Android

Google will now count all Android backup data toward your storage cap. The change is noted to not take too much extra space.

The article discusses a method to escalate privileges from Firefox to Android root, highlighting a potential security vulnerability. It references a specific article URL and Hacker News comments.

A new Linux kernel vulnerability, Bad Epoll (CVE-2026-46242), allows unprivileged users to gain root access on Linux desktops, servers, and Android devices. A fix is available, and the flaw exists in the same kernel code area where an AI model previously found another bug.

A botnet named Popa, part of the Vo1d and BADBOX ecosystems, exploits Android-based streaming devices to facilitate ad fraud, account takeovers, and data scraping, with compromised devices routing malicious traffic through home internet connections. The FBI and security researchers warn that these devices, often sold as cheap alternatives for streaming content, can be used for criminal activities without the owner's knowledge.

A user discovered fake apps on the Google Play Store disguised as AAA games like No Man's Sky, which are actually ad-filled scams that prevent gameplay. These apps use misleading titles and package names, and Google has not removed them despite reports.

Google lost its final appeal against a 4.125 billion euro ($4.72 billion) EU antitrust fine for abusing its Android market dominance to protect its search engine. The European Court of Justice upheld a 2022 ruling, finding Google forced pre-installation of its apps to limit competition.

Google lost its final appeal against a €4.1 billion antitrust fine imposed by the European Union for anti-competitive practices related to the Android operating system. Europe's top court upheld the penalty, which was initially levied in 2018.

The European Court of Justice dismissed Google's appeal against a $4.5 billion antitrust fine for abusing its dominance in the Android operating system, confirming the penalty. This fine is part of over $8 billion in penalties imposed by the European Commission on Google between 2017 and 2019.

The European Court of Justice dismissed Google's appeal against a 4.1 billion euro ($4.5 billion) antitrust fine for abusing its dominant position in the Android mobile operating system. The ruling confirms the European Commission's 2018 penalty and aligns with broader EU efforts to regulate tech giants, including Amazon, Apple, and Facebook.

Google has lost its final appeal against a $4.7 billion antitrust fine imposed by the European Union in 2018 related to Android. Europe's highest court of appeal upheld the decision, maintaining the record-setting penalty.

Europe’s top court upheld a €4.1 billion antitrust fine against Google for Android-related abuses, confirming the European Commission’s finding that Google imposed restrictions on smartphone makers and network operators to protect its Search and Chrome services. The ruling reinforces the Commission’s use of competition law to regulate digital platforms and closes a major antitrust case from former Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager’s tenure.

Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has lost its appeal against a 4.7 billion euro antitrust fine imposed by the European Union. The European Court of Justice upheld the penalty, which was initially imposed in 2018 over allegations of anti-competitive practices related to the Android operating system.

Google lost its legal challenge against a $4.7 billion antitrust fine imposed by the European Commission in 2018. The penalty was issued for allegedly abusing Android's mobile market dominance.

Google and its parent company Alphabet lost an appeal against a €4.1 billion EU fine related to Android. The European Court of Justice dismissed the appeal, upholding the original penalty.

The OpenClaw app is now available for iOS and Android smartphones. The article mentions that smartphones are welcoming 'agentic AI overlords.'

A user changed their phone settings to screen calls, significantly reducing scam attempts. They described three common scams: fake cable company offers, debt-lowering schemes with hidden risks, and fake jury duty threats. The user advises not trusting unknown numbers to avoid scams.

Venezuelan Android users received earthquake alerts via Google's smartphone detection system, which uses accelerometers to detect seismic activity. Google's system has sent 790 million alerts since 2021 but faced past failures, including during the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes. Apple offers earthquake alerts in the US and Taiwan but lacks a distributed detection network.

Epilogue's Flashback app now allows users to take photos using the Game Boy Camera via the GB Operator accessory connected to smartphones. The $50 GB Operator enables connecting Game Boy devices to PCs and other devices, with new functionality for the Game Boy Camera through the app.

