Android News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

You can run most apps just fine, with very little lag, on a five-year-old phone. It's when someone sends you a photo taken on a newer model that you start to notice how old yours has gotten. Smartphone cameras have become remarkably good and are one of the most standout reasons to get a new phone.

Honkai: Star Rail will reportedly introduce five-star Erudition Light Cones in version 2.3. In Honkai: Star Rail, players can obtain a variety of Light Cones, which have their own rarity and path, by spending their Rail Passes on banners or completing specific events. Not only do these items boost certain stats, but also provide a passive that makes the equipping character more powerful.

Honkai: Star Rail received numerous new HoYoLab tools that will aid player progression in the newly released Version 2.2 update. By using the new tools, players will be able to track their progress in the new map and learn how to level up new characters efficiently in Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.2

For many iPhone or iPad users, Procreate is the gold standard for creating digital art. Unfortunately, this amazing drawing app isn’t available on Android devices. However, you can try these Procreate alternatives for a similar experience.

Google released the Pixel Tablet in 2023 as the company’s first Android tablet in years, but the high price and limited features made it a hard sell. Google is now re-launching the Pixel Tablet with some changes and a lower price tag.

Google's Pixel phones still don't sell all that well, but they are popular with people looking for a solid Android smartphone without the sometimes-overwhelming software features on Samsung Galaxy devices. The Pixel 8 arrived last year, and now Google has revealed the Pixel 8a as a budget-friendly alternative.

A Samsung phone comes with two apps that can send text messages: Samsung Messages and Google Messages. It's strange to see two very similarly named apps that do essentially the same thing. Does it matter which one you use? Here's what you need to know to make the decision for yourself.

Satechi is one of the best accessory manufacterors around, and it just unveiled two new latest devices at CES 2024: the 3-in-1 Foldable Qi2 Wireless Charging Stand and the 2-in-1 Foldable Qi2 Wireless Charging Stand. We've seen plenty of similar chargers for iPhones, but this is one of the first accessories certified for all Qi2 devices, including future Android phones.

The default messages app on your Samsung phone or tablet has more to offer than just basic SMS texting. There are some great features you may not know about that you can start using right away to make your life easier. We'll help you find them.

As stated by rumors beforehand, Sega has revealed Sonic Rumble, a new mobile title coming to iOS and Android this Winter. Sign-ups are currently available for a closed beta test, which starts on May 24th and ends on May 26th. Check out the announcement trailer to see how the game plays.

A new Sonic the Hedgehog game is on the way to mobile later this year. Sega’s is a battle royale platformer coming to Android and iOS this winter, and fans can sign up for the beta now.  

Sonic Rumble, a new multiplayer Sonic the Hedgehog game, has finally been confirmed following months of leaks and rumors. The past few years have been an exciting time for fans of Sega’s super-fast platforming mascot, with plenty of Sonic the Hedgehog games, tie-in media, and social media events either released or announced. The most recent game was Sonic Dream Team, a mobile spin-off that launched on Apple Arcade in December. Sega has also announced a special “Year of Shadow” campaign, celebrating Sonic the Hedgehog’s dark anti-hero ahead of his big-screen debut later this year.

Pokemon GO has released the fourth and final update for its Rediscover campaign. In an effort to keep current players engaged and potentially bring lapsed players back into the fold, developer Niantic has been releasing a series of updates for Pokemon GO meant to outfit the game with serious upgrades. The Pokemon GO Rediscover campaign started back in April, and it has unfortunately been a mixed bag so far.

Ready for a sentence that could only apply to the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink pop-culture smorgasbord of modern-day Fortnite? Here we go! A rucksack containing Star Wars’ Yoda has been temporarily banned from the battle royale game, after crashing games when players wearing the green Jedi master on their back do the Zoidberg Scuttle emote from Futurama.

Honkai: Star Rail players will reportedly attend a series of events in version 2.3 to claim generous rewards. Honkai: Star Rail has recently introduced version 2.2, bringing several events that give Light Cones, Stellar Jades, and upgrade materials as completion rewards. The Gift of Odyssey, which provides players with Special Rail Passes, has now returned to the game with the launch of 2.2.

Motorola, under Lenovo's ownership, is gearing up for the launch of its latest Edge-series smartphone in India. With teasers hinting at a promising camera and design, the anticipation for the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion is on the rise among Indian consumers.

Sonic Mania Plus has come to mobile for the first time, as a Netflix Games exclusive.

