Google wants you to share calendar files via SMS.

Google, or someone at Google, thinks that Android users want to share calendar events via SMS. Yes via SMS. What a great useless idea. I never share calendar events and I doubt I'd do it via SMS, which I consider as obsolete in the age of WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and other cross-platform messaging apps.

Similar to Apple, Google believes you need that feature. You just don't know it yet. Now you have the ability to share calendar events via SMS with friends.

The update is rolling out now in Google Play Store. You have no choice but to download the update and move on.

New Adobe Photoshop Express for Android lets you seamlessly share photos to Instagram.

Adobe Photoshop Express for Android just got better today thanks to an update that will make users happy, especially those with an Instagram account. Instagram is a very popular photo sharing platform, more popular than Snapchat and gradually gaining more and more users. A popularity that parent company Facebook is now trying to monetize and I'm not sure that move will play well with users. Only the future will tell. but I digress.

In this update, Adobe is adding the square aspect ratio for Instagram. Users will be able to share photos to Instagram "without worrying about the 1:1 aspect ratio. PhotoShop Express will handle that automatically. This is a great addition.

PhotoShop Express now supports "Split Tone". This new feature will let users "add different colors to the shadows and the highlights of an image to create a surreal effect."

That's it for this update. Head over to Google Play Store to download or update Adobe PhotoShop Express and enjoy hassle-free image editing to share on Instagram.

Amazon will roll out continuous scrolling and a new mobile-friendly format for magazines in the coming weeks.

Amazon Kindle for Android received an update today. However, the update prepares the app for upcoming new features. Amazon announced the updates will be rolling out in the coming weeks, with no precise dates.

The first item listed is the ability to activate continuous scrolling in the app in the Aa menu. The latter is found at the top of the app and lets readers change font size, color and more. I'm not a fan of continuous scrolling. I prefer to manually turn the pages. Call me old school if you want but that's how I like it and no doubt a lot of readers out there will enjoy continuous scrolling.

For the readers with magazine subscriptions, Amazon is introducing a mobile-friendly format for the following magazines initially: Food Network, Cosmopolitan, Time, Popular Mechanics, and 200 others. That's a lot for initial titles. No doubt, subscribers will appreciate.

I will update this post when Amazon starts rolling out these new features in the coming weeks. In the meantime, download the update in Google Play Store.

Amazon Kindle for Android lets users filter libraries to just show samples.

Amazon Kindle brings over a million books to your Android devices for your reading pleasure. One of my favorite features that the online bookstore offers is the ability to download and read free samples before actually buying the book. A unique feature when it comes to online shopping.

Today the app was updated with a nice and simple feature. Users can now filter their libraries to just see downloaded samples. Like I said, a minor but helpful update.

The update is live for download in Google Play Store.

Language learning app Duolingo for Android now offers two additional languages: Hindi and Indonesian.

Learning a new language used to be challenging, but thanks to apps like Duolingo, learning is made easier and fun. Add to that the ability to learn on the go, we are able to also learn faster. Duolingo is my favorite language learning app and my daughters also use it. As their dad, I can tell they are improving based on their school grades. Duolingo also lets me track their progress online and via daily emails notifications.

Duolingo was updated today with two additional languages and they are Hindi and Indonesian. That's two more languages you can start learning right away. That is all in this update. Check it out in Google Play Store. 

Duolingo also offers the following languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Ukrainian, Esperanto and Turkish. And there's probably more. Happy learning!

Apple Music for Android updated with new Friends Mix and more.

Apple Music on Android brings over 40 million songs for users to listen online or offline and the app has been downloaded over 10 million times. Which is not bad considering how antagonistic Apple and Android fans are. And the reviews in Google Play Store are quite positive. 

In case you're wondering, I had to resort to Apple Music for my music consumption for the simple reason that Google's Play Music is not available in my region. Sure I can buy or rent Movies, but no music. And now I'm deep into Apple's musical ecosystem, no matter what Google does, the chances to get me out of it equal to zero. So much for you Google.

