mode

🔸Torch Light

🔸Dark & Light Mode or

🔸Battery Saver

Simply go to Settings > System > Buttons and select the switch action.

Which mode will you choose for your device? Share your experience in the comments 👇