New malware protections for Advanced Protection users

Advanced Protection safeguards the personal or business Google Accounts of anyone at risk of targeted attacks—like political campaign teams, journalists, activists and business leaders. It’s Google's strongest security for those who need it most, and is available across desktops, laptops, smartphones and tablets.
One of the many benefits of Advanced Protection is that it constantly evolves to defend against emerging threats, automatically protecting your personal information from potential attackers. Today we're announcing new ways that Advanced Protection is defending you from malware on Android devices. 

Play Protect app scanning is automatically turned on

Google Play Protect is Google's built-in malware protection for Android. It scans and verifies 100 billion apps each day to keep your device, data and apps safe. Backed by Google's machine learning algorithms, it’s constantly evolving to match changing threats. To ensure that people enrolled in our Advanced Protection Program benefit from the added security that Google Play Protect provides, we’re now automatically turning it on for all devices with a Google Account enrolled in Advanced Protection and will require that it remain enabled. 

Limiting apps from outside the Play Store

Advanced Protection is committed to keeping harmful apps off of enrolled users’ devices. All apps on the Google Play Store undergo rigorous testing, but apps outside of Google Play can potentially pose a risk to users’ devices. As an added protection, we’re now blocking the majority of these non-Play apps from being installed on any devices with a Google Account enrolled in Advanced Protection. You can still install non-Play apps through app stores that were pre-installed by the device manufacturer and through Android Debug Bridge. Any apps that you’ve already installed from sources outside of Google Play will not be removed and can still be updated.
G Suite users enrolled in the Advanced Protection Program will not get these new Android  protections for now; however, equivalent protections are available as part of endpoint management. See this help center article for a full list of Android device policies, specifically: “Verify apps,” which prevent users from turning off Google Play Protect, and “Unknown apps,” which prevent users from installing apps from outside the Play Store.

When will these changes roll out?

Starting today, these changes for Android will gradually roll out for Google Accounts that are enrolled in Advanced Protection. We’ll also be rolling out new malware protections for Chrome later this year, building upon the risky download protections we announced in 2019. 

You can learn more about Advanced Protection on Android here, and to enroll in Google's Advanced Protection, visit g.co/advancedprotection.

Bringing more people online and introducing Camera Go

There are more than 3.5 billion people who use smartphones, but that’s only 45 percent of the world’s population. We created Android (Go edition) to bring more affordable, high-quality smartphones to people around the world. Thanks to our partners who have made more than 1,600 device models available in 180+ countries, there are now more than 100 million active Android (Go edition) devices around the world. Here are some updates on Go edition’s progress and where we’re going next.

Powering universal access to information

In partnership with Safaricom, Kenya’s largest telecom provider, we brought more than 900,000 Android (Go edition) smartphones to people in Kenya—53 percent of whom were women—through their “Life is Digital” campaign. This is especially important because there is a significant gender gap in mobile internet usage in Sub-Saharan Africa.

With the help of the suite of Google apps designed for Go edition, people are connecting with new   opportunities and making gains in their daily lives. For example, Google Go has helped connect millions of people to information by providing a lightweight search engine that works on unstable connections. And with Lens in Google Go, people can quickly translate, hear and search text they see in the real world using their phone camera—helping them understand words on street signs, medicine labels, documents, and more.
Across the Google apps designed for Android (Go edition), we’ve introduced a number of user privacy features to protect the next billion people coming online for the first time. For example, a new mode within Google Go lets people search without their searches being saved to their account, and Gallery Go leverages on-device machine learning to help people organize photos without ever sending data to the cloud.

Bringing a beautiful, fast camera experience to affordable devices

Your phone’s camera gives you the power to capture memories that you’ll want to share with those around you. But on many smartphones, camera apps are often slow or complex to use, and your phone can quickly run out of storage.

