Tag: google play store

Samsung Good Lock App Reportedly Available on Google Play Store in Early Access

Samsung’s Good Lock app, a customisation suite for Galaxy smartphones that allows users to play around with various modules and even add new functionalities, is reportedly now coming to the Google Play Store. The app offers modules to customise lock screen, notifications, home screen, and more. Earlier, the app was only available in the Galaxy Store. However, a report claims that it was seen in the Play Store in early access. Notably, the app is still only compatible with Galaxy phones and will not work on other Android handsets.

According to a report by 9to5Google, the Good Lock app was spotted in the Google Play Store in early access. The early access means it will not be available to all users and only some will be able to install and use it normally. We, at Gadgets 360, were not able to locate the app in the Play Store, which could be due to its limited availability to only a few countries. At the moment, it appears the app is not available in India.

Based on the screenshot shared by tipster @tarunvats33, the app’s current version is 2.2.04.95. The app is 3.3MB in size and its description highlights all the usual functionalities that the Galaxy Store version of the app shows. Reportedly, the app shows up even for non-Galaxy Android phones. However, it comes with the disclaimer that the phone is not compatible with the app.

Since the app is currently in development, it may not work for all users. It is recommended that users do not install it for their primary device as it may have some instability issues, even if you do get the access.

Samsung launched the Good Lock app in 2018 as a customisation tool for its Galaxy smartphones. The app introduced an advanced level of personalisation tools on supported Galaxy devices. It features apps such as Lockstar, Quickstar, Task Changer, and ClockFace. It also allowed users to have greater control over Sound settings through the preloaded Sound Assistant. Additionally, it also allows users to customise their notifications and add visual elements to them.

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Patents Reveal Apple Could Be Working on Clamshell Foldable With an Interesting Hinge Design: Report



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Microsoft Finds Major Security Flaw ‘Dirty Stream’ in Android Apps Totalling Billions of Downloads

Microsoft discovered a major security vulnerability in multiple Android apps last week that could be exploited to gain unauthorised access to apps and sensitive data on the device. Interestingly, this security flaw does not come from the system codes, but an improper usage of a particular system by developers that can lead to loopholes prone to exploitation. Notably, the flaw has been highlighted to Google, and the tech giant has taken steps to make the Android app developer community aware of the issue.

In a post on its Security Blog, the Microsoft Threat Intelligence team stated, “Microsoft discovered a path traversal-affiliated vulnerability pattern in multiple popular Android applications that could enable a malicious application to overwrite files in the vulnerable application’s home directory.” The researchers also highlighted that the vulnerability was spotted in several apps in the Google Play Store that had a combined total of more than four billion installations.

This vulnerability emerges when a developer incorrectly uses Android’s content provider system, which is designed to secure data exchange between different apps on a device. This includes data isolation, URI permissions, path validation and other security measures to stop unauthorised access by the apps or anyone else breaking into the app. However, improper implementation of the system affects a component called custom intents. These are the messaging objects that conduct two-way communication between different apps. When this vulnerability exists the apps can ignore the security measures and let other apps (or hackers controlling them) access sensitive data stored in them.

In case of an attack on the device, hackers can manipulate this vulnerability by accessing just one app, they can enter all such apps that contain this loophole. This enables the bad actors to gain complete control over the device or steal sensitive data including financial information. Notably, the vulnerability was found in the Xiaomi File Manager and WPS Office apps. Microsoft stated in its report that developers behind both the apps have investigated and fixed the issue.

Google has also taken cognisance of the issue and published a post on its Android Developers blog. The company has highlighted the common errors and ways to fix them. It is expected that developers of affected apps will be fixing the issues in the coming days and release a fix. While end users cannot do much to avoid this vulnerability, it is recommended that they remain proactive in updating the apps on their devices and avoid downloading apps from third-party sources for a while.

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Sony Walks Back Helldivers 2 PSN Account Linking Requirement on Steam After Widespread Backlash



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Android 15 Could Include App Quarantine Feature to Protect Users From Malicious Apps: Report

Android 15 is expected to arrive on Pixel smartphones later this year and several features from Google’s upcoming operating system (OS) update have surfaced thanks to the developer previews and the first public beta release. Google is reportedly working on a handy new feature that could help users isolate a malicious app on their smartphone after it is detected. If the feature is added to the final Android 15 release, the operating system might be able to ‘quarantine’ apps, just like antivirus programs on Windows.

