Your custom Android Action button

Plus a handy new hidden setting  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ # Brought to you by: [The Hustle logo]()​ I may not be the biggest fan of Apple's approach to technology — to, erm, put it mildly — but every now and then, the crew from Cupertino comes up with a genuinely clever concept. And you've gotta admit: That's absolutely the case with the new Action button on the latest high-end iPhones. The Action button, if you haven't heard, is a physical key you can configure to handle a variety of common commands — toggling silent mode, flipping on your flashlight, or even recording a voice memo. That's a useful idea, don't ya think? I do — but I also know a saucy little secret: You don't actually have to have the latest high-end iPhone to enjoy such an advantage. In fact, you don't have to have an iPhone at all. With about two minutes of effort, in fact, you can create a similar sort of setup on any Android phone you're using — with even more flexibility and potential. It's a prime example of the sort of power that makes Android so appealing. Check out the steps for yourself in this week's Things to Try section, and get ready to gain a whole new appreciation for the oft-untapped awesomeness within your purse or pocket. JR Wild things are happening in AI this week... 🤖 Curious what all the hullabaloo is around Microsoft's massive AI-themed event in NYC? Then you won't want to miss out on the original analysis from my friend and colleague Chris Hoffman, who's been covering the event live and in-person. 📌 You can [check out Chris's latest insights on our website](=) — and be sure to look for his Windows Intelligence newsletter in your inbox for even more info. ​ Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 2 minutes ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 1 minute ⌚ Just for Funsies: 30 seconds [] ❱❱ 3 Things to Know This Week 1. Google's AI genie can now interact with your info ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: In what may be its biggest leap forward yet, Google's Bard AI chatbot has just gained the ability to let you submit questions and requests related to your own data in Gmail, Docs, Drive, and beyond. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The feature is part of a new "extensions" system launching for Bard this week, and it almost turns the tool into something useful. Almost. - Once you enable the assorted extensions, you can do things like ask Bard to find or summarize specific types of emails, documents, or files from your associated Google services. - You can also ask the system to help research travel within Google Flights or Hotels or dig up data within Maps or YouTube. - All combined, these new powers bring a lot of added oomph into the Bard environment. But like most everything related to these sorts of AI systems, the info they return is hit and miss in terms of accuracy — with plenty of wrong or flat-out fabricated responses. And that makes it impossible to actually rely on as a resource, even if everyone seems dead-set on pretending otherwise. 📌 READ MORE: You can read all about the new Bard features in [this official announcement](=) and check 'em out for yourself on [the Bard Extensions website](=) (though note that they're available only for regular consumer Google accounts at the moment, not paid Workspace accounts, and only in areas where Bard itself was already available). --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. You've got a snazzy new way to save space with apps ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Google's in the midst of rolling out an interesting new option that lets your phone automatically condense apps you aren't actively using without completely removing 'em or deleting any of your data. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The option is called auto-archive, and it should be showing up on your phone any day now if it hasn't already. - Once activated, the system will constantly seek out any apps you haven't interacted with in a while and condense them down significantly. - Most of the apps' files will be removed from your device, but the icons will remain in place, as will all of your personal data. - Anytime you want to use an app again, you can simply tap its icon — and your phone will re-download it for you and let you pick up right where you left off. 📌 READ MORE: [This Android Developers Blog post](=) has all the ins and outs of how the system works. You can try it out for yourself by opening up the Play Store, tapping your profile photo in the upper-right corner, then tapping "Settings" followed by "General" and "Automatically archive apps" (and if you don't see that option yet, give it a few days and then check again!). --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Your Smart Display is about to get a little less useful ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: In a confounding twist, Google's announced it's removing the option to join group video calls in Zoom or Meet on its Nest Hub Max Smart Displays. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The feature will be axed at the end of this month. It's the latest of a string of baffling back-and-forths with Google's smart home services. - Video calling was touted as a key selling point of the top-of-the-line Nest Hub Max when it launched four years ago. - To make matters even more confusing, while Google's eliminating the group calling capability, it is still supporting one-on-one calls on the devices — via (wait for it...) the discontinued Google Duo service. - Google's lack of commitment has become a bit of a punchline at this point, but seeing the company scale back the scope of once-prominent products like this is a serious problem when it comes to earning customer trust and convincing us to get on board with its non-core-focus efforts. 📌 READ MORE: Catch up on what's happening with [this quick 'n' simple summary](=) and then visit [this respectable rant]() for some big-picture venting about the absurdity of this situation. #top SPONSORED MESSAGE Did they plant a computer chip in your brain? 