Fantastic forgotten Photos features

Plus a handy new Android reminder system  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Android Intelligence](#) [Android Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [1440 logo](​ It isn't often that I feel a powerful sense of affection for a piece of software, but I've gotta tell ya: I am madly in love with Google Photos. I’m not sure I can overstate just how much difference Photos has made in my life. The service has so many standout features, in fact, that I’ve found myself forgetting to use more than a few of ’em over time. And I suspect I'm not the only one. In today's Things to Try section, we'll unearth five fantastic Android Photos features that are all too easy to forget — or even overlook entirely. They'll all make an immediate and very noticeable impact on your day-to-day doings. And all you've gotta do is remember to use 'em. 👉 Before we dive in, a quick final reminder: We're down to the last few days to claim one of the remaining spaces in my [Intelligence Insider club]( — with [a special coupon for $20 off the normal rate](. I'd love to have you join me, enjoy all the perks of membership (including an upgraded and ad-free edition of this newsletter!), and help support my work so I can continue devoting my weeks to writing for you — as an independent voice, without any corporate beast behind me. ➜ The gates won't open again until later this year, so [use your coupon before it's gone and claim your spot before the end of Sunday](). Trust me: You don't want to miss out on this. 🤝 Thanks in advance for your support! [JR Raphael, Author] JR Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 1 minute 30 seconds ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 45 seconds ⌚ Just for Funsies: 30 seconds ​ [] [3 Things to Know This Week] 1. Your Android phone could soon act like a computer ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Google's making fresh progress on a long-under-development Android desktop mode — but why, exactly, remains a bit of a mystery. 🔎 KNOW MORE: We've been seeing signs of Google working to make Android more capable for desktop-style use for a while now, and these latest signs sure make it seem like the effort's getting serious. - Some hidden elements in a recent Android beta reveal an improved framework for letting apps run in resizable, moveable windows when a phone is connected to a computer monitor. - This mirrors the sorts of features present in third-party Android desktop setups already offered by Samsung and Motorola, but bringing that kind of power into Android itself — at the operating system level — would give it much greater reach while establishing a consistent platform-wide standard. - Realistically, though, most people are more likely to reach for a laptop than connect their phone to a monitor. Systems like these have always been awkward and limited in their appeal. And this seems completely at odds with Google's efforts to position ChromeOS as its Android-connected desktop answer, too. But — well, we shall see. 📌 READ MORE: Peek at [the latest Android desktop mode developments](=) for yourself and see what you think of the concept. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Device-makers are letting us down on upgrades (again) ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: My latest Android Upgrade Report Card analysis reinforces the notion that progress really is all relative when it comes to phone-makers and their commitments to post-sales software support. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Because of Android's open nature and the way device-makers are able to modify the software, the responsibility falls to those same companies to process each new Android version and get it out to its customers. - As usual, Google is the only company that consistently provides timely and reliable updates to all of its actively-supported devices — no matter how much they cost or when they were sold. - Samsung did better than the last time with its most recent rollouts, but it's consistently inconsistent — especially when it comes to its one- and two-year-old flagship phones. - And beyond that, everyone else is completely failing in a way that makes it difficult to recommend their products at all. 📌 READ MORE: Check out [my complete report]( for all the dirty details. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. A better phone-finding answer could be days away ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: The shiny new Android Find My Device network that Google first showed us last May might actually be launching next week — if an email sent out to certain Android users is to be believed. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Google gave us the lowdown on the new Find My Device setup at its 2023 I/O conference and has been waiting for Apple to start supporting a cross-platform system for abuse prevention ever since. - The new network will rely on Android devices worldwide pinging each other via Bluetooth to help pinpoint lost phones — even if they're powered off. - That'd make it much more effective than the current equivalent, which relies solely on an individual phone's own last known location. - Google sent emails to some Android users on Thursday saying that the feature would be available "in three days," though we haven't seen any widespread announcements yet — so it's tough to say for sure, but it certainly seems like we're getting close! 