According to thelatest release notes for Google Play services, Android phones will be getting a “new local file backup feature” powered by Google Drive.

The monthly “Google System Release Notes” primarily detail what’s new in Play services, Play Store, and Play system update across Android phones/tablets, Wear OS, Google/Android TV, Auto, and PC. Some features apply to end users, while others are aimed at developers.

Android XR glasses arecoming in 2026. Here’s what you can expect from the user interface and experience. 

Welcome to The Sideload episode 22, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes Joe Maring back to the show to discuss his recent anti-buyer’s guide, a list of Android devices he currently recommends you stay away from. After discussions around the Pixel 9a and Motorola’s Moto G-series, Joe plays the first-ever round of a new game invented by Will, where he’ll have to figure out what smartphone is being described just from a handful of clues. Play along at home!

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• RCS

Apple starts testing end-to-end RCS encryption on iPhone, but without Android support

Ben Schoon3 hours ago

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Apple’s latest iOS 26.4 beta is now available for iPhone owners, with an added perk for RCS messaging – end-to-end encryption. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t work with Android yet.

• Android Auto

Android Auto 16.3 update lands with traces of video apps, light theme

Ben Schoon5 hours ago

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Google has started rolling out Android Auto 16.3 through the beta track and while there are no major changes, there are a couple of hints at what’s to come, including the arrival of video apps.

Today’s Android app deals and freebies: DREDGE, Paign, Tiny Terraces, Botanicula, more

from9to5Toys5 hours ago

Your afternoon lineup of the best Android game and app deals is here, including titles like DREDGE, Paign, Tiny Terraces, Botanicula, Bright Memory: Infinite, and more. On your way down be sure to dive into the now live Presidents Day sales atAmazon,Best Buy,Walmart, andSamsung, as well as ourPresidents Day deal hub. We are also tracking up to$400 off a range of Samsung Galaxy gear as well as a return low on Lenovo’s compact yet powerfulLegion Tab Gen 3 Android tablet, but for now we are focused on the Google Play Android app deals and they are all waiting below. 

I’m not the first to sing the praises of Gboard. Google has done an excellent job evolving the once-basic AOSP keyboard into the most obvious choice on Android, to the point where I’m not sure why I’d recommend using anything else besides it. Now, Google might be working on fixing the one shortcoming I’ve found while typing on Gboard daily since its initial branding, and in a strange twist, it’s an idea taken directly from iOS.

It’s a tale as old as time. Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Buds 4 have leaked, almost a full week before the company’s launch event.

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Presidents Day deals: Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 $180 off, Galaxy gear up to $400 off, much more

Justin Kahn7 hours ago

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Presidents Day 2026 is now in full swing with sale events atSamsung,Amazon, and elsewhere. The Samsung sale is delivering up to $400 off Galaxy Z Fold/Flip 7, Tabs from $210, as much as$1,500 off Bespoke appliances, and much more detailed for youright here. We also locked down some notable discounts on Lenovo gear includingLegion Tab Gen 3 Android tablet back to its lowest price at$180 off and even more starting from $90, as well as a chance to score someGoogle Pixel Buds Pro 2 from$142 and a host ofAnker charging gear at up to55% off. Scope it all out down below. 

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• Xiaomi 17

Xiaomi 17 series reportedly skips rear-display model in Europe, launching February 28

Ben Schoon8 hours ago

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A new leak reveals Xiaomi’s plans for the launch of the Xiaomi 17 series in Europe, but with one of the most interesting versions missing.

A number of YouTube users are reporting missing comments and video descriptions, and it appears to be yet another result of the continued war on ad blockers.

One of the few actual upgrades coming to the Galaxy S26 series is the “Privacy Display” expected to launch on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and in continued teasers, Samsung seems to knowexactly how you’ll be using it.

Google’s Pixel 10a is set to launch on February 18 – just a couple of days from now – and now a carrier leak is reaffirming a few core specs for the upcoming mid-range smartphone.

Gemini for Android has rolled out tweaks to the chat page that make sharing and the overflow menu more prominent actions.

One of the key marketing points of the Apple AirTag is “Precision Finding,” which shows you the precise location of your tracker beyond what Bluetooth is capable of. That’s accomplished using UWB, but that feature is also missing from thevast majority of Android Find Hub trackers, and there are a few key reasons why.

As we wait for the broader redesign, Gboard for Android is getting a nice quality-of-life improvement with the “auto-switch after apostrophes” shortcut.

Besides replacing Developer Previews, theAndroid 17 Beta cycle is operating on a faster release schedule.

Now Playing is one of the Pixel’s oldest features and Google is getting ready to give it a big app “upgrade.” 

Besides what was detailed inGoogle’s blog post, another new “cross-device continuity” feature coming to Android 17 is “Handoff.”

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How to install the Android 17 Beta on Google Pixel

Ben SchoonFeb 13 2026 - 3:05 pm PT

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Google has released Android 17 in beta for Pixel devices, skipping the usual Developer Preview given the arrival of new Canary builds, and you can install it now. Here’s how.

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Pixel Launcher search bar gets a ‘redesign’ in Android 17 Beta 1

Andrew RomeroFeb 13 2026 - 1:44 pm PT

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Up is down and down is up in Android 17 Beta 1. The first iteration of Google’s Android 17 update brings back a familiar design in place of the Pixel Launcher’s immovable search bar.

Welcome to episode 88 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Ben Schoon joins Damien and Will to talk through the announcement — and subsequentunannouncement — of Android 17. The group talks through how and why this launch fell apart before discussing exactly what expectations we all should have for Android updates in 2026. Then they turn to Samsung, which just confirmed an Unpacked announcement for late February for a series of phones that has us scratching our heads when it comes to big year-over-year improvements.

This episode was recorded prior toAndroid 17’s eventual release on Friday afternoon.

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One of the first things cut on budget phones is often long-term software support –I’m looking at you Motorola–, but that’s not the case with Samsung’s Galaxy A17, which is promised six years of Android OS updates. But, can anyone actually use this $199 phone for that long?