Kiwi Browser update adds the option to turn off the grid layout for tabs

Google first announced that it was planning to add a grid layout for tabs in Chrome for Android back in 2019. The new layout rolled to users later that year, but users initially had to enable some experimental flags to access it. With the Chrome 91 release earlier this year, Google finally set the grid layout as the default option, and the flags to disable the layout became inaccessible. The company even removed the old tab layout from Chromium code, preventing third-party forks of the Chromium browser, like Kiwi Browser, from giving users the old tab layout as an option. However, with its latest update, Kiwi Browser has reintroduced the ability to turn off the tab grid layout.

Earlier this month, Kiwi Browser received a new update based on Chromium 93. It included a new vertical tab switcher to appease users who hated Chrome’s tab grid layout. But Kiwi’s version of the vertical tab switcher didn’t fly with its userbase, so its developer decided to port the code for the older tab layout on top of the new Chromium base. With the latest Kiwi Browser update (v93.0.4577.18), the old-school tab switcher is rolling out to users once again.

L to R: Tab switcher options; Vertical layout; Horizontal layout; Vertical layout (with tab groups); Horizontal layout (with tab group); List layout

Interestingly, Kiwi Browser gives you access to both the classic tab switcher and the horizontal tab switcher, along with the grid and list layouts. Check out the screenshots attached above for the various tab layout options available in the latest release. If you don’t like Chrome’s new grid layout for tabs and you’ve been looking for an alternative, Kiwi Browser is now the best option. You can download the latest release by following the Play Store link below. Alternatively, you can download the APK by following this link.

Kiwi Browser - Fast & Quiet (Free, Google Play) →

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Google is trying to limit what apps can use an Accessibility Service (again)

Android offers an Accessibility Service API that exposes certain system events to apps. The API is incredibly powerful, as it lets apps listen for events such as when a user clicks on a link, views a window, and much more. As its name suggests, the API is only meant for apps that solve an accessibility need, but it has been misused by malicious apps in the past. Due to this, Google once tried to restrict apps from using the API back in 2017. And the company is now trying to do it again.

In the past, malicious apps have used the Accessibility Service API to spy on users by intercepting inputs, tricking them with fake overlays, etc. As a result, Google tried to restrict which apps could use the API in 2017. However, the company faced a ton of backlash for this move from developers whose apps made legitimate use of the API. Google subsequently backtracked on the restriction. A lot has changed since then, and now a lot of the features that apps implemented using the Accessibility Service API have recommended alternatives. Therefore, it seems that Google is finally ready to move forward with restricting its use once again.

In the most recent update to the Google Play policy guidelines, Google has added a new Permissions policy to provide requirements for using the Accessibility API. In a support page regarding the same, the company says that “only services that are designed to help people with disabilities access their device or otherwise overcome challenges stemming from their disabilities are eligible to declare that they are accessibility tools.”

As examples, Google lists features like screen readers, switch-based input systems, voice-based input systems, and Braille-based access systems. Other tools that support people with disabilities as their primary purpose are also allowed. Google explicitly states that the following types of apps will not be considered accessibility tools: antivirus software, automation tools, assistants, monitoring apps, cleaners, password managers, and launchers.

The company further highlights that apps that don’t meet the new definition of an accessibility tool but wish to use the Accessibility Service API anyway must complete a Permission Declaration Form to receive approval. They must also prominently disclose what data they access or collect, how that data is used and/or shared, and require affirmative user action for consent. While this will undoubtedly cut down on the number of apps that abuse the API for nefarious purposes, it will unfortunately also result in apps removing innovative features that use the API.

This update to the Permissions policy will take effect on October 15, 2021. Developers are required to submit the form mentioned above before the deadline, or Google may remove their app from the Play Store.

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Google Play will crack down on inactive developer accounts

Google has updated its Google Play policies for Android developers publishing apps on the Google Play Store. Developers and publishers must abide by these policies for their apps to be allowed on the Play Store. Several new policies are being introduced with this update, and one of them revolves around dormant accounts.

With this new policy, Google is looking to crack down on dormant and abandoned accounts. Accounts that haven’t uploaded an app or accessed the Google Play console in a year will be closed down. Google says this will help prevent abuse as malicious actors won’t be able to easily take over old accounts and start collecting revenue, user data, or push malicious updates without the developer noticing since they’ll be forced to check in on their account once in a while. In addition, it also encourages developers to provide active support for their apps. Google will make exceptions for developers whose apps have received either 1000+ installs or have in-app purchases within the last 90 days.