This update includes some nice features, but my preferred one is the "Friends Mix". Basically, it compiles a list of the songs that the app thinks I'll like from everything my friends are listening to. This is cool and saves me from browsing the long list of songs available on the platform. And better yet, Apple Music also plays the top 100 songs from countries around the world. Again saving me from perusing the list for something I like. I'm kind of lazy if you haven't figured out by now.

Here are the other features in this update:

• Android Auto: The best of Apple Music in your car.
• Search by Lyrics. Use a few of the words to find a song.
• New Artist page: Play an artist with one tap, or browse all the music with the improved design.

Apple Music is free to download in Google Play Store. Subscriptions start at $4.99 per month. 

LocalCast for Chromecast Pro is free provided you're willing to watch short video ads.

On my list of most useful gadgets, Chromecast is deeply entrenched in the second place behind, obviously, my phone. It's amazing how a $35 casting gadget make such an impact on how I consume and share digital content. But like all things, Chromecast also has its limitations and one of them being the lack of support for local files casting. There have been some minor improvements over the years, but nothing compared to apps like LocalCast for Chromecast.

Basically, LocalCast is capable of casting every file formats available from mp4, mkv, 3gp, m4v. And it does that from a variety of sources, not just limited to your devices. LocalCast will happily cast from NAS, Google Drive, Google+, Dropbox and even a webpage.

LocalCast is available in two versions in the Store: The free and pro version. The latter contains no ads; lets you search your device for contents; displays a video preview in certain areas of the app. While I don't mind paying to support an independent developer, it's nice to see that in the latest app update, the developer is making the pro version "free". Well, you have to watch a short video ad to unlock the app's pro features and they remain available until the app is restarted. Not a big price to pay to take full advantage of LocalCast.

The update also reduces the app download size from 10.31MB to "around 9MB".

Check out LocalCast in Google Play Store. Happy Casting! 

YouTube for Android gets a Dark theme.

Finally, Google has added a dark mode to YouTube, helping to make the app a little easier on the eyes. 

Here's how to enable it:

1. Tap your profile picture at the top right of the screen.
2. Tap settings.
3. Tap general.

Dark theme is the second option on the General page. tap the slider to enable it and voilà!

The dark theme is available in version 13.35.51. Download it in Google play store.

Android Messages app gets dark theme; Messages Web gets GIF search and more stickers.

SMS is here to stay and no WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger will ever change that. That's the reason Google keeps updating Android's official app for texting and chat. Android Messages was recently updated with web support, allowing users to send and reply to messages on their computers without having to pick up their phones. A very handy feature that Google is improving furthermore with the last update. 

Android Messages is getting a new look. Not that Google entirely redesigned the app; it pretty much looks the same. But they added a dark theme and if you've been following Android news lately, dark theme is making the headlines as Google kind-of working, not to say struggling, at bringing a dark theme to Android. 

In addition to dark theme, Google is also giving some love to Messages web with the ability to search GIF and stickers. A great addition if you're fans of those.

Of course, this update includes the usual anonymous bug fixes and performance improvements. Android Messages is available for download in Google Play Store.

Microsoft Edge for Android now lets you sign in with work or school accounts and see inked notes from PC.

If, like me, you're among the happy few who use microsoft Edge browser on your Android device for some reason, Microsoft updated the app with some new features today. Folks with work or school accounts will be able to sign in with those accounts to access their "protected organizational sites".

This update will also allow users to see inked notes on their phones. These inked notes will come from your PC since Edge on Android does not support this feature yet. Finally, if you read books in Edge, you'll be able to search for words. 

I made Microsoft Edge the default browser on my OnePlus because of the "Send to PC" feature which I find to be extremely useful for site and file transfer. It's very straight-forward compared to using Bluetooth. If you need a reason to use Edge, I just gave you one. 

