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- 1Barcode Scanning on Android Without Google Play Services●Originally published on the Capawesome blog. Barcode scanning works on Android devices without... # ionic # android # mo
A tutorial from Capawesome explains how to implement barcode scanning in Capacitor-based Android apps without relying on Google Play Services. The approach matters for devices without Google's services, such as de-Googled phones, custom ROMs, and budget hardware, letting Ionic developers keep apps fully functional across a wider range of Android devices.
- 2Google Phone app brings back Contacts tab●Google Phone app brings back Contacts bottom bar tab Last year’s Material 3 Expressive redesign of the Phone by Google a
Google is restoring the Contacts tab to the bottom bar of its Phone app. The tab was removed during last year's Material 3 Expressive redesign, a change that frustrated many users who relied on quick access to their contact list. Its return addresses one of the most common complaints about the redesign.
- 3Android users urged to root devices as first step away from Google●RE: https:// mastodon.xyz/@nextcloud/117359 711364631730 if you cannot root an # android device, your most basic form of
A widely shared reply to Nextcloud on Mastodon argues that rooting an Android device is the basic starting point for de-Googling a phone. The steps suggested: download a browser from the Google Play store, allow software installation in settings, then get apps from F-Droid, the independent open-source app repository, instead of relying on Google services.
- 4Google Phone app brings back Contacts tab after backlash●Google’s Phone app begins reverting one of its most controversial changes It has taken a while, but the Contacts tab is
Google has begun rolling back one of its most controversial changes to the Phone app, restoring the Contacts tab in the beta version. The removal had frustrated many Android users who relied on quick access to their contact list. The reversal is now reaching users through the app's beta channel.
- 5Android 17 tightens defenses against hidden spyware●Android 17 makes it harder for spyware to cover its tracks
Google's upcoming Android 17 release will make it harder for spyware to conceal itself on devices. The update introduces changes that limit the ways stalkerware and surveillance apps can hide their tracks, strengthening protections for users whose phones may be secretly monitored by abusive partners, employers or other malicious actors.
- 6CareShield app offers gentle check-ins for elderly relatives●We're fine. The app tells them. CareShield is gentle: if a phone stays quiet past the window we chose, it asks us first,
A mobile app called CareShield is being promoted that monitors whether a person's phone has gone quiet for a chosen period of time. Instead of raising an alarm, it first asks the user directly; only if there is no response does it notify family members, described as the person's children. The app, made by PulseSoul and free on Google Play, is pitched as optional and non-intrusive, aimed at relatives who want reassurance that an older parent is fine without constant calls.
- 7Waterstones app confirmed working on de-Googled /e/OS in the UK●If you live in the UK, just letting you know that the Waterstones app works perfectly in /e/OS # DeGoogled # iPhone # eO
UK users of /e/OS, the privacy-focused Android system that strips out Google services, are being told the Waterstones bookshop app runs without problems on it. The tip matters for people trying to move away from mainstream Google-connected phones, where app compatibility is often the biggest obstacle. Waterstones is one of the first mainstream British retail apps to get a clean bill of health from this community.