Spotted by Android Authority on the latest Android 15 beta, Google is working on the ability to allow a system app — like Google Play Services or the Play Store — to isolate apps and apply some restrictions on them. Once an app has been quarantined, its capabilities will be severely limited, which might prevent it from taking adverse action on the user’s device. 

The code for the app quarantine feature exists on Android 15, but it is yet to be enabled, according to the publication. Based on the current code, the feature will reportedly prevent a quarantined app from showing notifications, hide its windows and stop activities, prevent it from ringing the device and prevent other apps from interacting with some its services.

The purported Quarantined Apps interface on Android 15
Photo Credit: Android Authority/ Mishaal Rahman

 

Google is reportedly working on a “QUARANTINE_APPS” permission that can only be granted to apps signed by the same certificate that Google uses to sign the Android operating system — effectively limiting the ability to quarantine apps to the Play Store (or Google Play Services).

It’s worth noting that while anti-malware software for Windows computers is also capable of quarantining apps, Android is much more secure than Windows and apps do not have access to several parts of the phone without first getting permission from the user. As a result, quarantined apps will still be visible in the app drawer on Android 15, but tapping the greyed-out icon will inform users that the app isn’t available, while displaying two buttons — OK and Unquarantine app, according to the publication.

There’s no word on whether the feature will be available with Android 15, as it was first spotted in a developer build of Android 14 back in 2022. If Google decides to enable the functionality on Android 15, it appears likely that only the Play Store or Google Play Services will be able to perform the app quarantining functions. It could, however, come in handy when Google’s Play Protect malware scanner detects an app that is exhibiting suspicious behaviour but isn’t a known threat. 

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Google’s Removal of Apps From Play Store in India ‘Cannot Be Permitted’: IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Google’s decision to remove some apps in India from its app store “cannot be permitted”, Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday, amid an ongoing dispute over service fee payments to the US firm.

Google on Friday removed from its Play Store many Indian apps, including Matrimony.com’s popular Bharat Matrimony and job search app Naukri, saying the companies were not abiding by its in-app payment guidelines.

Vaishnaw said he has held talks with Google and will meet the startups, which needed protection in India.

“This cannot be permitted. This kind of de-listing cannot be permitted,” he said in a statement.

Google declined to comment.

The removal has sparked criticism from many startups who have for years protested and legally challenged many of the US giant’s practices, including its in-app fee. Google says the fees help develop and promote the Android and Play Store ecosystem.

The dispute centers on efforts by some Indian startups to stop Google from imposing a fee of 11 percent-26 percent on in-app payments, after the country’s antitrust authorities ordered it to not mandatorily enforce an earlier system of charging 15 percent-30 percent.

But Google effectively received the go-ahead to charge the fee or remove apps after two court decisions in January and February, one by the Supreme Court.

Google said on Friday that some Indian companies had chosen not to pay for the “immense value they receive on Google Play”.

Among the worst hit by the removals is Matrimony.com which has seen more than 150 of its apps dropped from the Play Store.

“All our apps have been removed and we are out of Play Store and (that) means out of business,” founder Murugavel Janakiraman told Reuters on Saturday. “If this continuous for a long term then we will have significant drop in revenue.”

Info Edge, another affected company, had seen its job search app Naukri and another real estate search app, removed. Many of the company’s apps had been restored, its founder said on Saturday on X, without elaborating.

Google briefly removed popular Indian payments app Paytm from its Play Store in 2020 citing some policy violations. The move led to the company’s founder and the wider startup industry joining together to challenge Google by launching their own app stores and filing legal cases.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

Google I/O 2023 saw the search giant repeatedly tell us that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable phone and Pixel-branded tablet. This year, the company is going to supercharge its apps, services, and Android operating system with AI technology. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Google to Take Action Against 10 Indian App Developers Over Play Store Fee Non-Payment

Google, on Friday, March 1, said it would enforce action against a group of Indian app developers as they had not complied with the Play Store’s billing policies. The Alphabet-owned company claimed that ten Indian app developers, which include “many well-established” companies, have failed to pay the Play Store fee for availing its services, and now may get removed from the Android app marketplace as a result of it. The tech giant also highlighted it was taking measures to not give differential treatment from the majority of its developer base who have been paying their share.

According to a report by TechCrunch, a group of Indian companies had filed petitions to the Madras High Court challenging Google’s Play Store billing policies, arguing that the tech giant charges a very steep amount as a fee for its services. The crux of the issue lies in the fact that the tech giant levies between 11 percent to 26 percent as a service fee per download of a paid app as well as on purchases made in-app.