Microsoft Edge for Android is available free to download in Google Play Store. 

F1 app for Android gets new race and video hub.

Halo F1 fans. There's an update for the F1 app waiting for you in the Google Store.

This update is branded as a major update and introduces a couple of new hubs. As can be seen in the screenshots below, fans will now get a new race and video hub. Basically, the bottom tabs have changed, giving fans the ablity to quickly and easily get to videos with a single tap. Personally, I find this re-design really awesome.

That said, there are more to this update. just check it out below:

• Redesigned live timing experience with smart telemetry data and easy-to-use drive tracker.
• Expanded driver and team biographies.
• Improved push notifications - so you never miss out.

The update is available for download in Google Play Store. Enjoy!

Google adds quick-side panel to Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drawings to make G Suite users more productive.

Google added a quick-side panel to its productivity suite with the objective of making G Suite users more productive. The quick-side panel will allow users to do their job without leaving Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drawings. Three Google products will be available within these apps and they are google Calendar , keep and Tasks. So far, the side panel has been available in Gmail. This update brings the same feature to Google Calendar where users will be able to use Keep and Tasks, thanks to the side panel.

The update is rolling out now and G Suite users will start seeing it within 15 days.

Source: Google

Microsoft Launcher beta for Android lets parents ask Cortana for the location of their kids via voice and more.

Microsoft is currently serving version 4.13 of its Launcher to beta users on Android and the new verion contains some useful features for parents who monitor their kids activities on their devices. From now on, parents will be able to ask Cortana for the location of their kids via voice with a simple command: "Where are my kids?". Cortana can also now read incoming SMS messages should the user choose to activate the feature. And Microsoft AI also gets the ability to speak Indian English.

This update also includes the following new features:

• Now you can drag and drop widgets to and from the Launcher Feed. Widgets also no longer have card headers when placed in the Feed.
• Updates to the calendar card let you add a new event with one click when you no longer have any more events for the day.
• Tuning fixes for the new app drawing.

This update is available to beta testers to download in Google Play Store.

Google adds new 'Confidential mode' to Gmail on Android to help you protect the sensitive data you share.

Technology makes life a whole lot easier when it comes to sharing data. But it's not without risk. Google is kind-of well aware of that and is introducing a new 'Confidential mode' in Gmail on Android. A new mode that will give users more control on the data they share with others.

Google has started rolling out 'Confidential mode' worldwide and to start using it, bring up the compose email window in Gmail. Tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the screen and choose 'Confidential Mode'. Set an expiration between 1 day to 5 years. Once 'Confidential Mode' is activated, Gmail will prevent the receiver from copying, forwarding, and printing the email and its attachments. However, the receiver can take a screenshot and photo of your emails and attachments. Google also warns about malicious programs on the receiver's device that may still be able to copy and edit the data you're sharing.

Gmail users can also choose for a passcode or SMS passcode be sent to the receiver. Google will handle that for you. Just send the email and the receiver will be notified of your intention to share an email with them. The receiver must sign in with a Google account to view the email and attachments in a browser with the expiration date at the top. The default expiration date is 1 week. Additionally, the sender can revoke access at any time in their own inbox.

'Confidential mode' is a useful feature when sharing data such as health records, business plan or a copy of your passport. While it's an additional layer of protection, bear in mind that it is not entirely fool-proof.

'Confidential Mode' is already being pushed out to users. Just be patient if you do not see it yet, it's on the way. IF you do not use Gmail, you can download it free in Google Play Store.

Microsoft Outlook for Android quietly gets a 'Delete' button in the notification area.

Microsoft has quietly added a much-requested feature to Outlook for Android which lets users quickly delete an email right in the notification area. Now, Outlook users will get the options to Archive, Delete, and reply to emails in Android's notification area without having to open the Outlook app first. Prior to this update, users could only archive and reply to messages. 