The new Camera Go app from Google helps you take beautiful photos without worrying about speed or storage. It has features like Portrait Mode to give your photos a professional look by focusing on your subject. It’s built for people using smartphones for the first time, so it has a clean and simple interface. And, most importantly, Camera Go tracks how much photo and video storage space you have left, and then it helps you clear up space so you never miss a shot.

Camera Go will be available on Nokia 1.3 and more Android (Go edition) devices soon.

Everything announced at the Google for Games Developer Summit

Every year, GDC is a moment to celebrate our successes and learn from one another. Although we won’t be gathering in person this year, we’re bringing you the latest updates at our Google for Games Developer Summit, where developers can watch the announcements and virtually attend sessions for free  at g.co/gamedevsummit.
We also realize this may have been a big sacrifice for your teams. For some, GDC is a major opportunity for annual business development and marketing strategies. That’s why we’ve partnered with WINGS and the GDC Relief Fund to support teams in continuing to do what they do best: build world-class games.
Now more than ever, games are helping players around the globe feel more connected. To ensure you have access to the tools you need to deliver the best possible game experiences, our teams have been building solutions to help you tackle your biggest challenges and set you up for long-term success. You can check out the highlights below:

Build games and reach a wider audience with Android and Google Play

We’re making it easier for you to build and optimize games on Android. Learn about new tools to help your development process, provide greater insights into your game’s performance, and access a wider player base. Once you’re ready to publish, review our updated guidance to ensure your game is high-quality and leverages various features and services for a successful go-to-market with Google Play.

Grow your business with Google Ads and AdMob

The best game developers think about their players first—both when creating experiences people love and building sustainable businesses. Google Ads and AdMob are introducing new ways to analyze and utilize player insights to help you grow your games and earn the revenue you need to improve them over time.

Simply scale your global game with Google Cloud Game Servers 

Hosting and scaling a global game can be challenging and requires that you either build costly solutions, or turn to pre-packaged ones that limit choice and control. To offer you more choices and time to dedicate to core elements of producing games, the Google Cloud team is introducing a simplified, convenient way for managing game server clusters.

Build and publish the next generation of games with Stadia

New game platforms present new challenges and opportunities for game creators and Google is here to help. For developers of all sizes looking to bring their games to Stadia, the team is unveiling Stadia Makers, a new program to support the independent development community.
We’re excited to see this community continue to delight players around the world, and we look forward to building what’s next, together. From all of us, thank you for keeping this community thriving.

A new keyboard for typing braille on Android

Over 150 years ago, the invention of braille was revolutionary in making reading and writing accessible to blind people. Today, braille displays make typing accessible on most phones and computers through a physical braille keyboard. But it can be time-consuming to connect an external device each time you want to type something quickly on your phone.

TalkBack braille keyboard is a new virtual braille keyboard integrated directly into Android. It’s a fast, convenient way to type on your phone without any additional hardware, whether you’re posting on social media, responding to a text, or writing a brief email. As part of our mission to make the world’s information universally accessible, we hope this keyboard can broadly expand braille literacy and exposure among blind and low vision people. 

Caption: A built-in braille keyboard for Android phones

Our team collaborated with braille developers and users throughout the development of this feature, so it’ll be familiar to anyone who has typed using braille before. It uses a standard 6-key layout and each key represents one of 6 braille dots which, when tapped, make any letter or symbol. To type an “A” you would press dot 1 and to type a “B,”  dots 1 and 2 together. 

Caption: Type braille wherever you want—in an email, a text message, a doc, or social media

The keyboard can be used anywhere you would normally type and allows you to delete letters and words, add lines, and submit text. You can turn the keyboard on and off as simply as switching between international keyboards. (Note: TalkBack gestures are not supported when the keyboard is on.)

To use the braille keyboard, turn on TalkBack in the Accessibility section within Settings, and follow these instructions to set it up. Once you set up the keyboard, use three fingers to swipe up on your screen and try practicing with the gestures tutorial. 

Talkback braille keyboard is rolling out to Android devices running version 6.0 or later, starting today. It works across all apps on your Android device, supports braille grade 1 and grade 2 and is available initially in English.

