Hi All,

After nearly ten years of using iOS, I am finally switching to Android. I am really excited to get more customisation and better multitasking.

I have narrowed my choices down to the two main software styles: Google's Pixel UI and Samsung's One UI. I want to hear about the daily software experience from people who have used both.

From what I have read, they offer very different experiences:

• Pixel UI: This seems like the "iOS of Android"—very smooth, clean, and simple. It has great AI features, but I worry it might be a bit too basic if I want to do more advanced things.
• One UI: This seems perfect for power users and multitasking. Features like Good Lock, split-screen, and Samsung DeX look amazing. However, my main worry is that the software might feel cluttered, heavy, or start to lag after a few months.

To those of you who have used both for a long time:

1. How smooth and fast does each software feel after a year of heavy use?
2. Does One UI actually feel "bloated" with too many extra apps, or is it easy to keep clean?
3. Are there specific software features on either side that you found you couldn't live without?
4. Coming from the simplicity of an iPhone, which software felt like a better and more natural step forward for you?

I would love to hear your thoughts and real-world experiences. Thanks!

A bunch of PS4 PlayLink games still work on PS5 if you use phones as controllers. The official Android companion apps do not: on current Android they either refuse to install or crash on launch.

I wrote a local patcher for the originals you already have. It does not ship Sony APKs.

Tested (phone as controller → PS5, Android 16)

• That’s You! 1.6
• Knowledge is Power 1.5A
• Knowledge is Power: Decades 1.4
• Hidden Agenda 1.07
• Chimparty 1.2
• Frantics 1.8
• SingStar Mic 3.9

How

1. Get those original APKs (same versions as above).
2. Put them in originals.
3. Run patch.bat (Windows, Java 17+, Python 3).
4. Install the *-android16.apk files from out.

https://github.com/SulidSanke/PlayLink_Patch

Patched builds are debug-signed. Uninstall the Play Store copy first if it is still on the phone, or the signatures will clash.

Connecting on PS5

Phone and PS5 must be on the same Wi‑Fi. Auto-discover / Play / Search does not find a PS5. Use the console IP:

Settings → Network → Connection Status → IP Address

Paste that into the IP / server field in the phone app. The Unity games remember it after the first time.

Hidden Agenda uses multicast, not that box. SingStar has its own screen; allow Microphone on first launch or you get “mic unavailable”.

Not affiliated with Sony. If something else PlayLink-shaped still dies on a new phone, issues on the repo are fine.

Hi Reddit!

Today, we're announcing multiple new Android features as part of the September Android Drop. From keeping track of important items in Find Hub to reducing motion sickness during your ride, these new features are designed to help you stay connected effortlessly. 

Here’s what’s coming in the September Android Drop. Starting with what’s new:

1. Keep track of important items with Find Hub

Soon, you’ll be able to keep track of important items, like your spare keys or passport, with the new remembered items tab in Find Hub. Just say, “Hey Google, remember in Find Hub that I put my passport in my bedroom drawer,” and it automatically logs the item and location. You can opt to add a photo to make it even easier to find your item later. When you need to find it later, just ask Gemini for its location or check your remembered items tab in Find Hub.

https://reddit.com/link/1w4jtwn/video/1aur7m3x7ymh1/player

This feature will roll out soon and will be available on devices running Android 16 or later in all markets and languages where both Gemini and Find Hub are supported.

2. Help reduce motion sickness during your ride with Motion Assist

Keep using your phone from the passenger seat while reducing motion sickness with Motion Assist, which adds subtle bubbles to your screen that sync with the vehicle’s movement. It’s designed to help bridge the gap between what your eyes see and the movement of the vehicle. 

https://reddit.com/link/1w4jtwn/video/gu01k2xy7ymh1/player

You can set Motion Assist to turn on automatically while you’re in a moving vehicle or add a shortcut to toggle it from Quick Settings. You can also customize the bubbles’ shape, color, and opacity to match your style. 

Motion Assist is rolling out starting today and will be available globally on devices running Android 17 or later.