An interesting revenue chart shows the April sales numbers for HoYoverse's two most popular titles, Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. Both games run on a gacha-based system, allowing players to acquire new characters by pulling on the limited character banners.

A Pokemon GO player has completed the Glimmers of Gratitude Masterwork Research, an incredibly hard research available in Niantic's game. Pokemon GO players complete research tasks to help with Professor Willow's discoveries. These tasks provide Pokemon GO players with different items, and the more demanding the research is, the better the rewards.

A Honkai: Star Rail leak has revealed fresh details about the Apocalyptic Shadow mode, which will reportedly be released in update 2.3. Several leaks regarding Honkai: Star Rail's update 2.3 have recently emerged online, giving players an insight into the upcoming content. The game's next version is rumored to bring new planar ornaments, relics, and a PvP event in which players must take on each other to claim generous rewards.

Diablo Immortal has released a trailer to reveal the new Tempest class, which will arrive in the game on May 23. Like the other Diablo games, Diablo Immortal players must choose a class to create a character and face the dangers of Sanctuary. Each Diablo Immortal class offers a gameplay style based on different weapons and skills.

Niantic has officially revealed that the Pokemon featured in the upcoming Pokemon GO Community Day is Bounsweet, a Grass-type creature that first appeared in Pokemon Sun and Moon. Pokemon GO’s May 2024 Community Day will be happening on May 19 between 2 pm and 5 pm local time.

A new update has just been released for Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile. This update brings several quality-of-life improvements to the game, as well as a variety of bug fixes. Players hopping into a Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile match already have access to this new update, which was released on May 6.

Xbox pulled back the curtain on its latest controller design, the Fire Vapor Special Edition Controller, as part of its ongoing Vapor Controller series exclusively available on the Microsoft Store. Like other Vapor Controllers from Xbox, the Fire Vapor Controller comes with a special dynamic background for Xbox console users to enjoy.

The latest season of Marvel Snap, A Blink in Time, is now available on PC and mobile devices. This content drop introduces five new Marvel Snap cards and two extra locations, among other novelties.

Ubisoft’s Rocksmith+ has proven to be a great source of learning music through play for fans across the globe, and the game will finally be making its way to Steam after being available on PC via the Ubisoft Store. Ubisoft announced this news via an official tweet, and you can check that out down below.

Spoilers ahead for Honkai: Star Rail's story

A Pokemon GO player found a new trick to evolve certain pokemon like Charcadet and Primeape, making it significantly faster for trainers. In Pokemon GO, most Pokemon evolve when they level up, though some of them are incapable of evolving. Certain Pokemon often require specific conditions to be met in order to evolve, such as defeating a fixed number of Pokemon of a certain type. This process can sometimes be time-consuming and tedious for trainers.

A new Honkai: Star Rail trailer features the upcoming five-star character Robin in a music video-style presentation. The recently held live stream event has already confirmed that Robin will be featured in the first phase of the new Version 2.2 alongside Topaz, who is going to receive her first banner re-run.

A new Genshin Impact leak has revealed the original concept art for one of the most popular characters in the game, Lady Furina, also known as Focalors and the Hydro Archon. Furina made her first in-game appearance during Version 4.0, which introduced the long-awaited region known as Fontaine.

A new Genshin Impact leak reveals an interesting change to Arlecchino that should go live in the upcoming Version 4.7. Arlecchino was introduced to the game in the first phase of the current update 4.6 alongside another five-star Pyro user, Fontaine's famous magician Lyney.

A Pokemon GO player has shared a curious detail showing what a PokeStop that is temporarily closed looks like. PokeStops are one of the most recognizable gameplay elements in Pokemon GO. They're found in places that encourage Pokemon GO players to explore their surroundings, such as parks, museums, historical monuments, or landmarks.

As per a recent leak, Honkai: Star Rail players will participate in a PvP event in version 2.3. Honkai: Star Rail features a series of temporary events, which provide players with Stellar Jades, upgrade materials, and Special Rail Passes. These activities occasionally give away free four-star characters and Light Cones that don't appear on standard banners. There are only a few recurring events in the game, such as Gift of Odyssey and Nameless Honor, which offer players Special Rail Passes in every update.

A Minecraft player has built an incredibly accurate replica of a Walmart in their world. Minecraft gamers have made replicas of real-world locations since the game was released, but this may be the most accurate Walmart to be created.

Pokemon GO has just released a new teaser for the next Community Day, and fans believe that its featured Pokemon will be a Toucannon or a Bounsweet. The upcoming Pokemon GO Community Day will happen on May 19, and this teaser was the first time Niantic hinted its possible content.