When Google closes an account, any data associated with it will also be deleted. Google will notify developers before closing the account, though, so they’ll have a chance to log in and become in good standing. Google also notes that if your account is closed, you aren’t restricted from opening a new account in the future. However, you won’t be able to reactivate your old account or migrate any apps or data you managed from your old account. The registration fee paid when creating the Google Play account will be forfeited and not be refunded.

Googler has also announced it’s cracking down on app listings with misleading names and icons.

This policy change takes effect on September 1, 2021. If you’re a developer, we recommend you take some time and read through the new policy changes to ensure your apps and account don’t end up violating the Google Play policies. For more details, check out the video attached below.

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Google unifies its Vulnerability Rewards Program sites for Android, Chrome, and Play

Google’s Vulnerability Rewards Program (VRP) rewards security researchers for reporting security flaws in Google products. The program spans across multiple products, like Android, Chrome, and Google Play, and dishes out some serious cash. Google paid security researchers a record $6.7 million through the program last year and $6.5 million the year before that. Since its launch a little over ten years ago, the company has paid almost $30 million in rewards to over 2000 researchers across 84 different countries. To keep this trend going and encourage more security researchers to participate in the program, Google has now announced a new unified platform called Bug Hunters.

In a recent blog post, Google revealed that the new Bug Hunters platform brings all of the company’s VRPs, including Google, Android, Abuse, Chrome, and Play, under one roof. The idea behind this move is to provide a single intake form for bug hunters to submit issues and give them:

• More opportunities for interaction and a bit of healthy competition through gamification, per-country leaderboards, awards/badges for certain bugs, and more!
• A more functional and aesthetically pleasing leaderboard.
• An opportunity to learn and improve their skills through the content available in the new Bug Hunter University.
• A streamlined publication process to submit bug reports.
• Swag for special occasions.

Additionally, the blog post highlights some aspects of the VRP that aren’t as well known, including:

• Submitting patches to open-source software is eligible for a reward.
• Research papers on the security of open source are eligible for a reward.
• Open-source software might be eligible for a subsidy.

You can try out the new platform by heading over to bughunters.google.com. If you have any feedback, you can submit it here. For more information on Google’s Vulnerability Rewards Program, head over to this page.

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Gboard is making it easier to paste the important bits from text you copy

When it comes to the best Andriod keyboard apps, Gboard often comes out on top. It’s simple, comes pre-installed on most Android devices, and, more importantly, keeps getting better with new improvements and features. Case in point: clipboard suggestions in Gboard are getting smarter.

Gboard’s clipboard suggestions feature has become one of the most useful aspects of the app, allowing users to auto-fill credentials and paste copied text with a simple tap. When dealing with standalone text and numbers, it works like a charm. But with the new update (via Android Police), it’s now also able to extract important information from the full text, so you don’t have to go through the exercise of pasting the whole thing and then cutting the irrelevant parts.

When you copy a block of text that contains things like phone numbers, email addresses, or URLs, Gboard now automatically extracts these bits and surfaces them as snippets in the clipboard suggestion area (see screenshots above). Android Police notes that it also works with specific times/dates and random numbers and not just phone numbers and OTPs.

This feature was first rolled out to Google Pixel phones with the June Pixel Feature Drop update. But now, it appears to be making its way to other phones as well. It comes after Gboard started testing the ability to surface multiple selections in the clipboard bar back in April.

Smarter clipboard suggestions are rolling out with the latest Gboard beta v10.8.06. They haven’t made it to the stable version yet. You can sign up for the Gboard beta program here. Alternatively, you can download the latest APK from APKMirror. If you don’t see any clipboard suggestions at all, make sure you have enabled the feature under Settings > Clipboard > Show recently copied text and images in the suggestions bar. 

Gboard - the Google Keyboard (Free, Google Play) →

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Screenshots courtesy: Android Police

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Xiaomi’s next flagship phone could sport UWB tracking support

Xiaomi resurrected its Mi MIX series earlier this year with the launch of the Mi MIX Fold — the company’s first-ever foldable phone. But that doesn’t seem to be the only Mi MIX phone Xiaomi plans to launch this year. Rumors suggest that the company will also launch the Mi MIX 4 later this year. While we can’t confirm that at the moment, we have spotted evidence regarding a new flagship-tier Xiaomi smartphone codenamed “odin.”