3. Use Google Keep to collaborate with friends on notes right from your chat

Share and update notes right inside Google Messages so the whole group is on the same page. From grocery lists to vacation plans, you can effortlessly collaborate on notes without switching between apps. Just hit the + icon in Google Messages to bring Google Keep into your conversations.

This feature is rolling out starting today and will be available globally for Google Messages users in RCS chats. The Google Keep app and extension are also required.

4. Personalize your chats in Google Messages with custom backgrounds and themes

With the new Chat theme feature in Google Messages, you can personalize your chats with distinct backgrounds and colors. Pick a wallpaper or use your own photo, and your text bubbles will automatically match — or you can change the colors to suit your personality. Set a latte theme for your coffee buddy or use a beach photo for the vacation group chat. 

https://reddit.com/link/1w4jtwn/video/osn33ae08ymh1/player

The Chat theme feature is available to use now in Google Messages for RCS chats. Chat themes are only visible to the user who created them and not other chat participants.

5. Use Guided vision to understand things around you

Share your camera in Gemini Live to hear descriptions of what’s in front of you. Guided vision can help with things like reading the fine print on a food label, ordering from a menu in a dimly-lit restaurant, or locating household objects. If your camera isn't lined up, you get instant voice feedback on how to reframe – guiding you to adjust your camera, pan across a space, or center an object so you get the exact answers you need. For quick access, add guided vision to your Accessibility shortcuts or enable it directly from the TalkBack menu or Gemini App Settings. 

https://reddit.com/link/1w4jtwn/video/x8f4ygz18ymh1/player

Guided vision was designed for and with the blind and low vision community and is coming soon to phones running Android 9+ in countries where Gemini is available. 

Guided vision can make mistakes. It is not intended as a medical device, mobility aid, or substitute for safe-travel guides. Don’t use it for navigation or obstacle detection.

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In addition to these new features in the September Android Drop, we’re also highlighting the following features, some of which you may already be using (but if not, try them out!)

1. Elevate your photos with a single tap in Google Photos

With AI Enhance in Google Photos, you can make complex photo edits with just a tap. AI Enhance analyzes your photo and makes the most impactful corrections instantly, like fixing lighting, colors, and cropping. Whether you're dealing with tricky shadows or dull lighting, you get crisp, natural-looking results without the tedious editing.

https://reddit.com/link/1w4jtwn/video/z24u3wn48ymh1/player

AI Enhance is available to use now in Google Photos.

2. Make complex photo edits in Google Photos by just asking

Take the complexity out of editing and transform photos with one quick ask. To edit with Ask Photos, simply type or use your voice to describe the changes you want to see – from fixing a harsh glare to removing background distractions. Make your pictures look just how you want them to without the need for professional editing.

Edit with Ask Photos is available now for eligible users aged 18+ in the U.S., UK, Germany, India, Japan, France, Italy, Australia, and Spain, in English, French, German, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Marathi, Spanish, Tamil, and Telugu.

3. Get answers to questions through a real-time conversation with Search Live

Get answers through a back-and-forth conversation with Search Live, now available anywhere AI Mode is available. Have a back-and-forth conversation using your voice and get real-time audio responses, or share your camera to ask about what's in front of you. Whether it’s installing a floating shelf or solving a tough math problem, get help with links to keep exploring.

4. Create new images from anything you see with Gemini Live

Point your camera and ask Gemini Live to transform your surroundings with Nano Banana. Talk and ask to see your sleeping dog as a Renaissance painting, swap your bedroom walls for a fresh sage green, or turn a history timeline from your textbook into an annotated visual guide – your idea comes to life as a new image in seconds.

This feature is available now on devices running Android 10+.

5. Remixing images in Google Messages gets even better with Nano Banana 2

Remix in Google Messages now uses Nano Banana 2, so you can combine multiple photos and create realistic images with clear text and enhanced world knowledge. Make a party invitation or put your friend on a movie poster, and if you’re both using Google Messages, you can remix the same image back and forth – without leaving the chat.

This feature is available for users aged 18+ in select countries and languages.

