Some Android 10 users are facing random freezing and unresponsive UI issues

A growing number of Android 10 users are reporting a stability issue with the OS that causes their device to become unresponsive whenever an app freezes. Artem Russakovskii from Android Police recently took to Twitter to highlight the issue and a number of users have since come forward to confirm that they have also experienced it on their Android 10 devices. In case you haven’t experienced it for yourself, the issue occurs whenever an app freezes on a device running Android 10 and makes the UI completely unresponsive. Once it occurs, users aren’t able to close the app, head back to the home screen or open the notifications shade and have to lock their device for a while before it becomes responsive again.

Another thing that really bothers me on the Pixel 4 XL – when an app freezes up, it oftentimes locks up the whole UI. Notifications, home gesture – everything becomes unresponsive.

Sometimes the UI unfreezes when the app does, sometimes the app remains frozen.

Anyone else?

— Artem Russakovskii (@ArtemR) April 17, 2020

While a vast majority of the reported cases are from Google’s Pixel devices with the stock Pixel launcher, several OnePlus and Xiaomi users have also reported facing the bug. Additionally, the issue doesn’t seem to be launcher related as a number of users running third-party launchers like Nova Launcher and Action Launcher have also experienced it on their Android 10 device. As far as the offending apps are concerned, users have reported facing the issue while using Amazon, Twitter, YouTube, YouTube Music, and the Google Play Store. Even though most of the affected devices are running Android 10, Android Police has also reported facing the issue on a Pixel 3 running the Android 11 developer preview.

Looks like below? I have 3 videos about this.https://t.co/aIgPUbW5qn

— Cosmin Buzle (@CBuzle) April 20, 2020

Several users on Reddit have also confirmed facing the issue, with a few users revealing that it also occurs on custom ROMs based on Android 10, including AOSP 10, LineageOS 17.1, and more. This leads us to believe that the issue might be more of a widespread Android bug than one limited to a few devices or third-party launchers. As of now, we have no clue about what’s causing the issue on affected devices and Google has released no official statement on the matter. We’ll update this post as and when the company addresses the issue.

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Via: Android Police

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WhatsApp is increasing the group voice and video call limits to 8 users

WhatsApp‘s group audio and video calling feature, which was released all the way back in 2018, is finally getting a much-needed upgrade. According to a recent report from WABetaInfo, the latest beta release of the popular messaging app increases the limit of participants in group audio and video calls, allowing users to connect with up to 7 more users at the same time. Previously, group calls were limited to a maximum of 4 participants but with the latest beta update (v2.20.133), you will now be able to add up to 7 of your friends to a group call.

News about the increased limit first surfaced online just a couple of days ago, when WABetaInfo spotted strings of code regarding the update in WhatsApp beta for Android (v2.2.128). The increased limit is finally rolling out in the latest beta release and, following the update, users will be able to add up to 7 other contacts to any given group audio or video call. In order to add more than 4 participants to a group call, you will have to head over to the Call tab and then tap on the New Group Call option (see attached screenshot). In the following menu, you’ll be able to choose up to 7 more people in your contacts list to connect with on a group audio or video call. It’s worth noting that the feature will only work if all participants are on the latest beta release for WhatsApp.

On top of that, WhatsApp has also made some minor changes to the way the call button works within groups. The button will now let you directly start a call with group members in case you’re in a group with 4 members (or less) and all participants will be added to the call. In cases where there are more than 4 members in a group, the call button will bring up a list of all the group members and you’ll be able to choose the people you wish to add to the group call. To try out the new features, you can sign up for the WhatsApp beta program by following this link and then download the latest update from the Play Store link below.

WhatsApp Messenger (Free, Google Play) →

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Source: WABetaInfo

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Xiaomi will announce MIUI 12 alongside a new Mi 10 variant on April 27th

Xiaomi’s MIUI is among the most popular Android skins for two primary reasons. The first and the more obvious reason of the two is the usual budget-friendly pricing of phones under Xiaomi, Redmi, or spin-off brand POCO; the second is the horde of features in MIUI that Xiaomi builds over stock Android to make the experience more user friendly. For a few months now, we have been on the lookout for any information about MIUI 12, the next incremental update to MIUI 11. Our wait could end soon as Xiaomi has announced it will announce MIUI 12 alongside their new mid-range 5G phone – the Mi 10 Youth Edition – on April 27th.

