Gadget Hacks

Hidden code for a "Focus Peaking" toggle has turned up inside Snapseed's Android app, but the Snapseed focus peaking feature doesn't actually work yet, even when testers force it on.

Google Photos code suggests its 2026 Recap could let people replace or remove individual photos and swap out the background music track, rather than relying only on the current hide-and-regenerate workflow.

If your Google Home Speaker's data usage looks abnormally high this week, you're not imagining it. Some owners are seeing the new speaker consume gigabytes of data in the background with no voice commands, music streaming, or other obvious activity to explain it.

Google started rolling out Personal Intelligence to Android Auto on October 20, giving Gemini permission-based access to Gmail, Calendar, Photos, Maps, YouTube, and Search while a driver is behind the wheel, according to Google's announcement. The Gemini Gmail integration in Android Auto is opt-in from the start: personal app data isn't connected until a driver enables the feature, and it can be switched off anytime in Gemini's settings.

A Reddit post covered by Android Authority describes a workaround to switch from Gemini back to Google Assistant by uninstalling updates to the Google app and then reopening the Assistant listing in the Play Store. It isn't an official Google procedure, and the reporting doesn't establish which phone models or Android versions it works on.

The first wave of Samsung Galaxy A38 5G leaks shows a phone moving through early certification reports, but the only concrete hardware detail attached to it so far concerns its batteries.

Apple Maps lets you request that your house be obscured in Look Around, its street-level photo feature. This is an imagery request, not an address-removal request: blurring your home doesn't remove its address from search results, map pins, or driving directions. That distinction is worth knowing before walking through how to blur your home on Apple Maps.

This guide walks through how to import passwords into Apple Passwords, using the built-in CSV import on Mac and a separate Safari import method on iPhone. If switching password managers has been sitting on the to-do list, this covers what to check before starting, how the transfer actually works, and why it's worth verifying everything before deleting the old vault.

Google is rolling out a Review toggle inside Gemini Notebook that lets users see and reshape Gemini's proposed outline before it builds a Slide Deck, or check producer notes before it renders a Video Overview. The feature adds a planning checkpoint that wasn't available in the previous generation flow, according to Google's October 19 announcement.

Fenix 8 and Forerunner 970 owners are reporting serious battery drain tied to Garmin's "OK Garmin" wake word, with battery estimates falling from 15 days to nine in some cases and from 12 days to six in others, according to TechRadar, reporting October 19.

Some Pixel owners reported getting stuck in a bootloop after installing the March Android 16 QPR3 update, with phones hanging on the Google logo or failing to boot at all, according to a report from XDA Developers earlier in 2026. The reports span models from the Pixel 6 through the Pixel 10 and surfaced across several Reddit threads, according to the same report.

The Google Phone Contacts tab is returning to the bottom navigation bar for beta testers, reversing a change that buried the shortcut inside a sidebar menu last year.

Apple's support documentation still requires an iPhone to set up an Apple Watch, even though some third-party guides describe ways to use a cellular model alongside an Android phone after initial setup. That sentence is the extent of what's confirmed. Apple hasn't published eligible models, carriers, regions, or setup steps to go with it.

Saying "stop" to Gemini for Home used to be a gamble. Sometimes it killed whatever was playing; sometimes it just ended the back-and-forth while an alarm kept blaring in the background. Google's October 14 release notes for the Google Home app describe a fix for that: say "stop" now, and Gemini immediately ends the active listening session without a follow-up response, and it's supposed to correctly halt active music, a timer, or an alarm instead of just wrapping up the conversation. That's the...

Microsoft has built a working prototype that moves Edge to a newer, more secure version while you continue working, without a restart prompt. The demo required clicking an Update button, but Microsoft aims to eliminate that step. That version isn't available yet. Microsoft says plainly that the prototype is not in production code and not part of Chromium today.

The Google Translate Android redesign rollout is underway, but it's patchy, and Google still hasn't said a word about it officially. Android Authority reported last Friday that the new interface showed up on two of its test phones running version 10.39.34.99, while other devices on the exact same build kept the old layout. Antihype reported the same day that Google is pushing the interface out gradually, with no official explanation yet of who qualifies or when.

Google is reportedly redesigning how business conversations appear inside Google Messages, pairing rounded-square icons and verification checkmarks with tools for identifying and deleting promotional RCS chats. That sounds like progress against Google Messages ads clutter, but visual identification addresses only part of the problem. Recognizing a marketing message doesn't necessarily explain why it arrived or how future contact will be handled.

Google may be preparing a new Phone Unlock feature that lets an already-unlocked Android phone unlock a nearby Googlebook automatically. Strings discovered in Android 17 QPR3 Beta 1 describe the feature, along with setup screens showing a Googlebook laptop. However, Google hasn't announced Phone Unlock or confirmed when it might become available.

Nothing's $399 Headphone (1) Pro launched September 29, immediately setting up a direct comparison with Sony's WH-1000XM6, listed at $448 on Amazon according to SoundGuys' review. In the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM6 matchup, Sony's official specifications confirm built-in Bluetooth Multipoint and a six-microphone call array, while Nothing counters with wired USB-C lossless audio, an IP52 rating, and a parametric EQ that goes beyond Sony's band-based equalizer.