6. Talk to Gemini Live during your next drive with Android Auto

Brainstorm your biggest ideas or learn something new right from the driver's seat. With Gemini Live on Android Auto, say “Hey Google, let’s talk” or tap the Live icon to start chatting freely in a back-and-forth conversation. Interrupt at any time to ask a new question or change the topic – all completely hands-free so you can stay focused on the road.

Gemini Live in Android Auto is available in all supported Android Auto countries and languages for devices running Android 11+.

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Head over to android.com/drop to learn more about these Android features as well as explore features introduced in past Drops!

In countries like India, millions of people walk into local print/Xerox shops daily to print PDFs, identity cards, bank statements, and tax forms.

​Right now, the dominant way people hand over files is by messaging the shop owner on WhatsApp or plugging in a USB drive. This creates two massive problems:

​Privacy & Identity Leakage: Users have to give strangers their personal phone number, and sensitive documents stay permanently stored in the shop PC's unencrypted Downloads folder.

​Quality Loss: WhatsApp compresses images by default, making fine print and official IDs blurry.

​Native Android "Print" doesn't work here because it requires joining the shop's private Wi-Fi network and matching specific printer drivers—creating way too much friction.

​The Solution: Quick Share Print Mode

Google should extend the Nearby Connections API to allow shop PCs or smart printers to act as offline Quick Share Targets:

​Zero Metadata: Connects locally via Bluetooth / Wi-Fi Direct. Users share raw, full-res PDFs without revealing their phone number, email, or Google profile.

​Encrypted RAM Buffer: The file lands on the shop terminal in temporary system memory (RAM). Once the print job finishes (or a 5-minute timer expires), the file is automatically purged.

​QR Code Fallback: Non-Android/iOS users or people in line can scan a Quick Share QR code at the counter to upload directly to the print queue via a local WebRTC session.

​This would turn Quick Share from a basic P2P transfer tool into a core privacy feature for daily life in emerging markets. What do you all think?

Why are most Android flagships still stuck on 5 Gbps USB ports after a decade?

I regularly move large files between my phone and PC using wired adb as it is still the fastest way to do it. Talking only about the file transfer capabilities of the ports: my Galaxy S8 from 2017 had a 5 Gbps port, my current S22 Ultra has the same 5 Gbps port, the latest S26 Ultra still has the same 5 Gbps port.

Meanwhile all iPhone Pro phones with USB-C have 10 Gbps.

I get that most people use cloud backups and Quick Share/Local Send, and I'm not expecting 40 Gbps USB4 in a phone. But on $1200+ "Ultra" phones handling massive 4K/8K video files, being stuck on 5 Gbps for ten years just feels wrong. They should at least switch to 10 Gbps now.

I've been using gestures navigation in some form in and off pretty much since Android phones started using on screen buttons. I liked that I got more screen real estate out of a 16:9 device, plus the futuristic feel I guess. Got a OnePlus 6 back when it came out, with the option natively for both types. I switched between the two a bit, but ultimately stuck with gestures, especially as the animations got better and better.

Recently gave buttons a proper go for the first time in years, and after getting over the muscle memory, I'm loving it again! They both have their merits but I forgot how nice it is to use. Feels snappier and more intuitive. The only concerns really are that I feel that developers don't give it as much consideration as they should and that it slowly dies out. There's the odd app that doesn't really account for it properly, and OnePlus themselves (on my 13) have clearly stopped caring about it and can no longer long press the back or recent buttons to do anything, for example.

Either way nothing important to share or to ask about, just thought I'd give button nav a bit of love!

I was installing an app on my mom's iPad and the Sign with Apple sheet came up.

It asked whether to share her real email or hide it. Hide My Email was already selected. Apple generates a random address for that app, forwards mail to her real inbox, and she can turn that forwarding off later if it starts getting junk.

On Android, Sign in with Google usually just hands over the Gmail.

That feels like a gap. It's just a useful default: let the user decide whether the app gets the real email.

Not switching phones over it. I just wish this was a system feature on Android too.