The addition of a 'Delete' button to the Outlook notification is very useful for situations where the provided preview is more than enough and you don't need to take any further action on the email. I for one surely welcome the 'Delete' button.

I'm not sure if this feature is being deployed through an update or is just a server-enabled feature. Either way, you can always download Outlook for Android in Google Play Store.

Amazon Kindle for Android gets support for split screen and notification center.

Split screen is one of my favorite feature on Android and today I'm more than glad to see Amazon kindle join the bandwagon of apps supporting this feature. With this update, users will be able to multi-task while reading.

This update will also allow Amazon Kindle to show new releases, deal alerts, and more in the notification center. No need to open the app to discover what's new anymore. The update is already available globally to download in Google Play Store.

Firefox Focus browser for Android finally gets 'Find in Page' and 'Request Desktop Page' in latest update.

If you value your privacy, Firefox Focus is the browser made just for you. By default, Firefox Focus blocks ad trackers and lets you easily erase your history, passwords, and cookies. In fact, the browser cleans up everything each time you close it after use. Firefox Focus also features a minimalistic design with a few configurations options.

Today the app was updated with two new simple features. Features that you expect to find in any modern browser, like the 'Find in Page' that lets you search text on a webpage. Firefox Focus is also adding a 'Request Desktop Page' feature to easily switch between mobile and desktop versions of pages you visit.

These two new features are available in version 6.0 of Firefox Focus which can be downloaded free in the Google Play Store.

SofaScore adds a dark theme to its Android app.

Dark mode is a very useful feature and it's nice to see more and more developers adding it into their apps, making it easy on the eyes. Even Google is testing dark mode in Android P developer preview and YouTube too. Today, SofaScore, my favorite sports app, is finally adding a dark theme to its Android app.

The night mode is not enabled by default after installing the update. Enabling it can be done quickly and easily in the app settings with a simple slide to 'On'. That done, you can now follow your games in the dark without bothering your partner and blasting your eyes with white light.

The update is currently available globally for all to download and raises the version number to 5.60.1. Check it out in Google Play Store.

Netflix for Android officially introduces Smart Downloads.

Back in February, I blogged about Netflix testing 'Smart Downloads' after I noticed the feature pop up in the app on my OnePlus 5T. 4 months later, the feature is rolling out for everyone to use. As from now on, Netflix will delete episodes you've watched and then automatically download the next one for you. Of course, Smart Downloads works only when connected to Wi-Fi on your Android phone or tablet. Should you want to keep watched episodes, you can turn off Smart Downloads in the app settings. 



I've found Smart Download to be extremely useful and it's been turned on ever since Netflix pushed it to my device. If you do not see the feature yet, make sure you download the latest version of Netflix in Google Play Store.

Source: Netflix

SofaScore update provides detailed information for World Cup 2018 stadiums.

The World Cup 2018 is ongoing and the excitement is building up as we get closer to the semis. Today SofaScore is updating its app for Android with info about the stadiums where the games will be played. With this update, SofaScore users will be able to find information about the stadium under the Details tab along with a beautiful picture, the location, and capacity. This is not a big update, but if you're the kind of fans who look into details, you'll like this one. Tomorrow's game opposes Brazil against Belgium will be played at the Kazan Arena. Unfortunately, SofaScore does not provide a detailed map, but, at least, fans will be able to use their phones and Google Maps to find their way.

The update is already available in Google Play Store for download. Enjoy the games tomorrow. 

Google Drive now supports opening and viewing password-protected Microsoft Office files.

Today Google Drive for Android has been updated with Google's cloud storage service now supporting opening and viewing password-protected Microsoft office files. This is a great addition for all of us using Microsoft Office. The latter remains the gold standard as productivity tools with users and enterprises alike and it's great to see Google adding more support to the world's number one productivity tool.

