Android widgets gone wild

And a little-known voice command  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Android Intelligence](#) [Android Intelligence](#) Whoa. Fourteen years. Can you believe it?! When I first had the daring dream to start an Android-focused column back in June of 2010, no one expected it to last. No one thought Android itself had any legs, and everyone questioned how long a publication about any type of mobile tech other than the iPhone (and maybe also the BlackBerry, at that point) could possibly keep going. My, how things have changed. In honor of this publication's nearly decade-and-a-half milestone of defying the odds and offering up something original for those of us who aren't trend-chasing iZombies, I'd like to extend a special invitation for you to [join my special Intelligence Insider resource club]( for [$25 off the usual rate](). That brings the cost down to just over five bucks a month for your first year of membership — through this coming weekend only. Insider membership is a one-of-a-kind asset for people who really want to make the most of their favorite apps and devices. It leads you to endless tech-enhancing revelations and introduces you to time- and money-saving secrets most mere mortals never encounter. ➜ Come become an Insider now with this special [$25 off coupon](). You'll support my work and make this independent operation possible, and you'll gain instant access to a premium, interactive experience and on-demand resources you won't find anywhere else: [CLAIM YOUR COUPON ➜]() Thanks for giving it some thought — and thanks, sincerely, for being a part of this adventure and inviting me into your inbox each and every week, either way. Now, let's get into some good stuff, shall we? [JR Raphael, Author] JR Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 2 minutes ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 45 seconds ⌚ Just for Funsies: 15 seconds ​ [] [3 Things to Know This Week] 1. Texting with iFolk is about to get less awful ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Well, my friend, hell hath officially frozen over: Apple's confirmed it's including support for the universal RCS messaging standard in its next iOS update — bringing its iPhone-totin' masses out of the Stone Age and (mostly) into the era of modern communication. 🔎 KNOW MORE: For years now, Apple has deliberately dumbed down messaging between iGoobers and those of us on the Android side to create the impression that Android devices are inferior and encourage its customers to stick with iOS eternally. - Cross-platform messaging in the iPhone iMessage app still defaults to the ancient SMS standard, which results in ridiculously grainy, low-res images and all sorts of other easily avoidable issues. - By switching over to RCS instead, that silliness will at long last be eliminated and we'll be able to properly communicate across platforms like reasonable humans in the current century. - Positive (and overdue) of a shift as that may be, it's worth noting that Apple is only making this move to head off incoming regulatory requirements — and all signs suggest it'll continue to do the juvenile "green bubble" nonsense for messages with Android owners, even so, in order to keep up the manufactured stigma and perception that anything other than an iDevice is somehow still lesser. 📌 READ MORE: Catch up on [what's coming and what it'll mean for you](). 🗳️ CAST YOUR VOTE: [What's your reaction to the iOS RCS news?](​ --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Two nifty new features are on their way to Pixels ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Google's latest Pixel feature drop is heading out into the world, and it brings with it two particularly noteworthy quality-of-life improvements. 🔎 KNOW MORE: These ongoing quarterly updates — in addition to the regular Android software rollouts — have become a significant point of differentiation for Pixels. - The current bundle includes an enhancement to the Android-wide Find My Device network in which the Pixel-8-series phones can actually be located even when they're off or their batteries die entirely — for at least 23 hours after they were last powered on. - It also sports a boost to the Google Phone app that lets you look up and identify an unknown phone number with a single tap, right from your call history. - The Phone app is available to use on any Android device, Pixel or otherwise, but it sounds like the option will be limited only to Pixels from 2021 and onward — at least to start. 📌 READ MORE: Explore [the complete list of incoming new features](=). --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Google Pay is officially gone (mostly, kinda-sorta) ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: In the latest dizzying bit of Google branding insanity, the once-prominent GPay app for Android has officially shut down and stopped working in the U.S. as of this week. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Seriously — even I can't keep this mess straight without referencing my notes at this point. But (deep breath)... - Google Pay started out as Google Wallet back in 2011. Then Google merged it with a newer Android Pay service in 2015, relaunched Google Wallet as a Venmo-like money-transferring service later that year, merged those two things together into Google Pay in 2018 and relaunched Wallet as Google Pay Send, then discontinued that and relaunched Google Pay again as an all-in-one service in 2020 — with all sorts of grand banking ambitions that never ended up happening. - Then, in 2022, Google relaunched Google Wallet (!). And earlier this year, it said it'd kill off the Pay app completely (in the U.S., at least) and keep Pay only the brand for sending payments to retailers. - Moving forward, Wallet is the one Android app for everything, and Venmo-style person-to-person transfers are no longer available in any U.S. Google service. Got all that?! (Whew.) 📌 READ MORE: Try to wrap your brain around [the full overview of these latest twists and turns]( — and if you really want to make your head spin, look over [this comically complex summary of Wallet's winding history](=). 