Seattle-based Pokemon GO support studio Very Very Spaceship was hit with layoffs, shortly after developing the controversial avatars for the game's Rediscover GO update. Although the Pokemon GO update aimed to improve features and visuals in the game, many players in the community were upset with the direction that was taken with the revamped avatars.

Pokemon GO developer Niantic has added Latin American Spanish language support to the game. This significant update arrives alongside a month-long in-game celebration designed to welcome and engage Pokemon GO's LATAM players.

The latest Honkai: Star Rail leak has revealed a new four-star Light Cone that would be a viable choice for Erudition units. Honkai: Star Rail features an array of Erudition characters who excel at dealing AoE damage to multiple enemies. They can fit into the DPS role for their teams and be effective in the endgame modes, such as Pure Fiction and Memory of Chaos.

A talented Dead Cells fan has created an incredible colored pencil drawing of The Beheaded. The player then shared this rendition of the Dead Cells cover art with the community, receiving praise for their impressive artistic skills.

Are you an Android smartphone user? A major security vulnerability has been spotted in Android apps by Microsoft, putting your device apps at huge risk. The security vulnerability is being called a “Dirty stream” attack which could give malicious actors a chance to hijack popular apps or access sensitive information from the Android apps. The Dirty Stream malware could impact several apps on your device, which requires urgent action to avoid any potential scams. Know about the security vulnerability and how you can safeguard your device.

From Sonic X Shadow Generations to the third Sonic movie, fans of Sega’s flagship franchise have plenty to look forward to in the coming months, and it seems that also includes things that haven’t yet been announced- one of which allegedly will be soon enough.

Genshin Impact's heavily rumored «Imaginarium Theater» is reportedly going to allow players to change the soundtracks heard between its stages, according to a recent leak. The addition of new endgame content to the massively popular HoYoverse RPG has been one of the biggest requests from fans for several years. Aside from its exploration and repeatable challenges, Genshin Impact's Spiral Abyss currently serves as the main form of endgame content for the RPG, featuring a monthly enemy rotation. Now, Version 4.7 is expected to be bringing a brand-new endgame addition.

A new leak from Honkai: Star Rail is teasing pairs of Relic sets and Planar Ornaments coming to the game with the Version 2.3 update, expected to launch next month. The sci-fi RPG from HoYoverse provides players with a plethora of different methods for powering up their characters and optimizing their playstyles. Light Cones provide bonuses to characters in specific classes alongside unique effects that can benefit each roster member's individual playstyles, while Relics and Planar Ornaments provide more general boosts. Now, new Relics and Planar Ornaments are reportedly coming with Version 2.3.

A notable leaker has revealed a title known as Sonic Rumble, a multiplayer battle royale Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off for mobile devices. Sonic Rumble was first leaked by MbKKssTBhz5, or Midori, who has had an accurate track record throughout 2023 and 2024 regarding many unannounced Sega-produced titles. The upcoming Sonic Rumble is one of those games she had leaked previously, including what was the game's working title.

Honkai: Star Rail players will unlock new relic sets and Light Cones by completing the Echo of War: Salutations of Ashen Dreams stage, which will arrive in version 2.2. Honkai: Star Rail's version 2.2 is now on the horizon, with the developers introducing new characters, Light Cones, and relics that will be available to claim soon. It's been revealed that Boothill and Robin will finally receive their debut banners in the next update, which will start on May 8.

A recent Honkai: Star Rail leak teases a four-star character selector that will reportedly be released in version 2.3. Although Honkai: Star Rail is still in version 2.1, HoYoverse has already confirmed Jade and Firefly, a pair of five-star units, for 2.3. Firefly will make her playable debut in the first phase of the update, and Jade will be obtainable in the second phase. As per the schedule, players can expect the upcoming version to arrive in early June.

A new leak from Honkai: Star Rail is detailing the signature Light Cone for upcoming five-star character Firefly, expected to release during Version 2.3. Honkai: Star Rail's Light Cones serve as one of the most effective ways of powering up a player's character, offering major stat boosts and unique effects. Each new character added to the sci-fi RPG typically comes with their own unique Light Cone for players to acquire, granting buffs catered to that character's abilities and strengths. Now, one of the game's upcoming characters is seeing their Light Cone surface early.

A Pokemon GO leak has revealed that Necrozma's fusions will be available in the game. Pokemon GO has 61 Legendary monsters in its Pokedex, and players can catch most of them in 5-star Raids. The list of Legendary Pokemon available in the game will soon increase with the addition of Necrozma, one of the critters featured in Gen 7.

