Android
Android 15 may allow third-party apps to access battery health data
Google is reportedly working on a new feature for Android 15 that would allow third-party apps to access the battery state of health, which is the percentage of the remaining full charge capacity.
This value is currently only accessible to system apps and requires special permission that can only be granted manually through ADB, a tool for developers.
According to tipster @MishaalRahman, Android 14 brought the API for reading the measured battery state of health, but it was restricted to system apps only. Google explained that this was not due to privacy concerns, but rather to engineering reasons, as there were no use cases where an application would require this permission.
Notably, the feature may not work on every device even if Android 15 opens it up as a public API. It may depend on whether the device’s battery charging IC is configured to report this data to Android’s health HAL, which is then read by the OS and apps.
It remains to be seen how Google will implement this new feature in Android 15, and how it will affect the battery performance and user experience of Android devices. We will keep you updated on any further developments on this topic.
Circle to Search is reportedly coming to more Android devices next month. In an exciting development, Tecno announced that the Circle to Search will be available on its new foldable, the Phantom V Fold 2, starting October 2024.
Samsung debuted Circle to Search with the Galaxy S24 series. It’s developed by Google in close partnership with the Galaxy maker. Google also expanded the feature to all of its Tensor-powered Pixel smartphones with Feature Drop.
We knew Circle to Search wouldn’t be available on non-Galaxy and Pixel phones till this October. Samsung already announced the availability of this feature will remain limited to certain phones made by either Samsung or Google.
It seems Samsung may have reached an agreement with Google. In order to showcase Galaxies supreme in the Android ecosystem, both firms may have restricted the expansion of the Circle to Search for at least 10 months.
Google has been regularly working to optimize Circle to Search for all Android phones. As it’s coming to Tecno phone next month, we expect other leading vendors including Xiaomi, Vivo, OnePlus, and OPPO will also be joined.
Well, Google hasn’t officially announced the expansion of Circle to Search. As Tecno is also a Google partner, this spirited claim couldn’t be untrue. Pay attention, Google has an ambitious plan to fuel 200 million Androids with Circle to Search.
One UI could add an iOS-like Stolen Device Protection feature through Android. Google is developing an Identity Check feature, forcing you to use your biometrics to unlock apps. This addition will significantly reduce the privacy breach concerns.
Samsung brings all Android security and privacy features to One UI. The iOS-inspired Stolen Device Protection is highly likely to come to your Galaxy. As the feature is under development, few details about its functioning have appeared.
Findings suggest that Android could soon implement an Identity Check feature. It will force you to use your biometrics to unlock apps. However, biometrics will only be mandatory if the device is outside of a trusted location.
MishaalRahman discovered a new string within the Settings app. The addition suggests “Identity Check is on.” The Settings app has code to show this “Identity Check is on” string when it invokes Android’s biometric prompt dialog.
It is assumed that the Pixel maker is setting up Android to ignore when apps invoke the biometric prompt dialog with a PIN/password/pattern fallback. The feature is expected to be triggered when you are out of trusted locations such as your home.
It could be added through the Trusted Places feature upgrade. This Android tool keeps your phone unlocked when it’s at a trusted location. Using it, the trusted locations will determine when to trigger biometric authentication of apps.
Google is currently running Android 15’s QPR Beta Program. The company will test various new features and improvements across the OS. The changes will likely be distributed through Feature Drop updates in the future.
Google pushed Android 15 to AOSP ahead of rollout to Pixel phones. Android vendors will now be able to use Android 15 as the base and tailor the experience. It’s a significant development for Samsung users waiting for the One UI 7 Beta update.
Samsung is continuously improving the One UI 7 experience through internal testing. The new OS’s AOSP availability will accelerate the testing for Galaxy devices. One UI 7 will have Android 15 as the base featuring modifications as per needs.
One UI is known as the most feature-rich Android skin in the market. One UI 7 is expected to debut unique features and customizations. AOSP release also ensures new Android 15 features would be incorporated into One UI.
Samsung developers would have been exploring new possibilities and experimenting with features. The latest additions would benefit the entire Galaxy community as well as other Android vendors as inspiration for a better user experience.
Pay attention, AOSP releases often include security patches to address vulnerabilities. Samsung has its own mechanism of security updates but it too relies on Android’s. Therefore, faster security updates likely follow the AOSP debut.
AOSP:
Simply put, AOSP is a general availability of Android 15 for modifications. Google has completed the Beta testing of the new OS and the QPR program has also started for Pixels. It’s now Android vendors’ turn to deploy the new update on their devices.
Google notes Android 15 will be available on Pixel devices in the coming weeks, as well as on select devices from Samsung, Honor, iQOO, Lenovo, Motorola, Nothing, OnePlus, Oppo, realme, Sharp, Sony, Tecno, vivo, and Xiaomi in the coming months.