MIUI 12

Xiaomi has been dropping hints about some of MIUI 12’s upcoming features through AMA sessions on Weibo. In the latest episode, the MIUI team revealed MIUI 12 will come with uniform font styles, optimizations in terms of iconography and design language throughout the UI, a more minimal outlook, and some camera features like the ability to remove passers-by from images.

While Xiaomi is reserving the details of the new optimizations or features till the launch on the 27th of this month, the MIUI 12 teaser says the upcoming Android skin will unite imagination and reality and the tagline used for endorsing MIUI 12 translates to, “Touch the imagination, feel the truth.”

We hope to learn more about the features ahead of and at the launch event.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Youth Edition a la Mi 10 Lite 5G

While MIUI 12 might be the more exciting product at the launch for most existing Xiaomi users, the company will also be launching the Mi 10 Youth Edition for potentially new ones. This smartphone is likely to be a rebranded Mi 10 Lite 5G, which has already been launched in Europe last month.

Among its features teased officially, the Mi 10 Youth Edition smartphone will feature quadruple cameras including a telephoto setup with up to 50x zoom. Notably, the Lite variant does not feature a telephoto camera, so that could be unique to the Youth Edition.

The shape of the telephoto camera module suggests Xiaomi could be using a periscopic telephoto setup that was first launched commercially by Huawei on the P30 Pro (review) and then by OPPO on the Reno 10X Zoom Edition (review). It is plausible that the Mi 10 Youth Edition uses periscopic camera modules for 5X optical zoom that Samsung started mass producing in 2019. We’ll have more confidence once Xiaomi formally confirms the capabilities of the camera.

Official render shared by Xiaomi

Meanwhile, in another render, Xiaomi has also revealed the four color variants of the Mi 10 Youth Edition. Two of these color variants resemble the Coral Green of the Mi 10 and the Arctic White of the Mi 10 Pro while the other two a faded copper variant and a soft moss green.

Other than this, the phone may also get a gray color, like the Mi 10 Lite 5G. Unlike the Redmi Note 9S/9 Pro and the alleged Redmi Note 9, the camera module is on the top left corner. The Mi 10 Lite comes with a U-shaped notch and not a hole-punch as we see on the Mi 10 series and the same can be expected of the Youth Edition phone, given the similarities in their designs.

Mi 10 Lite 5G

While the Mi 10 Lite is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G mobile platform, the same cannot be said about the Youth Edition with surety just yet. We’ll wait for a while until Xiaomi confirms these itself and will update you following the same.

Share your thoughts on the phone in the comments below!

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Source: Weibo (1)(2)(3)

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Netflix for Android adds a screen lock button to prevent unwanted touches

If you’ve ever watched a TV show or movie from Netflix on your Android device, then you know how frustrating it can be to accidentally interrupt the video by tapping on one of the on-screen buttons. To prevent this from happening, Netflix recently introduced a new “Screen Lock” button in the Android app (via 9to5Google). This feature will be useful for parents with small children who love to tap on the display, but it can also be useful if you find yourself accidentally interrupting video streams from time to time.

The new “Screen Lock” button is located in the bottom left-hand corner of the on-screen UI. Tapping this button will hide all on-screen buttons, including the play/pause buttons, skip 10 seconds forward/backward buttons, Google Cast button, timeline scrubber, brightness slider, and more. The only button that will be shown when the screen is locked is a lock button that the user can tap twice to unhide all the on-screen buttons. The user can still interact with the status bar/notifications and exit the app via the standard navigation buttons and/or full-screen gestures, though.

In the screenshot below to the left, you can see the “Screen Lock” button, and in the screenshot below to the right, you can see what the UI looks like when the button is tapped. The lock icon disappears after a few seconds like the standard on-screen buttons, of course.

The “Screen Lock” button has already appeared on the Android client on my devices. According to 9to5Google, this feature rolled out as part of a server-side update to the Android app and has not yet arrived on the iOS app. If you haven’t yet updated to the latest version of the Netflix app, you can grab the latest version from the Google Play Store page linked below.

Netflix (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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[Update: Screenshot] Google Photos adds text selection hint on mobile, upload origin info on web, and prepares to let you mute videos

Update 1 (4/20/2020 @ 6:00 PM EST): In version 4.48 of the Google Photos app, the ability to mute audio in videos is now fully functional, albeit it hasn’t rolled out yet.