Amazon introduced an AI-powered search feature in its Shopping app that generates real-time images based on user descriptions, helping shoppers find products without knowing exact terminology. The feature, available to U.S. customers on iOS and Android, starts with apparel and home categories, using AI-generated visuals as a guide to locate similar items.

Dave the Diver, an underwater roguelite and restaurant management game, will launch on iOS and Android platforms in August. The mobile release is scheduled for later this summer.

Amazon's 'Story So Far' feature is hitting Kindle hardware and the iOS app, but sadly not the Android version just yet.

New variants of the NFCShare Android malware are being distributed as fake updates for legitimate banking apps hosted on GitHub. The malware spreads through deceptive GitHub repositories masquerading as official app updates.

Android is rolling out a new fake call detection feature to warn users about spoofed calls and AI-generated voices used in scams. The feature uses end-to-end encrypted RCS technology to verify if a call is genuinely coming from a trusted contact's device.

Android spyware named Asin is targeting Arabic-speaking users through fake news, PDF, and war map apps, as discovered by ESET. The malware was spread via campaigns using websites like govlens.net to mimic legitimate sources.

A poisoned notification from apps like WhatsApp, Slack, or Instagram could hijack Google Gemini's voice assistant on Android, enabling actions like opening connected windows, faking messages, initiating Zoom calls, or poisoning the device's memory. No malicious app is required for the attack.

Microsoft's AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, acknowledges the company's need to catch up in frontier AI development, emphasizing efforts to build custom models, chips, and hardware platforms like Project Solara. The article highlights challenges with current hardware-software integration for AI, predicting a shift toward user-controlled AI-driven systems.

A disabled security setting in Android versions of Microsoft apps like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel allowed attackers to steal user logins and data. The vulnerability stemmed from a coding error that exposed Microsoft 365 accounts to potential takeover.

A development flag left enabled in production builds of several Microsoft 365 Android apps allowed any app on the same device to steal user account tokens. This vulnerability bypassed security checks that restrict token sharing to trusted Microsoft apps, enabling unauthorized access to emails, files, calendars, and messaging.

The article provides methods to block spam calls and texts on iPhone and Android devices, addressing issues caused by spammers, scammers, and telemarketers.

Google is introducing a new Android security feature that detects and flags phone calls where scammers use AI to impersonate a user's personal contacts.

Google released a June 2026 Android update addressing 124 security vulnerabilities, including a high-severity privilege escalation flaw (CVE-2025-48595, CVSS score 8.4) in the Framework component that is actively exploited.

Google is expanding its deepfake call detection feature to protect Android users from impersonation scams, which cost $3 billion in 2024. The update, part of broader Android 17 changes, now works with all contacts and counters AI voice cloning tools used in fraudulent calls.

Android will now warn users if a caller is impersonating someone they know. Google Photos and Google Play Books are also receiving new AI-powered updates.

Android is introducing a new anti-scam feature in Google Dialer for Android 12 and later, using a silent confirmation signal to verify caller identity.

Microsoft announced Project Solara, an Android-based OS designed for AI agent gadgets, at Build 2026. The platform includes concept devices like a facial-recognition-enabled desk device and a wearable badge with biometric authentication.

Google released June 2026 Android security patches to address 124 vulnerabilities, including one zero-day flaw exploited in targeted attacks.

The article discusses the current state of iOS/Android app development, the impact of AI/LLMs on the field, changes over the past 2-5 years, and the career prospects for app developers. It seeks insights into how these factors are shaping the industry in 2026.

An Android remote access trojan named BTMOB is offered to cybercriminals with a builder interface for generating malware payloads tailored to phishing lures.

Apple devices are not secretly recording everything but collect data through features like Siri and app permissions. While Apple emphasizes privacy, user data exposure often stems from third-party apps rather than Apple itself.

The article 'Leave Me Behind' from AndroidEssence discusses potential challenges in Android's ecosystem, with 54 points and 24 comments on Hacker News indicating moderate engagement.