Now, no matter how useful this feature is to Google Drive users, I have a word of advice. Password-protecting an Excel, Word or PowerPoint file prevent others from accessing these files and that is good. However, Microsoft cannot help you retrieve the password should you forget it. There is no official tool from Microsoft. So make sure that you use a password that is memorable, otherwise, you'll have to resort to third-party solutions, some of which are free and some not. In either case, that implies making your files and content available to whichever solution you choose. Definitely not a secure way to retrieve your password and protect your content.

This update also includes the usual bug fixes and performance improvements and is available in Google Play Store for download.

Instagram introduces Music in Stories.

Have you ever watched a movie without sound or music? And did you like it? It probably sounded weird as a soundtrack is essential to any movie and as of today, will most likely become key to your Instagram Stories.

Instagram announced the 400 million people who use Stories every day will now be able to add music to their Stories from a library of thousands of songs. Instagram added a new music icon and when you tap on it, you get access to a music library from which to browse by mood, genre or what's popular. Of course, songs can be previewed. 

Once you've found the song you like and that fits your Story, you can go even further and rewind or forward to the part of the song that best fits your Story. Instagram recognizes "that music can play an important role in how you share your moments and express yourself with friends and we're working hard to bring it to the global community in the future."

Music is available on Instagram version 51 in "select countries". However, the ability to choose a song before capturing a video is only available in iOS only, but the company says this feature is coming to Android soon. If you live in one of those "select countries", look for version 51 in Google Play Store.

Telegram for Android lets you replace media sent by mistake, add URLs to text and more.

Telegram for Android has been updated today to version 4.8.10 with a bunch of useful features and improvements. The popular messaging app is adding the ability for users to replace media that was sent by mistake. Up until now, users were able to correct such mistakes by deleting the message outright. This update improves on that and will let users simply change the photo or video right away. All they need to do is to start editing the message and tap the paperclip button to replace the attached media with the correct one. You can see that in action in the Gif below. It works so well you'll want to make mistakes on purpose :).

Telegram is also letting users share more than just a phone number as vCards. Currently, sharing a contact will send the main phone number only. Thanks to this update, users will get to select the data they want to share and that includes several phone numbers, birth dates, homes address, etc.

The rest of the changelog is also useful. Telegram added a 'create link' feature in the formatting menu so users can add URLs to text. Users will be able to preview chats with a tap and hold on profile pictures. And finally, messages can be canceled before they are sent.


This update definitely introduces some nifty features. Grab the update in Google Play Store. Happy messaging.

Microsoft adds external image blocking to Outlook for Android.

Microsoft added a "Block External Images" feature in Outlook for Android. This feature, once activated, will prevent images in emails sent by people, not in your contacts from downloading automatically. Microsoft says "Block external images setting will not block images that are embedded in the email as attachments, including most emails sent from friends and family."

While not a security threat, blocking images in emails protects users privacy as these emails can sometimes include references to images hosted on the internet and can be used to track whether someone has read an email. All in all, this blocking feature is a welcome addition if you value your privacy. 

By default, the image blocking setting is disabled. In order to activate, tap the hamburger menu - the three horizontal bars at the top left - then tap the settings icon at the bottom left. Tap your email account or any other email if you have several accounts and toggle the blocking setting. It turns blue when activated.

This update is already available to download in Google Play Store.

Apple Music for Android now lets you skip back your favorite song when listening to a radio station.

Apple Music for Android received a few improvements today that the company calls minor. the first improvement will let users skip back to play a song again when listening to a radio station. A nice addition if you want to listen to a song you liked again. This update also lets users "adjust how your music sounds with the included Equalizer."

This update is already live in Google Play Store to download.

Yahoo Mail brings World Cup game schedules and scores at the top of your Inbox.

Yahoo Mail has a treat for football fans around the world in the latest update for Android devices. Users of Yahoo Mail will now be able to follow games scores live in their Inbox. Yahoo added a band at the top of the Inbox that shows the teams, games schedule of the day and scores. The band can easily be minimized. The word 'Live' appears in red for ongoing games. 