📌 READ MORE: Catch up on [the latest info around this](, and let's see what happens... SPONSORED MESSAGE Readers: Don’t settle for biased news ❌ [Spinning head](​ Talking media heads, political spin, biased headlines… *sigh* Don’t you wish “the news” was purely objective? ​[Welcome to 1440](. Born out of a desire for no-BS journalism, 1440 delivers ~refreshingly~ unbiased news stories to your inbox daily. The 1440 humans (not AI) sift through 100+ sources per day, picking out today’s most important news so you don’t have to. From business to politics to world affairs, it’s all written to be as [unbiased as humanly possible.](​ “1440 is the single best news curator, period. Absolutely no bias. I don’t need anyone’s opinion, I can form my own!” - Amy ➜ [Skip the noise and join 3 million 1440 readers for FREE](​ [​READ TODAY’S NEWS IN 5 MINUTES!​ ➜]( ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Find some fantastic forgotten Photos features When it comes to core Android apps, it just doesn’t get much better than Google Photos. And basic backup and syncing aside, the Photos Android app has some awesome advanced features for exceptional organization, discovery, and sharing of your favorite (or maybe even not-so-favorite?) images and videos. ➜ I strapped on my metaphorical spelunkin' hat and crawled into the app's mustiest corners to remind myself of some spectacular Photos features I always to forget to use. And today, I want to share those discoveries with you. ⌚ Each feature will take you 30 seconds to one minute to start using. 📌 [Ready to discover something new?](​ --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Tap into a handy new Android reminder system Reminders can be real life-savers, especially if you've got a mushy and increasingly rusty marmot brain like I do. ➜ Well, take note: Your favorite Android phone's got a fancy new way to help you remember something especially important — and that's the birthday or any other important date of your favorite friends, family, and ferrets. ⌚ It'll take you roughly two minutes to get set up. 📌 I've got [all the info you need to make it happen](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Tell the time with a buzz Here's an interesting one for the Pixel Watch owners among us: Your wrist-wrapped companion can now tell you the time simply by vibrating. ➜ The April software update rolling out to both the first-gen and second-gen Pixel Watch this week adds in a new feature called "vibration watch." It's a pretty funky concept, and I'm honestly not sure how practical it is. But it's certainly fun to play around with. ⌚ And once you have the software update on your watch, it'll take you all of 20 seconds to activate: - Open up the Settings app on the watch itself. - Tap "Vibration," then tap "Vibration watch." - Activate the toggle on the screen that comes up next. Then, anytime you want to know the time, tap your watch's face with two fingers together. Hey, why not — right?! [] ​ [And Just for Funsies...] Oh, hey — happy April! April 1st came and went without much commotion this week, but for years, Google meticulously crafted carefully conceived gags for the ever-important April Fools' Day holiday. Since that era seems to have passed (for the moment, at least), I thought it'd be a fine time to fill the void by digging deep into the dusty web archives and resurfacing a few of the funniest Google gags from April Fools' past. 📫 Up first, back in 2007, Google announced a "new service" called [Gmail Paper](=) — a way to have emails printed and mailed to anyone, with "relevant, targeted, unobtrusive advertisements" on the back of each sheet. [A screenshot of the Gmail Paper announcement: "You click, we stack, you get"] ​ 🖖 In 2011, Google's Chrome team announced [Chromercise](), a new exercise regimen designed to help improve your finger dexterity for faster web browsing. It was complete with a demo video and even the opportunity to request your own finger sweatbands — which Google actually shipped out to anyone who signed up in time (myself included!). [[video preview]​](=) 🐿️ And finally, in 2014, Google gave us a special version of its then-new Chromecast designed especially for use by — wait for it... — squirrels. The original post is now lost in the Google+ graveyard, unfortunately, but the video associated with it lives on: [[video preview]​](=) I'm pretty sure the squirrels outside my office window still have one of those things and are using it to plot against me. One more thing... If you're in the mood for more audiovisual adventuring, check out [the latest episode](=) of the excellent [Android Faithful podcast](=) — featuring a certain doofy-faced dingus chatting with Ron, Jason, and Mishaal about all the latest Googley goings-on: [[video preview]​]( And remember: Just a few days left to claim your spot in in my [Intelligence Insider club]( and avoid losing your [special coupon for $20 off the normal rate​](. ➜ [Come join the party](, boost your Android Intelligence quotient, and enjoy an exceptionally elevated all-around experience — all while supporting my work and allowing this type of in-depth independent journalism to continue. Thanks as always for inviting me into your inbox. I'll see ya next week! 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up](=) [Thumbs Down]( Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. Want less email? 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