The group reportedly includes Bharat Matrimony, Shaadi.com, Unacademy, Kuku FM, Info Edge, and more. While the High Court dismissed the appeal, the Supreme Court of India agreed to hear pleas filed by the firms, as per a report by NDTV Profit. The Supreme Court, however, refused to give any interim order to Google to not delist the companies’ apps from the Play Store.

Later, the group of app developers wrote to Google requesting it to not delist the apps till March 19, when the Special Leave Petition (SPL) would be heard by the Supreme Court, reported The Economic Times. However, it now appears that Google has decided not to listen to the pleas and instead begin taking action against the non-paying developers.

In a post, Google acknowledged the Supreme Court’s decision to not request the tech giant to keep the apps on the platform. It stated, “For years, no court or regulator has denied Google Play’s right to charge for the value and services we provide. On 9 February, the Supreme Court also refused to interfere with our right to do so. While some of the developers that were refused interim protection have started fairly participating in our business model and ecosystem, others choose to find ways to not do so.” Additionally, it stated that only 60 developers in India were charged a fee above 15 percent.

Further, the Android platform developer highlighted that not taking action would be unfair to more than 2 lakh Indian developers who have been complying with its billing policy. “After giving these developers more than three years to prepare, including three weeks after the Supreme Court’s order, we are taking necessary steps to ensure our policies are applied consistently across the ecosystem, as we do for any form of policy violation globally,” Google added.

The TechCrunch report mentioned, citing unnamed sources, that the tech giant will begin removing a few of these apps from its marketplace starting Friday. We, at Gadgets 360, found that the matrimony app Shaadi by Shaadi.com and Jodii by Matrimony.com, the content streaming platform by Alt Balaji Altt, and the dating app QuackQuack have already been removed from the platform and the search result shows the icon of the app and its name with the message “This app isn’t available”.

Removal from the platform is not the end, however. Google stated that developers can resubmit their apps to be listed on the Play Store by adhering to the payment policy, and likely clearing their dues. Alternatively, a favourable decision by the Supreme Court after March 19 could result in Google being ordered to revise its billing policy.

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PhonePe’s Indus Appstore Set to Launch in India on February 21, to Be Available in 12 Local Languages

PhonePe, the fintech platform owned by Walmart, is gearing up to unveil its own mobile app store soon in India. The homegrown Android-based app marketplace called Indus Appstore will be available for consumers later this month. The app store is confirmed to list apps in 12 Indian languages besides English and it has already onboarded a variety of apps including Flipkart, Ixigo, Domino’s Pizza, Snapdeal, JioMart, and Bajaj Finserv. PhonePe’s foray into the app store business with Indus Appstore is expected to disrupt Google’s dominance in the space.

Indus Appstore will be launched on February 21 in the country. The PhonePe-owned native Android-based mobile app store is confirmed to bring an array of categories to provide localised, contextual and personalised experience. The app store will be available in English and 12 Indian languages including Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi and Tamil.

Several known brands have already listed their apps on the Indus Appstore. The names on the list include Flipkart, Ixigo, Domino’s Pizza, Mobile Premier League (MPL), Snapdeal, JioMart, Bajaj Finserv, TOI, and Wow Skincare. It is also collaborating with game developers such as A23 Rummy, Gameskraft, Dream11, Rummy Passion, and Nazara Technologies.

The release of Indus Appstore comes about four months after the digital payments company opened up its app marketplace to Android developers. With the latest move, PhonePe aims to challenge the monopoly of the Google Play Store by catering to India’s one billion smartphone users, particularly in regional languages. At present, Google leads the space with around 95 percent market share in the country. Apple’s iOS has a minor share.

The Indus Appstore had promised zero commission for in-app purchases on the platform. The app stores by Google and Apple charge between 15 percent and 25 percent commission for in-app purchases, in addition to other charges. India imposed two antitrust fines on Google last year and the company was asked to make changes to its business agreements with OEMs and other partners. The tech giant is also facing regulatory scrutiny over the business practices of their app marketplace in several other markets.

PhonePe, the Walmart-backed startup, which was previously a part of Flipkart, had reportedly joined hands with Nokia and Lava to integrate its new app store into their devices in November last year.

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Google Play Best of 2023: Several Indian Developers Awarded for Top Apps and Games on the Play Store

Google on Thursday announced the company’s annual list of top games and apps on the Play Store in India. The Google Play Best of 2023 awards have focussed on apps that help users with personal growth, mental health, self-care, and online shopping. The company also points out that several developers are also leveraging AI to bring learning or wellness features to their apps — SwiftChat, Stimuler, and Level SuperMind are some of the Google Play Best of 2023 apps in India.