If users need more info, a tap on each of the games - live or not - takes them to Yahoo Sports page for more details. There, users will get info such as game statistics, game stream and join the conversation with other football fans. A little envelope icon at the top right of the page takes the user back to Yahoo Mail.

I'm watching the game between Egypt and Uruguay as I write this and I'm just curious whether Yahoo Mail will notify me if the score evolves. I'll update this post if it does.

The update also includes the following:

• Now you can see your messages separated by date.
• You can also select all messages from a particular date range and delete, archive, or organize at once.
• Find messages faster with suggestions as you search.
• Bug fixes and performance enhancements.

Yahoo Mail users can update the app in Google Play Store.

World Cup 2018: Forget Paul the Octopus & Achilles the cat. Enter Babushka, SofaScore's human predictor.

We're hours from the official launch of the 2018 FIFA World Cup with the host country, Russia, playing against Saudi Arabia and if you are of the betting type and needs some precog before shelling out money, I strongly recommend you must check with Babushka first. Confused? Let me explain.

Remember Paul the Octopus back at World Cup 2010 who accurately chose the winners of each game and Paul became a star - maybe not for bookies. This year's official soothsayer for the World Cup is Achilles, a deaf,  Russian white cat. He will be presented with bowls marked with playing teams' flag and Achilles first prediction for tonight's inaugural game is naturally Russia. Now, back to Babushka.



Since Paul the octopus, each sports event have had their own animals trying to predict games results, but none have matched Paul's record. Well aware of that fact, SofaScore - my favorite Android sport's app - is bringing in a human predictor called Babushka. According to the SofaScore, "She has lived through almost all of the championships (missed only the first 2), and this will be her 22nd World Cup. So if there's anyone who knows how it's gonna go down - then that's Babushka!" Unlike the 'official' World Cup's animals, Babushka will not only make predictions but also give daily tips and some witty analysis on her YouTube Channel. 

Her first video has been published and, like Achilles the cat, Babushka predicts a Russia win against Saudi Arabia. Whether she gets this right or not, Babushka is just adorable and her pre-games analysis are well thought out. Something animals can't do.

Check out Babushka Tips on SofaScore official YouTube channel and enjoy World Cup 2018.

English Premier League app for Android introduces the newly promoted teams for season 2018/19 season and more.

The English Premier League has updated their Android app for the next season already. The app now shows the three newly promoted teams for the upcoming 2018/19 season: Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cardiff City, and Fulham. The updated app also brings the highlights of the 2017/18 season. 

Additionally, "you can also explore all-time Premier League club, player and manager record-holders through the new 'Records' section in the Stats area."

That being said, download the update free in Google Play Store to prepare for the new season.

Instagram now lets you share stories you're mentioned in.

"Starting today, when someone mentions you in their story, you'll be able to share that photo or video into your own story." Instagram is bringing this new feature to its app today on Android and iOS. They announced this in a blog post yesterday. Users that get mentioned will receive a notification in their Direct messages thread and will see an option to add that content to their own story. In addition, the user will be able to "rotate and position it and add creative tools like text or stickers on to it as well." Followers who see the story will also see the original poster's username and get the possibility to follow them. Instagram says this feature only works for public accounts.

This seems to be a server-side update. However, make sure you grab the latest version of the app in Google Play Store.

Skype for Android finally lets you access your phone contacts from the dialpad.

The days when Skype was the de-facto messaging and video app are long gone with the advent of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, but that's not stopping Microsoft from bringing new features to catch up with the fierce competition. In an update published today, the software giant is finally letting users access their phone contacts within Skype through the app's dialpad. Start typing a phone number and Skype will retrieve a matching number and name from your device's contacts.

This update also includes the usual stability and performance improvements.

If you still Skype, grab the update in Google Play Store on your Android device.

Swipe up to record longer voice messages in WhatsApp Messenger for Android.