Fast Pair makes it easier to use your Bluetooth headphones

Bluetooth headphones help us take calls, listen to music while working out, and use our phones anywhere without getting tangled up in wires. And though pairing Bluetooth accessories is an increasingly common activity, it can be a frustrating process for many people.

Fast Pair makes Bluetooth pairing easier on Android 6.0+ phones (learn how to check your Android version). When you turn on your Fast Pair-enabled accessory, it automatically detects and pairs with your Android phone in a single tap. So far, there have been over three million Fast pairings between Bluetooth accessories, like speakers and earbuds, and Android phones. Here are some new capabilities to make Fast Pair experience even easier.

Easily find your lost accessory

It can be frustrating when you put your Bluetooth headphones down and immediately forget where you placed them. If they’re connected to your phone, you can locate your headphones by ringing them. If you have true wireless earbuds (earbuds that aren’t attached by cables or wires), you can choose to ring only the left or right bud. And, when you misplace your headphones, in the coming months, you can check their last known location in the Find My Device app if you have Location History turned on.

Know when to charge your true wireless earbuds

Upon opening the case of your true wireless earbuds, you’ll receive a phone notification about the battery level of each component (right bud, left bud, and the case itself if supported). You’ll also receive a notification when your earbuds and the case battery is running low, so you know when to charge them.

Manage and personalize your accessory easily

To personalize your headset or speakers, your accessory name will include your first name after it successfully pairs with Bluetooth. For example, Pixel Buds will be renamed “Alex’s Pixel Buds.”
On phones running Android 10, you can also adjust headphone settings, like linking it to Google Assistant and accessing Find My Device, right from the device details page. The setting varies depending on your headphone model.

Harman Kardon FLY and the new Google Pixel Buds will be the first true wireless earbuds to enjoy all of these new features, with many others to come. We’ll continue to work with our partners to bring Fast Pair to more headset models. Learn about how to connect your Fast Pair accessory here.

The new Google Pixel Buds are available today for your listening pleasure

In October, we introduced the all-new Google Pixel Buds—with high-quality sound, an unobtrusive design that fits securely and comfortably in your ear and helpful AI features. We wanted to make sure whether you're streaming content while working out or sitting in a noisy room talking on a conference call, you have the best possible audio experience. Today, Pixel Buds are available for $179 in Clearly White in the U.S.

We sat down with some of the team behind Pixel Buds to learn more about what’s new, and also to hear how they’ve been using them.

Get started easily with Fast Pair

“I always used to use wired headphones because I had concerns about the reliability of Bluetooth® connectivity, as lots of other earbuds have pairing problems, including the original Pixel Buds. With the new Pixel Buds, we focused on improving Fast Pair to eliminate these pain points and easily connect to your phone.”
- Ethan Grabau, Product Manager

Clear calls with special mics and sensor

“To give you clear calls, even in noisy and windy environments, Pixel Buds combine signals from beamforming mics and a special sensor that detects when your jaw is moving. This helps so you don't have to look for a quiet place to take a call. It’s come in particularly handy these past few weeks for me working from home with two young daughters.”
- Jae Lee, Audio Systems Engineer

Adaptive Sound for better audio  

“Adaptive Sound is perfect for those moments like when you’re steaming milk for a latte, or when you're washing your hands or the dishes. Those noises can eclipse your audio experience for a bit, until the latte, or your dishes are done.”
- Basheer Tome, Senior Hardware Interface Designer

“To help, Adaptive Sound temporarily and subtly adjusts your volume to accommodate for the new noise in your environment, and goes back to normal after it’s dissipated. It works kind of like auto-brightness on your phone screen: It momentarily adjusts to the world around you to make the experience of using your device a little simpler.”
- Frank Li, UX Engineer  

Hands-free help with Google Assistant

"When I’m working in the yard and wearing gloves, I can use  ’Hey, Google’ on my Pixel Buds and easily control my music. I can also hear my notifications, and reply to a text message with just my voice and Google Assistant.