This year, Google Play’s Best App of the year is Level SuperMind, an app that is looking to bring the pursuit of optimal mind performance on par with that of physical fitness, while THAP: Your Happiness Gym was the User’s Choice App of 2023. On the other hand, Monopoly Go! was Google Play’s Best Game of the year, while Subway Surfers Blast picked up the User’s Choice award in the gaming segment.

Stimuler — an app that helps non-native English speakers prepare for IELTS tests — and chatbot-based learning platform SwiftChat were both awarded the Best with AI award by the search giant. In the Best for Fun category, Google picked Threads — launched by Meta earlier this year as a competitor to X (formerly Twitter) — along with social networking platform Pepul and comics app Dashtoon.

Another notable app that was selected as one of Google’s Best App(s) for Good award was Autism BASICS — an adaptive early intervention app that makes teaching and learning easy for parents of children with autism and other special needs.

Google has awarded gaming titles across various categories
Photo Credit: Google

 

The company also awarded apps designed for larger screens and wearables as part of the Google Play Best of 2023 list. Canva, Everand, and Concepts were the best apps for tablets, while FlipaClip, Evernote, and Wideo were the top picks in the Best for Chromebooks category. Both WhatsApp and Audible were awarded the Best for Watches award.

SuperGaming’s Battle Stars won the Best Made in India award, while Call of Dragons, Road to Valor: Empires, and Undawn were the best multiplayer titles picked by Google. Honkai: Star Rail, MementoMori, and Lost Words: Beyond the Page were the titles that won the Best Story award. Meanwhile, Kurukshetra: Ascension, Block Heads, and Vampire Survivors were selected for the Best Indie category.

After its return to the Play Store in India earlier this year, Krafton’s Battlegrounds Mobile India (also known as BGMI) joined Pokémon Go, and EA Sports FC Mobile Soccer as the Best Ongoing titles in India. Popular title Asphalt 9: Legends was the only title picked for the Best for Google Play Games on PC, while Viking Rise, Doomsday: Last Survivors, and Call of Dragons won the Best for Tablets award — Call of Dragons was also the only title selected for Best Multi-device Game.

You can read the complete list of the best apps and games — including those created by Indian developers and publishers — selected for Google Play’s Best of 2023 awards on the company’s blog post.

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Spotify Allowed to Sidestep Play Store Fees as Part of Confidential Deal, Google Executive Says

Google allowed Spotify to sidestep the company’s mandatory Play Store fees, a company executive reportedly confirmed while giving testimony during the ongoing Epic vs Google trial. The Verge reports that a confidential deal with the streaming giant has come to light, revealing that Spotify was allowed to process its own payments on the service without paying Google a commission. The search giant previously sought to protect the details of its deal with Spotify under wraps during the ongoing case with Fortnite maker Epic Games.

According to the report, Google’s head of partnership Don Harrison testified during the ongoing Epic vs Google trial that Spotify did not pay the company any fees when it processed customer payments on its own. If customers chose to pay Spotify via Google’s in-app billing service, the platform paid Google a 4 percent commission.

Google charges most publishers on its platform a 15 percent cut of all app purchases and in-app purchases, but this figure can be lowered in South Korea, India, and 35 other countries where the company offers developers an alternative — user choice billing — that reduces the commission by 4 percent.

The report states that aside from the music streaming platform’s popularity on Android, the Google executive also testified that the search giant and Spotify had agreed to a “success fund” that would see each firm commit $50 million (roughly Rs. 410 crore).

It is worth noting that while Spotify might be receiving special treatment from Google, the company is still liable to pay the in-app purchase commission — that can go up to 30 percent of each transaction — on Apple’s App Store. Like Netflix and many other services, the streaming service doesn’t allow users to purchase a subscription via the Spotify app on iOS.

It’s too early to tell whether these revelations will have an impact on Epic Games’ case against Google. The game publisher sued both Apple and Google over their alleged antitrust practices that include preventing the use of alternative billing systems and alternative app stores on iOS and Android, respectively. The trial has revealed a lot of interesting details about Google and other firms — including a multibillion-dollar deal with Samsung to have the Play Store, Assistant, and Search apps as defaults on Galaxy smartphones.

The Epic vs Apple trial ended earlier this year when the Ninth Circuit Court affirmed a 2021 decision that found the iPhone maker’s ban on competing app stores on iOS did not violate US antitrust law. Apple lost only one claim in the trial — the firm would have to allow developers to allow links to external payment systems inside their apps. Epic has appealed the verdict at the US Supreme Court, while Apple has asked the court to strike down the ninth circuit court’s order blocking its anti-steering rules.