97.8%. Remember that number. Look, I'm no business wiz. I'm a lowly writer and professional Android-obsessed doofus (albeit one with extraordinarily nice freckles). But when I look at the stats for my Intelligence Insider resource club and see that 97.8% of people who join end up sticking around and renewing each and every year — well, I've got a feeling that's a pretty good sign we're doing something right. In the past few months, Intelligence Insiders have been treated to some of the best and most in-depth knowledge-packed life-enhancers I've ever put together — things like: - ​[My Android speed typing Superguide](​ - ​[My Insider's guide to saving serious money on Google storage](​ - ​[My personal collection of 40+ off-the-beaten-path tips and tools for a better, saner, less annoying web experience]()​ That's in addition to all the other perks of Insider membership — like a supercharged version of your favorite Friday newsletter (i.e. this one!), a completely customizable and ad-free reading experience in your inbox and on the web, and a searchable database of every tip I've ever mentioned and newsletter I've ever sent. Plus, you have 24/7 on-demand access to one-on-one advice and answers from me, personally, along with our entire community of awesome Android and general-tech nerd-wizards. I'm tellin' ya: If you like this newsletter, you'll love what awaits on the Insider side. ➜ [Take advantage of this $25 off coupon]() and come join the party: [COUNT ME IN — LET'S DO IT! ➜]() Or [dive deeper into the awesomeness of Insider membership]( and all the options you've got for joining between now and the end of Sunday — including the newsletter-centric Genius membership, [now discounted to just over three bucks a month for your first year]()! ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Create some awesome on-demand floating widgets Ready to unleash your phone's widgets and make 'em even more useful? ➜ My latest Android-enhancing hack — and something I've been obsessed with on my own personal phone ever since I started messing with it earlier this month — is a custom floating widget that can be summoned with a long-press of your phone's physical volume button. Right now, for instance, I can press and hold the volume-up key on the side of my device, aaaaand.... [An animation showing a Google Home widget appearing atop an active Chrome tab and then being swiped away] ​ Boom: That nifty new Google Home connected-device control widget pops right up for instant access, no matter what app I've got open or what else I'm doing. ⌚ You can set up something similar with any widget in five minutes — or likely even less. 📌 [Check out my zesty new guide to making it happen]( and let me know how you end up using it! --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Summon any widget with your voice While we're thinking about interesting ways to work with widgets, it's worth reminding ourselves of a really cool feature that hardly anyone knows about — or remembers to keep using. ➜ On any Pixel device, you can activate Assistant and ask it to show you any widget, anytime. ⌚ It'll take you all of seven seconds to do, provided you've got a Pixel in your paw. ✅ Just say "Hey Google," then say something like "Show me the Keep widget." And watch what happens. The system seems to work mostly with widgets from Google-made Android apps — including Keep, Calendar, Chrome, Clock, Maps, Google News, and YouTube Music. And, notably, it's connected to the traditional Google Assistant, not the newer (and far less capable) Gemini alternative. Now you know, though, and now you've got another worthwhile way to summon a widget when you need it, from anywhere on your device — whether it's actively visible on your home screen or not. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Turn any web page into a custom Android widget Do you have certain web pages you find yourself peeking at constantly during the day — a forum, a favorite news or stocks site, or maybe even a site of your own? ➜ Well, get this: You can transform any web page on this wide, wild internord of ours into a live interactive widget that's always available for easy glancing — either on your home screen or on demand, even, using either of the two methods we just went over! ⌚ It'll take you two minutes to set up. ✅ Just [download the free Widgetify app]( from the Play Store — then: - Press and hold any open space on your home screen and select the option to add a new widget. - Find and select Widgetify in the list of options that appears. - Either tap the Widgetify widget size you want or press and hold it to drag it into an open space on your home screen, then follow the steps to configure the widget to work in whatever way you want. Whee! ​ [] [And Just for Funsies...] What if your shoes could control your phone — a certain foot movement to make a call to your significant other, mayhaps, or a clicking of your heels to start a navigation home? This may sound like the setup for a silly April Fools' joke, but it (apparently) is very real: Samsung has [come up with something called the Shortcut Sneaker](=). It uses special sensors within the shoes to trigger actions on your Android device. I swear I'm not making this up: [[video preview]​](=) The company's Netherlands branch says it has six of the limited-edition sneakers available to give away in a drawing. Sounds like quite a kick to me. Ta-ta for now Hey, thanks as always for havin' me over to your inbox. A very happy Father's Day weekend, if you're a fellow dad (with or without the dorky and apparently dated attire that, ahem, some of us appreciate). And a happy random weekend in June, if not. Either way, know that I appreciate you — and I'm delighted to be able to chat with you like this each and every week. I'll see ya soon. --------------------------------------------------------------- 📊 Last week's poll results: In our previous poll, 50% of you said you charge your phone overnight every night, 26% said you charge sporadically throughout the day, and 16% said you charge less than once a day (pshaw — overachievers!). Just 8% of you joined me in saying you charge your phone in the morning every morning. 🤚 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? [Update your reading preferences](=) to opt out of any individual publications or unsubscribe entirely. New here and not yet subscribed? Take two seconds to [sign up for our newsletters](): Android Intelligence, Windows Intelligence, or Cool Tools (or all three!). Hungry for even more? 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