WhatsApp for Android just made it easier for users to record voice messages on their devices. Before today's update, users were required to press and hold on the microphone to record a message. This has never been a comfortable experience for me, as I found it hard to keep my finger in place.

With today's update, WhatsApp is making that a tad easier. Users will still need to tap and hold on the microphone icon to record short messages. However, they will now have the ability to swipe up to "lock recording" and record both short or long messages. Personally, that's a great addition.

Head over to Google Play Store to grab this update to enjoy this new voice recording feature.

Instagram for Android now lets users share Feed Posts to Stories.

Today Instagram is making sharing feed posts to story publicly available to Android users. This feature differs from Regram in that users can quickly share a post of interest to their story for their friends and followers to see.

Instagram says that "to share a feed to your story, just tap the paper airplane button below the post, just as you would to send it via Direct. At the top, you'll now see the option to create a story. Tap it to see the feed post as a sticker with a customized background ready to share to your story. You can rotate, scale and move the sticker - and tap it to explore other styles."

Shared posts will appear with the original poster's username, which is clickable so you can check the original post and even see more post. Obviously, it is only possible to share posts from public accounts and should you not want your posts to be shared, Instagram lets you opt out in the app settings.

Get Instagram for Android in Google Play Store.

Pocket for Android gets split-screen mode support.

Formerly known as 'Read it Later', Pocket is an essential app for me to save articles and videos for reading and viewing later. My daily intake of articles on the web is pretty big and commuting time is not enough to read them all, making Pocket a must-have app on my supported devices. 

Besides saving content for later, Pocket also strips the articles of ads and presents them in a read-friendly format similar to reading view in Edge, the Microsoft browser for Android. As such, the article looks nicer. Pocket is also very easy to use. You come across an article and want to save it for later, simply tap the share icon and tap the Pocket icon in the Share menu. 

The app was released in 2012 and has since been updated several times. Among one of its features, is the ability to highlight things you find interesting in the articles you read. Here again, this is a simple enough feature, but very useful. Pocket improved it by grouping the highlights in the order they appear in the articles; which makes sense.

In version 6.7.9.0, Pocket is getting support for multi-window on Android 7.0 or higher. Pocket developer says, "with split-screen mode, you can multi-task like a pro and use Pocket along with other apps on the same screen, at the same time."  I very rarely use split screen on my devices. At least, I know it's there in case I need it.

Download the update in Google Play Store.

Microsoft releases Family features to Microsoft Launcher for beta users.

Microsoft Launcher beta has been updated today with the addition of Microsoft Family. The latter is a free service that allows families to stay connected and parents to keep their kids safe online. As from today, parents will now be able to view the last known location and app activity of their children. Obviously, the children's device must also be running Microsoft Launcher. According to Microsoft, Family requires Android 4.4+ on parents devices and Android 5.0 or higher on the children device.

Microsoft says in the changelog that this is phase 1 for v4.10 and phase 2 will be released on May 22. Again, Microsoft Family support is available for now in the beta channel. Click here if you would like to join and try new features before public release. Else, get the official Microsoft Launcher app in Google Play Store.

Here's how to setup Family in Microsoft Launcher:

• Create a family including your kids at account.microsoft.com/family.
• Install the beta version of Launcher on your Android device and sign in with your adult account during setup. 
•  On your device, swipe right to see your Family card in the feed. Follow the steps to send an email or text to your child to have them install Launcher on their device.
• After your child installs Launcher, have them sign in with their Microsoft account. During setup, give Launcher permission to access location and app usage.
• Turn on location sharing and activity reporting for each child from your device.
•  On your Family card, for each child, select Turn on location sharing > More options > Find [your child] on a map. Then turn on See my child’s location on a map.
•  Select Activity and turn on Activity reporting. You’ll also have the option to turn on weekly email reports.
• Once both parent and child devices are set up, parents can start seeing their child's device location and app activity.