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ChatGPT Android App Now Available in India: How to Download OpenAI’s AI Chatbot on Android

ChatGPT, the AI chatbot from OpenAI, has just been released on Android after being available to iOS users for two months now. The rollout of the Android version of the app will take place in phases and it is initially open to users in the US, India, Bangladesh, and Brazil. OpenAI eyes to expand the app to more countries further over the next week. The ChatGPT app for Android is available for free, but OpenAI is offering an optional subscription to access a better large language model (GPT-4) and additional features.

The ChatGPT Android app is available for download in India through the Google Play store and is compatible with devices running on Android 6.0 or later. Besides India, the app is now live in the US, Bangladesh, and Brazil and OpenAI plans to expand the rollout to additional countries over the next week.

How to download the ChatGPT app on Android

Those who did not pre-register for the app can head to the Google Play store and download it. It is 6MB in size. Users who pre-registered will only need to update the app from the store and that’s a small download.

  1. Head to the Google Play store’s ChatGPT Android app page.
  2. Tap on the Install button and wait for the app to download and install
  3. If you are not already signed in, open the app and enter your Google ID and password when requested.
  4. Other users can enter existing credentials

Once done you can access all the features that are available on the desktop version of ChatGPT. The Android app brings chat history and syncing support. Users can sign up with a free account though they have the option to access the paid GPT-4 model.

ChatGPT was exclusive to Apple’s iOS since its initial release in May 2023. The AI-based chatbot gained popularity in the tech world shortly after its public release in November last year. Users can generate text content on ChatGPT by entering queries and prompts. The platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide answers, tailored advice, and inputs to users.

However, the launch of the Android app is coming a week after a report by Similarweb showed a drop in the monthly traffic to ChatGPT’s website and unique visitors in June. As per the analytics firm, worldwide desktop and mobile traffic to the ChatGPT website fell by 9.7 percent in June from May, while unique visitors to ChatGPT’s website dropped 5.7 percent. The amount of time visitors spent on the website was also down 8.5 percent.

Will the Nothing Phone 2 serve as the successor to the Phone 1, or will the two co-exist? We discuss the company’s recently launched handset and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Google Removes ‘Slavery Simulator’ Game From Play Store After Racism Outcry in Brazil

Google has withdrawn a gaming app that allowed players to buy, sell and torture Black virtual “slaves” after a racism outcry in Brazil.

Dubbed “Slavery Simulator,” the Portuguese-language game saw players trade in slaves and strategise to prevent the abolition of slavery in order to amass virtual riches.

The prosecutor’s office said it had opened an investigation for “hate speech” related to the game downloaded by hundreds of people.

The app itself had come with a disclaimer condemning “all types of slavery” and insisting the game was “solely for entertainment purposes.”

After withdrawing the app from its Play Store, Google said in a statement that “applications that promote violence or hated against groups of people or individuals because of their skin colour or ethnic origin” would not be allowed on its platform.

The company invited users to report offensive content.

Brazil’s ministry of racial equality said it had asked Google to put in place measures “to filter out content containing hate speech, intolerance and racism” and “to prevent it from spreading so easily, without moderation.”

Racism is still a problem in Brazil, the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery, in 1888. More than 56 percent of the population is Afro-Brazilian.

“Brazil is one of the countries with the most consumers on Google’s platforms, and there one finds this app that recalls the era of slavery, with bonuses for those who torture the most,” said Renata Souza, a leftist regional lawmaker in Rio de Janeiro.

“This is not only racism, but also fascism,” she told AFP. “Here in Brazil, we have a neo-fascist movement that is not afraid to show itself… because of the lack of regulation on social networks.”

Google has spoken out against a bill seeking to stem online disinformation in Brazil, saying it “seriously threatens free speech.”

Supporters call the bill a badly-needed defense against disinformation and online extremism, but detractors say it amounts to censorship.

A Supreme Court judge ordered an investigation of Google and Telegram over what he called their “abusive campaign” against the bill.

Racism has been on the minds of Brazilians since “monkey” insults were hurled Sunday against their own Vinicius Junior, playing for Real Madrid in Spain.

The lights on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro were turned off for an hour in solidarity with the player.

Google I/O 2023 saw the search giant repeatedly tell us that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable phone and Pixel-branded tablet. This year, the company is going to supercharge its apps, services, and Android operating system with AI technology. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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