And when I'm taking my dog on our daily walk and using my Pixel Buds, I use Google Assistant to navigate and check my fitness progress hands-free while juggling a leash and bag of dog treats. The Pixel Buds are slim enough they fit snag-free under a hat or hoodie, too."
- Max Ohlendorf, Technology Manager 

Real-time translations with conversation mode 

“We set out to see how we could use Google Translate on Pixel Buds to reduce language barriers. Making the conversation as natural as possible even with the use of the phone was important, so we decided to create the split screen UI to show exactly what was being said, and translating it in real time on the screen with conversation mode. Any exposure to a different language is also an opportunity to learn, so we wanted to make the feature is not only as helpful as possible for things like being in a different country, but also as simple as being able to help bilingual households across generations connect through language.”
- Tricia Fu, Product Manager

Peace of mind with Find My Device

“The fear of losing expensive wireless earbuds is real, and in many cases a reason why people are afraid of trying them. We tried to reduce that fear a bit with Find My Device. If an earbud falls out when you’re walking or running, you know right away. But you may be less aware when you return home and absentmindedly put them down somewhere. So we built the ability to let you ring your earbuds from your phone. We also wanted to make sure we were thoughtful in what that experience is like. You can ring one earbud at a time, to focus on finding either the left or right earbud. The moment your hands touch the lost earbud, the ringing will stop. We hope people won’t need to use this feature often, but if they do, they can find misplaced earbuds more easily.”
- Alex Yee, Interaction Designer

Like Pixel phones and other Google devices, Pixel Buds will get better over time with new features, including an update to Find My Device which will show the last known location of your earbuds. Check out more cool features on Pixel Buds and see which features will work with your device.

Pixel Buds are available through the Google Store and retailers including AT&T, Best Buy, Target (coming early May), T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon and Walmart. Other colors—Almost Black, Quite Mint and Oh So Orange—will be available in the coming months. Pixel Buds will come to more countries in the coming months as well.

The best T-Mobile phones of 2015

We’re compiling the very best T-Mobile phones across all platforms, so you can take a quick look at a glance, and find more information easily.

Whether you’re a long-time T-Mobile subscriber, or you’re switching and want to find out what’s available at a glance, this should help you out. We’ll be updating this guide regularly as new phones come out, so expect it to be fully up-to-date.
Dive into our reviews and news sections to learn more about each of these, and if you’re willing to take the plunge, there are links to buy directly from T-Mobile.

Samsung Galaxy S5	Sony Xperia Z3	Apple iPhone 6
24-month: $21.23 Full Price: $509.52	24-month: $26.25/month Full price: $630.00	24-month: $27.08/month Full Price: $649.92
Android 4.4	Android 4.4	iOS 8
Great battery life Waterproof Built-in Fingerprint Scanner & Heart Rate Monitor	Very well-rounded Phenomenal battery life Incredible display	Great battery life Improved camera Apple Pay
TouchWiz software may not appeal to some users Hardware design is a bit plastic and outdated Annoying cover over charging port can be hard to manage

Samsung Galaxy Note 4	Motorola Nexus 6	HTC One (M8)	LG G3
24-month: $31.24/month Full Price: $749.96	24-month: $27.08 Full Price: $649.92	24-month: $24.40/month Full Price: $585.60	24-month: $24.95/month Full Price: $598.80
Android 4.4	Android 5.0	Android 4.4	Android 4.4
Excellent build quality Good battery life High quality camera	Latest Google Hardware Running stock Android 5.0 Lollipop Brilliant QHD AMOLED Display	Awesome battery life Great sound from speakers Excellent build quality	Extremely sharp display Removable battery and storage card Excellent camera
May be too big for some users Pricey S Pen rarely useful	May be too large for many users No expandable storage Poor camera	Sleek design is hard to hold Mediocre camera Lacks water resistance common to other flagship devices	Awkward button placement Hardware is still plastic Too big for some users

The best Android apps for Chromecast

We’re taking a good hard look at the selection of Verizon prepaid phones available, and are rounding them all up here for your reference.