Pokemon GO's recent update has turned out to be a nightmare for fans, as many are unable to catch Pokemon at all due to the glitches. That's not all, either, as the framerate issues have also made it extremely difficult for players to take part in the Pokemon GO Battle League, putting them at a significant disadvantage.

Devsisters Corporation’s Cookie Run: Tower of Adventures is now available for global pre-registration on both Android and iOS.

A new leak from Genshin Impact is teasing all the featured five-star banner characters for the game's upcoming Version 4.7 update, including a pair of popular re-runs. With the Fontaine cycle for the massively popular HoYoverse RPG winding down, the developer has shown no signs of slowing down with its character releases. Version 4.6 recently saw the introduction of one of the region's most-anticipated characters, finally adding Fatui Harbinger Arlecchino to the playable roster. Version 4.7's impending debut is now set to add a pair of main cast members from the Hydro region.

Research firm Newzoo has revealed what it claims were the top-grossing console and PC games in the first quarter of 2024.

In its continuing quest to become Everything to Everyone, Fortnite has shapeshifted, The Thing-like, into a new Lego Star Wars game. The Lego Fortnite survival mode has been expanded with a new, permanent Star Wars world, with this weekend - which includes May the Fourth, don’tcha know - also kicking off a new battle pass and bringing additions to every other part of Fortnite: whether you’re playing it as a battle royale shooter (remember that?), racing game or music-rhythm successor to Guitar Hero.

A new Genshin Impact leak has revealed the pulling animations for the three upcoming characters: Clorinde, Sigewinne, and Sethos. All three have already been officially confirmed to arrive in the upcoming version 4.7, which should drop around June 5, according to the game's usual update schedule.

A new Genshin Impact chart shows the most popular characters used in the current Spiral Abyss. Version 4.6 has introduced a lot of new content including a brand-new DPS, the Pyro polearm user Arlecchino, also known as The Knave, and the 4th Fatui Harbinger.

Pokemon GO has announced that the Master Ball will be back in an upcoming event. Pokemon GO has different Poke Balls that players can use, including the Master Ball. When they grab one, PokemonGO players get a powerful asset, as the Master Ball ensures catching a Pokemon without fail.

Pokemon GO is scheduled to get a new Research Day event that is completely centered around Flying-type Pokemon. Research Days in Pokemon GO offer exciting new tasks for players to complete, and those who are partial to Flying-type Pokemon will have a lot to look forward to.

Niantic has teased that Pokemon GO players will soon have the chance to get yet another Master Ball. Like in all other Pokemon games, Master Balls are the best Poke Balls in Pokemon GO. Pokemon GO players can guarantee a catch whenever they use a Master Ball, but the downside is that Master Balls are in short supply. In fact, Pokemon GO players have only ever had the chance to add two Master Balls to their item bag since they were introduced to the game.

ArtPlay’s final update for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Version 1.5, goes live on May 9th for PS4, Xbox One and PC. Nintendo Switch players can expect it on May 16th.

Four EA games are set to shut down on Friday, May 24, so anyone interested in playing them to their fullest should definitely make sure to do so between now and then. Multiple EA games have shut down since the start of 2024. While it's disappointing whenever games are shut down, the bright side is that EA has consistently let fans know in advance before it pulls the plug on any of its various titles.

A new Genshin Impact leak has revealed a video featuring the upcoming five-star character Clorinde in team compositions that rely on using Dendro-related elemental reactions. Clorinde is one of the three characters officially confirmed to be arriving in Version 4.7, which should drop around June 5.

Star Wars Hunters will finally be released for Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android devices on June 4, 2024.

Epic has announced a new Fortnite and Star Wars crossover event.

The latest Genshin Impact leak shows Sethos in action against a Ruin Scout, giving players an idea of his damage potential. In version 4.7, Genshin Impact will introduce players to three new units: Clorinde, Sigewinne, and Sethos. Information about these characters is sparse, but early leaks have already revealed their skills and weapons. Clorinde will reportedly be an Electro DPS, while Sigewinne will scale off HP and serve as a healer. Sethos, on the other hand, is expected to be a four-star Electro applicator similar to Fischl.

The long-delayed Star Wars: Hunters finally has a new release date. Back in 2021, Lucasfilm Games and developer Zynga announced Star Wars: Hunters, a squad-based arena shooter set after the fall of the Galactic Empire at the end of the original Star Wars movie trilogy. Players can choose from characters like Rieve, a dark-side-empowered warrior, a lightsaber-wielding droid called J-3DI, and even Utooni, a pair of junk-scavenging Jawas stacked together. Each of these characters has their own unique abilities, which will come in handy during frantic battles across several classic Star Wars locations.