Xiaomi leakers and insiders kacskrz, XiaomiUI, and Digital Chat Station have shared some information about “odin” recently. All three sources state that the device will be based on Qualcomm’s sm8350 platform, which is the model name for the Snapdragon 888. Although Digital Chat Station hasn’t cited his source, kacskrz and XiaomiUI both point to code within MIUI firmware that ties “odin” to the sm8350 platform. MIUI firmware analysis also reveals that “odin” may have 3 rear cameras — a 50MP primary camera, a 48MP telephoto camera, and a 48MP wide-angle camera.

On Weibo, Digital Chat Station states that “odin,” which will have a model name ending with “K8,” has a flexible curved screen on both sides and possibly an under-display camera. We don’t place much confidence in the under-display camera rumor since there’s no other source to corroborate it, but it’s worth mentioning that Digital Chat Station has a pretty solid track record.

It’s also worth noting that kacskrz has spotted one code reference that could point to the phone having an under-display camera. The code reference is a boolean value called isFrontCUPLens, which was set to true for “odin.” If we were to guess, “CUP” could mean “Camera Under Panel.”

While we haven’t found any other clues pointing towards an under-display camera, we have spotted solid evidence for Ultra-Wideband (UWB) support. This short-range, high-precision radio technology allows for precise tracking, and you can find it on the latest Samsung and Apple flagships. But Xiaomi currently doesn’t offer UWB support on any of its phones. However, Xiaomi once showed off smart home controls using a prototype phone with UWB support, and it seems like the company is now finally ready to ship a UWB radio on a commercial device.

MIIT certification for Xiaomi K8

The evidence for “odin” supporting UWB comes from two sources: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and MIUI firmware. As Digital Chat Station pointed out on Weibo, the Xiaomi phone with model number ending in K8 was certified by the MIIT and the certification listing explicitly mentions UWB support. More recently, XiaomiUI discovered code snippets within the MiShare app that tie “odin” to UWB support.

XiaomiUI also states that “odin” will support Ultra Wideband 5G (Verizon’s marketing term for mmWave 5G, not to be confused with low-energy Ultra-Wideband used for short-range positioning), but haven’t seen solid evidence for this. In a recent press release from Qualcomm, though, Xiaomi did hint that it will launch a phone with mmWave 5G support, so this could be true. In the press release, the company stated: “By closely working with Qualcomm Technologies in advancing technologies, we expect to launch the mmWave devices based on the Snapdragon mobile platforms next year and offer our global users with increasingly smooth and superior network experiences.”

Currently, we have no further details about the upcoming Xiaomi flagship. But we expect to learn more in the coming months. We’ll make sure to let you know as soon as we learn more.

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Featured image: Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

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OnePlus 9R update brings OxygenOS 11.2.4.4 with Bitmoji AOD

The OnePlus 9R, an overclocked version of the OnePlus 8T that’s only available in India and China, is getting a new software update to OxygenOS 11.2.4.4. The update brings the most recent security patch level — July 2021 — and also enhances the Always on Display with new features.

According to the post announcing the update on the OnePlus forums, the latest update for the OnePlus 9R also optimizes the “overheating control management of third-party apps”, updates the preinstalled Google Mobile Services packages to the June 2021 release, and fixes other “known issue[s].” More importantly, the update also adds the Bitmoji AOD feature which recently rolled out to the other devices in the OnePlus 9 series. This feature lets you use your personal Bitmoji avatar on the Always on Display and can be found under Settings > Customization > Clock on ambient display > Bitmoji.

OxygenOS 11.2.4.4 changelog

• System
  • Optimized the overheating control management of third-party apps
  • Optimized the experience of Quick Reply in some scenarios
  • Updated Android security patch to 2021.07
  • Updated GMS package to 2021.06
  • Fixed known issue
• Ambient Display
  • Newly added the screenshot feature for AOD
  • Newly added Bitmoji AOD, co-designed by Snapchat & Bitmoji, which will liven up the ambient display with your personal Bitmoji avatar. Your avatar will update throughout the day based on your activity and things happening around you ( Path: Settings – Customization – Clock on ambient display – Bitmoji )

OnePlus 9R Forums

As always, the update is rolling out in waves, so you may not see the update on your device just yet. However, if you’d rather not wait for the device to reach your device, you can skip the wait and sideload the incremental OTA or full OTA zip. The incremental OTA can only be applied if your device is running the OxygenOS 11.2.3.3 update; otherwise, you’ll need to download the full OTA zip to update to the latest release.

• Full OTA to OxygenOS 11.2.4.4
• Incremental OTA from OxygenOS 11.2.3.3

OnePlus 9R

The OnePlus 9R offers last year's flagship hardware at a more affordable price.

View at Amazon India

Thanks to XDA Member Some_Random_Username once again for sharing the download links!

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