Google Photos is considered by many to be the company’s best service. If you need a free feature-rich photo and video backup solution, it’s hard to beat Google Photos. The company is constantly tweaking the user interface and adding new tools. The latest additions, as spotted by AndroidPolice, include text selection hints on mobile through Google Lens and showing upload origin information on the web. We’ve also spotted hints that you’ll soon be able to mute videos while editing.

First, a new toast “hint” for text selection is appearing in the Google Photos mobile app. When you open an image that contains text, a pop-up hint suggests “copy text from image.” Tapping it takes you to the Google Lens interface where you can select text and take action such as a Google Search, translation, or copy the text. You could already do this by manually tapping the Google Lens button, but now the app will actually suggest it to you.

Next up is a feature for the web version of Google Photos. You can finally see where uploaded images and videos came from in the “Info” section.” You’ll see “Uploaded from computer, Uploaded from Android device, Uploaded from Google Drive,” etc. This only applies to images you uploaded yourself, though, and not images shared from others.

Lastly, we’ve discovered that Google is preparing to add the ability to mute videos. The Google Photos 4.44 APK includes strings that mention “Mute audio” and “Mute video,” along with other audio-muting related strings. This suggests you will be able to turn off audio from videos in editing. If you’ve ever had a video ruined by audio, you know this is a great feature.

<string name="photos_videoeditor_a11y_mute_audio">Mute audio</string>
<string name="photos_videoeditor_a11y_mute_disabled">Mute button is disabled for silent videos</string>
<string name="photos_videoeditor_a11y_unmute_audio">Turn audio on</string>
<string name="photos_videoeditor_action_mute">Mute</string>
<string name="photos_videoeditor_cpe_mute_applied">Muted</string>
<string name="photos_videoplayer_mute_button">Mute video</string>
<string name="photos_videoplayer_unmute_button">Unmute video</string>

The first few features appear to be available now in Google Photos for their respective platforms. Muting audio is not live yet, but it looks like Google is getting ready to add it soon. It’s always nice to see Google continue to improve one of its best services.

Google Photos (Free, Google Play) →

Update: Muting Audio in Videos Now Possible

When this article was first published last month, we only spotted strings hinting at the ability to mute the audio in videos. Now, we have enabled this feature in the latest version of the Google Photos app, following Jane Manchun Wong doing the same earlier today. As shown below, a new volume icon will appear in bottom left-hand corner of the video editor UI. Tapping this will mute the audio in the video you’re currently editing. You can then save a copy of this edited video.

This feature has not yet rolled out to users, but we’ll keep an eye out and inform you when it does.

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Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 may have an S Pen, 120Hz display, 512GB storage

The Samsung Galaxy Fold was one of the most innovative smartphones from last year. There were some missteps in its early days, but at its core, the Fold was a glimpse into the future. We are now in prime leak season for the phone’s successor which is rumored to be called the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2. If these details we’re hearing are anything to go by, then the Galaxy Fold may be the most interesting device this year, too.

Most of the new information we’ve learned today comes from a company called Display Supply Chain Consultants, or DSCC. Before we summarize the report, it is worth mentioning that DSCC claims the Fold 2 is code-named “Project Champ” while we found evidence in kernel source code referring to the device as Project Winner2. We are thus not sure if Project Champ is a different code-name for the Galaxy Fold 2 or if it’s an entirely different device. At the moment, we are going to assume these two devices are the same models but are referred to by two different codenames.

In a recent report, DSCC mentions the specifications of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 as well as other upcoming foldable devices. We reached out to DSCC for the specifications of the Galaxy Fold 2 and we were given some interesting details. First off, DSCC claims the main display will be a 7.59″ flexible Dynamic AMOLED display. The backplane technology will be based on LTPO, or low-temperature polycrystalline oxide, which will enable variable refresh rate and better energy efficiency. The display will reportedly have a resolution of 2213 x 1689 pixels and the pixel density will be 372 ppi. DSCC also claims that the display will have a 120Hz refresh rate. As for the main display camera, DSCC claims that Samsung wanted to do an under-display camera but couldn’t make the original shipment timing. Instead, the Fold 2 will reportedly have a hole-punch cutout for the main display camera. According to my own sources, there will be a Galaxy Z Flip-like hole-punch cutout in the top right corner.