With Honkai: Star Rail’s next update – Version 2.2, “Then Wake to Weep” – launching next week, miHoYo has begun detailing the abilities and skills of its new characters, starting with Robin. She deals Physical damage and follows the Path of the Harmony, supporting allies with her singing. Check out the latest “Keeping Up With Star Rail” to learn more, as Owlbert and her brother, Sunday, discuss her skills.

A recent Stardew Valley update has added a potential homage to SpongeBob SquarePants, as the pineapple item can now be placed in fish tanks. While Update 1.6 added a boatload of new content to Stardew Valley, the game’s creator, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, included a few more surprises in subsequent updates in the weeks following, such as allowing players to place more items in their fish tanks.

An incredibly dedicated Pokemon GO player reached level 50 under nine months after creating their account in the game. By participating in Pokemon GO activities such as catching Pokemon and taking part in Raids or events, players earn XP to level up their accounts. But there is one extremely challenging milestone for Pokemon GO players, and that is getting to level 50.

The final part of The Wonder Ticket in Pokemon GO is being rolled out by Niantic, with the developer surprising players with another chance to catch the Ultra Beast Poipole. With the latest season of Pokemon GO, Niantic introduced the Wonder Ticket, a season-long pass broken into three parts that ties into the World of Wonders season.

Some Pokemon GO fans are currently accusing the game’s developer, Niantic, of misleading its player base by using old character models in marketing images to sell avatar items. This is one of the latest developments in the controversy surrounding the recent change in avatars in Pokemon GO, which has been widely disliked by fans.

A new leak about Genshin Impact's rumored Imaginarium Theater game mode is teasing even more rewards players can pick up by completing its challenges, with plenty of Primogems available. The popular RPG from HoYoverse offers players a variety of ways to earn its most coveted currency, rewarding players with Primogems for completing quests, opening chests, and unlocking waypoints. HoYoverse also often distributes special codes Genshin Impact players can redeem for a few free Primogems. The newest leaks from a rumored game mode are now hinting at even more Primogem rewards.

A new leak from Genshin Impact is teasing several Domains coming as part of the game's Version 4.7 update in June, showing off four new locations. The Fontaine cycle for the massively popular HoYoverse RPG has brought plenty of areas for players to explore within the world of Teyvat, both inside and outside the new region. Fontaine has received multiple expansions since its 4.0 launch, and the Liyue region finally saw the release of the long-rumored Chenyu Vale. Now, Version 4.7 is set to introduce a plethora of Domains for players to explore.

Out of nowhere, Zynga has announced a release date for Star Wars: Hunters, its free-to-player third-person competitive multiplayer shooter. Developed by NaturalMotion and BossAlien, it launches on June 4th for Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android, with pre-downloads available now. Check out the latest trailer below.

Niantic has announced that Blacephalon and Stakataka are finally coming to Pokemon GO, but their debuts will be region-locked. Pokemon GO continues to expand its Pokedex, and this time, it will complete the addition of Ultra Beasts. With this, Pokemon GO trainers will finally be able to expand their collections by adding this remarkable group of Pokemon that debuted in Gen 6.

Minecraft's Realms and Realms Plus recently received an update that added new features to Realm Stories, an enhanced render distance, and access to cosmetic items. The changes are meant to increase communication across the realm for all players, as well as jazz up everyone's characters. Minecraft Realms are only available for the Bedrock edition of the title.

Pokemon GO players searching for shiny Pokemon are being tricked by one of the game's latest updates, which introduced the Rediscover GO campaign earlier this month. The Rediscover GO campaign includes visual and quality-of-life updates that aim to encourage Pokemon GO players to try out existing features that were greatly improved.

Update 1.6 for Stardew Valley added tons of new content to the game, with one player encountering a rather depressing line of dialogue from Robin. Several patches for Stardew Valley Update 1.6 have included even more additions to the beloved indie game, and fans have been sharing their unique and unexpected discoveries with fellow community members.

A team of enterprising modders are looking to unite two of the internet’s favourite dating games - Baldur's Gate 3 and Stardew Valley - in one beautiful thirst trap. The mod set to launch a thousands AO3 ships is Baldur’s Village, which transports your favourite adventuring companions to the pastoral climes of Stardew’s farming towns.