🤖 [Dancing robot gif]()​ Don’t lie — we know you’ve been turned into an AI-powered robot! How? Seemingly overnight, you became the smartest in the room, reciting unreported tech headlines, impressing colleagues with your newfound business wisdom… Oh wait — you just [read the Hustle]() every morning? Phew! Trusted by 3 million CEOs and other business leaders, The Hustle newsletter tracks down the day’s most important business + tech news and sends ‘em directly to your inbox (for absolutely free). Back-alley Wall Street beats, Silicon Valley secrets, pop-culture phenomena… The Hustle is the quickest — and most entertaining — way to get your news in 5 minutes or less. ➜ [Humans! Outpace the omniscient robot hordes and subscribe to the The Hustle daily newsletter right here!]()​ [UPGRADE YOUR BRAIN WITH TODAY’S NEWS ➜]() #top [] ❱❱ 3 Things to Try This Week 1. Create your own custom Android Action button So, here's a fun bit of iRony for ya: The best part of Apple's latest fancy iPhone feature is how much it highlights the power and flexibility of Android. To wit: On its top-dollar iPhone 15 Pro series, Apple's making a big deal out of a new physical button that iFans can program to handle any one of seven supported tasks. ➜ On any Android device, meanwhile — no matter who made it — you can create the same kind of concept with about a zillion times more zest and potential. This is one of the coolest off-the-beaten-path hacks you'll ever encounter. It'll make whatever phone you're using meaningfully more useful and give you a newfound appreciation for just how awesome Android can be. ⌚ Oh, and it'll cost you exactly $0 and take about two minutes to set up. 📌 I've got all the steps in [this giddy new guide](). --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Dig up a handy new hidden Pixel setting If you've got one of Google's new Pixel Fold or Pixel Tablet devices, listen up: Your shiny Googley gizmo's got a supremely effective step-saver just waiting to be found. I happened to stumble onto it the other day, and lemme tell ya: Once you activate it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it enabled. ➜ It's an out-of-the-way setting that lets you wake your Pixel and securely unlock it in a single streamlined step, simply by touching your finger to its power button. ⌚ It takes 20 seconds to find and fire up. 📌 [This guide's got everything you need]()to make it happen. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Set up a securely synced folder for sensitive photos Google Photos is a great way to make any photo or video you capture available anywhere, anytime. But sometimes, certain images are a bit more, shall we say...sensitive. (Don't worry. I won't ask for details.) And you might not want 'em in your Photos library and potentially popping up in front of the wrong set of eyes. ➜ Photos has offered an encrypted Locked Folder for this very purpose for a while now, and as of this week, that folder's gaining the ability to keep its contents synced and available anywhere while still remaining out of sight and password-protected. ⌚ It'll take you 20 seconds to get going: - Open up [the Photos app](=) on your phone. - Tap the Library tab at the app's bottom, then tap the Utilities button at the top of the screen that comes up. - Scroll down to the bottom of the list and select "Locked Folder." - Follow the steps to activate the Locked Folder, if you haven't already — and once you're inside it, look for the pop up that prompts you to enable syncing. Once you've done that, you can move any image or video into the Locked Folder — by swiping up on it while viewing it within Photos and then scrolling along the horizontal menu beneath it to find the "Move to Locked Folder" option — and then, you can rest easy knowing your cheeky creation is both safe from prying eyes and available for you to access on any device where you're signed in. A titillating combo of assistive assurances, wouldn't ya say? #top [] ❱❱ And Just for Funsies... Forget anything you've heard about the latest iPhone. There is only one news article you need to read about the newly announced Apple gizmo, and it is [this satirical sendup](=) from the spectacular folks over at The Onion. Ahem: ​ From the article: In a stunning conclusion to the highly anticipated keynote address, Apple announced Tuesday that the new iPhone 15 will include 12 animal sounds and a colorful lever. “The next sea change in personal electronics has arrived, and it goes moo,” said CEO Tim Cook, explaining to a crowd of cheering fans that while the $999 phone would feature a bright lever that would turn a multicolored spinning arrow and prompt a prerecorded animal sound effect, it would not be able to send or receive calls or text, or connect to the internet. That's almost as good as [last year's Onion equivalent](=). Almost. #top See Ya Next Time Hey, it's been a hoot and a half hangin' with ya, as always. The first day of fall is now right around the corner, and I can promise you this: This coming season will bring plenty of fun surprises, both within the Android universe and within these humble newsletter quarters of ours. Let's do this again soon, shall we? What'd you think of this issue? Pick a face to vote and let me know! [Loved it]([It was all right]([Coulda been better]( ​ ➜ Did you enjoy this issue? [Copy your custom referral link]( and share it with other people to spread the word and earn [all sorts of awesome rewards](=)! ➜ Hungry for even more? [Try a Platinum membership]( to gain access to three premium Android Intelligence publications along with oodles of other advanced resources. ➜ New here and not yet subscribed? Take two seconds to [sign up now](). ➜ Not feelin' it anymore? Sorry to see you go — but no worries: You can [unsubscribe or update your preferences here](=). [Get even more Android Intelligence. Upgrade to a Platinum membership today.](=)