DSCC’s report also mentions some details on the front display. Specifically, they claim the front display will be 6.23″ with a resolution of 2267×819. The front panel will have a standard 60Hz refresh rate like the original Galaxy Fold. This display will be a Dynamic AMOLED display with a backplane of LTPS, or low-temperature polycrystalline silicon. LTPS is very similar to LTPO but with reduced efficiency. DSCC also claims the front display will have a hole-punch cutout that will likely be centered.

Concept creator Ben Geskin took to Twitter with renders of what he believes this device will look like based off of DSCC’s information. These renders help us visualize what the actual device may end up looking like, and I think it looks quite good.

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DSCC isn’t the only one with more information about the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, though. According to our own sources, the Galaxy Fold 2 will come in 2 different models: a 4G and 5G version. These will be sold in different regions with the main difference being the modem firmware and antenna hardware. Both the 4G and 5G versions of the phone will use either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 or the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ depending on the production speed of the supply chain. Our sources have also told us that Samsung will be using UTG, also known as Ultra Thin Glass, on the Galaxy Fold 2. DSCC corroborates this and elaborated further by saying that Samsung would be using an improved plastic layer to help with scratch resistance. This will be for a few different reasons, but the main reason is for S Pen support. Samsung wants to include an S Pen so they need to also include a harder plastic layer so the display won’t scratch. The other reason, of course, is to address customer concerns with the existing Fold’s display.

Our source also claims there will be two storage sizes: 256GB and 512GB. SamMobile previously reported that a 256GB version of the Galaxy Fold 2 will be available, which we can corroborate. We are also able to corroborate a previous rumor from a Korean blogger on Naver. They claimed that the Galaxy Fold 2 will be available in 2 of the original Galaxy Fold colors: Martian Green and Astro Blue. Our source had previously told us this as well. We are not sure if these colors will make it to market, though. Our source also told us Samsung was working on an ultra-premium version of the Galaxy Fold 2 made of ceramic and stainless steel. This version will likely not make it to market, and if it does, it will be limited edition and only available in specific regions.

As for the camera, the Galaxy Fold 2 is likely going to use the same rear camera setup as the Samsung Galaxy S20+. There were rumors that it would be using the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra camera setup, and while that might have been true on some prototypes, we are told the latest ones borrow the setup from the Galaxy S20+. This means the Fold 2 should have a 12MP main sensor, 64MP secondary/telephoto sensor, and 12MP ultra-wide sensor along with a TOF sensor. The front cameras are either going to be a 10MP or 40MP sensor.

According to our source, Samsung also wants to include a battery at least as large as 4,500 mAh. Our source claimed Samsung was aiming for a battery between 4,500 mAh and 5,000 mAh in capacity, and since then, they have likely decided on a capacity for product. We were also told Samsung wanted to include 45W Super Fast Charging but that they are likely going to limit the Galaxy Fold 2 to 25W Super Fast Charging. This is for both heating and battery health concerns. The Galaxy Fold 2 will still support wireless and reverse wireless charging, we’re told. The reverse wireless charging will be upgraded from 5W to 9W.

As a Galaxy Fold owner, all of these rumored improvements are exciting to hear. The original Galaxy Fold was one of my favorite phones of 2019, and I enjoyed every minute of using it. You really can’t get what it’s like using a foldable phone until you use one yourself. Hopefully, the Galaxy Fold 2 is more reasonably priced so more people can enjoy it!

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OPPO Reno2/Z, F11/F11 Pro, A9, and R17 receive stable Android 10 with ColorOS 7

OPPO’s ColorOS is known for borrowing inspiration from the design elements of iOS, but with the introduction of ColorOS 7 (our review), the company performed a complete visual overhaul on their custom UX while upgrading the underlying layer to Android 10. With the passage of time, the company published a preliminary timeline regarding the update rollout plan for the global units and eventually started beta testing of ColorOS 7 on the OPPO F11 series. After continuing the public beta event on several other phones for a while, OPPO has now started pushing out the stable Android 10 update to the global variants of the OPPO Reno2, OPPO Reno Z, OPPO F11, OPPO F11 Pro, OPPO A9, and the OPPO R17.