Going month-to-month on Verizon has its perks, and there are a lot of good reasons to go with prepaid in general. Going month-to-month on Verizon has its perks, and there are a lot of good reasons to go with prepaid in general. The biggest drawback is that you need to fork over a fair bit of cash up front for a new device, since it isn’t subsidized over the course of a contract. There’s also a nice in-between with Verizon’s Edge program, whereby you pay off your device discount every month.
Whatever your reasons for rolling with prepaid, we’ll be updating this list regularly, so you can count on the data here being current.

Samsung Galaxy S5	Moto G (2013)
$599.99	$99.99
Android 4.4.2	Android 4.4.4
Great battery life Waterproof Built-in fingerprint scanner & heart rate monitor	Excellent bang for buck Great battery life Android Lollipop software available now
TouchWiz software may not appeal to some users Hardware design is a bit plastic and outdated Annoying cover over charging port can be hard to manage	No expandable storage No LTE Camera is still just okay

		HTC One (M8)	LG G2	Apple iPhone 5s	Nokia Lumia 928
		$599.99	$499.99	$549.99	$99.99
		Android 4.4.4	Android 4.4.2	iOS 8	Windows Phone 8.1
		Awesome battery life Great sound from speakers Excellent build quality	Excellent display Teeny tiny bezel Versatile camera	Excellent camera Great build quality TouchID fingerprint scanning	Great display Wireless charging Good low-light camera
		Sleek design is hard to hold Mediocre camera Lacks water resistance common to other flagship devices	Awkward button placement Hardware is still plastic No removable battery or memory	Relatively small screen Software features still behind Android in some areas Ho-hum battery life

Looking to buy the Nexus 6? T-Mobile is offering a discount of $48 on the handset

After offering a $36 discount on the Galaxy Note 4 earlier this month, T-Mobile is now slashing prices of the Nexus 6. Both 32 and 64GB versions of the Midnight Blue Nexus 6 are discounted by $48.

That brings the price of the 32GB model down to $601 (from $649), and the 64GB variant to $651 (down from $699). T-Mobile's website states that the 32GB version will ship immediately, while the 64GB model will be shipping in seven to ten business days.
To avail the offer, head to the source link below, add the variant of the Nexus 6 you wish to buy to the cart, and use the promo code NEXUS6DEAL during checkout. That's all there is to it. Who's interested in picking one up?
Source: T-Mobile

Cricket bumps $40 base plan from 1GB of data to 2.5GB, offers Moto G (2013) for $25

AT&T's prepaid carrier Cricket is increasing the data allotment for all of their plans without making any changes to the pricing. It's a bit of a shake-up, offering one of the best data packages among prepaid carriers. Additionally, they're offering the first-generation Moto G for just $24.99, and discounts on several other the best phones on Cricket.

Here's what's changed:

• Basic: $40/month, previously 1GB, now 2.5GB
• Smart: $50/month, previously 3GB, now 5GB
• Pro $60/month, still 10GB

Where things get a little more crazy is the "Advanced" tier, which offers 20GB of data each month, and for a "limited time only" can be had for the same $60/month as the Pro plan. That is, however, so long as you purchase an LTE-capable device to go with that plan.
All plans included unlimited voice and texts, and all but the $40 Basic plan also include unlimited international texting. You can check out Cricket's revised plans right here.
As for that $25 Moto G, that price comes after a mail-in rebate, which you'll get in the form of a prepaid Visa card. You'll have to pay $149.99 up front, of which you'll get $125 back on the card. Cricket is also offering a $70 rebate on the $149.99 HTC Desire 510 and $20 back on the $99.99 LG Optimus L70. We suggest just turning around and applying it to your balance at Cricket.
Source: Cricket