XDA Forums: OPPO Reno2 || OPPO Reno Z || OPPO F11 || OPPO R17

A recently released roadmap on the ColorOS global forums did hint about the arrival of the stable version of ColorOS 7 for the aforementioned phones (including the OPPO F11 Pro Marvel’s Avengers Limited Edition), while the OPPO Reno2 Z should join the club by April 25. The OPPO F11 lineup and the OPPO A9 share a common firmware, thus the build version of the Android 10 OTA is CPH1969EX_11.C.20 for all of them. The OPPO Reno Z is getting software version CPH1979_C.21, while the owners of the OPPO Reno2 should expect the build number CPH1907PUEX_11.C.25 for the latest update. Lastly, the OPPO R17 units are receiving CPH1879EX_F.03 build.

Here is the official changelog (expand) for the ColorOS 7 update for these phones:

ColorOS 7 Changelog

• Visuals
  • Brand new borderless design makes visuals more attractive and operation more efficient.
  • Added OPPO Sans as the default font. The new font delivers a refreshing feel and fits well with OPPO’s pursuit of blending beauty and technology.
• Smart Sidebar
  • Optimised user interfaces and improved one-handed operation.
  • Drag an app out of Smart Sidebar to open it in Split-screen mode.
  • Added two settings: Assistive Ball Opacity and Hide Assistive Ball on Fullscreen App.
  • Optimised the Floating Window feature for more apps.
  • Added a bubble: A bubble is displayed when you open an app in a floating window from the Smart Sidebar. Tap the bubble to collapse and open the app.
• Screenshot
  • Optimised 3-Finger Screenshot: Use 3 fingers to touch and hold the screen and swipe your fingers to adjust the screenshot size. Use 3 fingers to touch and hold the screen and swipe your fingers outwards to capture a long screenshot.
  • Added screenshot settings: You can adjust the position of the screenshot preview floating window and set the screenshot sound.
  • Optimised screenshot preview floating window: After taking a screenshot, drag it up and release to share it, or drag it down and release to take a long screenshot.
• Navigation Gestures 3.0
  • New gesture: Swipe inward from both sides of the screen and then hold to switch to the previous app.
  • Optimised gestures: All gestures are supported in landscape mode.
• System
  • Added Dark Mode: Protects your eyes while reducing power consumption.
  • Added Focus Mode: Shields you from outside distractions when you are learning or working.
  • Added all new charging animation.
  • Optimised the Quick Settings user interface for easier one-handed operation.
  • Swipe left or right to ignore banner notifications.
  • Added a pause function for screen recording.
  • Added a floating window and settings for screen recording.
  • New sounds added for file deletion, calculator key touches, and compass pointer.
  • Optimised system pre-loaded ringtones.
  • Added TalkBack floating prompts for Accessibility.
  • Colour Accessibility Mode added to improve the user experience for visually impaired users.
  • New management function for recent tasks: You can view memory information about recent tasks and lock apps.
• Games
  • Optimised visual interaction for Game Space.
  • Optimised the startup animation for Game Space.
• Home Screen
  • More live wallpapers.
  • Added Art+ static wallpapers.
  • Customise whether to open Global Search or the notification drawer when swiping down on the Home screen.
  • Customise the size, shape, and style of app icons on the Home screen.
  • Swipe up on the Lock screen to switch unlock methods.
  • Optimised the graphic design of password unlocks to facilitate one-handed operations.
  • Supported live wallpapers on the Lock screen.
  • More screen-off clock styles.
  • Added a simple Home screen mode, featuring larger fonts and icons and a clearer layout.
• Security
  • Connect your phone to Wi-Fi networks using a random MAC address to avoid targeted ads and protect your privacy.
• Tools
  • In Quick Settings or Smart Sidebar, you can open Calculator in a floating
  • Added the trim feature in Recordings.
  • Added the Weather (dynamic) ringtone, which automatically adapts to the current weather.
  • Added weather-adaptive animations in Weather.
• Camera
  • Optimised the Camera UI for better user experience.
  • Optimised the Timer UI and sound.
• Photos
  • Optimised the Album UI for a clear hierarchy and quick lookup of photos.
  • Added Album Recommendations that recognises more than 80 different scenes.
• Communications
  • OPPO Share now supports sharing files with vivo and Xiaomi devices.
  • Optimised the Contacts UI for a more efficient experience.
• Settings
  • Search Settings now supports fuzzy match and contains a search history.
• Applications
  • Soloop Video Editor: Create your video with one tap.
  • Added DocVault, an app for easy management and use of your digital ID cards (available only on phones sold in India).

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Source: ColorOS forums (1, 2, 3, 4)

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