Beep boop - this is a robot. A new show has been posted to TWiT…
What are your thoughts about today’s show? We’d love to hear from you!
1 Like
final Arena stats from @wade_county: Flo 66 raygun01 55 ronxo 54 guests 45
3 Likes
I’m surprised you all have Camera in your bottom row. Ever since “Double tap power button for Camera”, I’ve never used anything else to access my camera. I don’t even have to look at my phone, as I take it out of my pocket, I just tap the power button quickly twice and I’m in the camera. That freed one spot down there.
For calendar, I’ve actually been using the “At A Glance” feature on the Pixel Launcher to access it, so that’s another spot freed.
My bottom row is:
Dialer, Maps, Play Store, Browser, Settings
I know settings is accessible with two swipes on the notification, but I access it so often I like having it right there.
Also, Flo mentions having to hold power button to use credit card. Hmm, unless you’re switching between multiple credit cards (Which I know americans often have 2-3 different ones), doesn’t the default one just work as is? I just unlock my phone and put it to the scanner, don’t need to hold the power button at all.
4 Likes
The only reason I use the power button to get to my payment cards is to change the one used by Google Pay before I use contactless payment.
3 Likes
Ya know, not sure why I keep the camera down there. I mean, I DO launch the camera from there… I also do the double-tap power shortcut. It really just depends on the moment and I suppose I like having both avenues available to me?
I’ve been living with the smart app icons today and it really throws me off. When I want messaging, it may be down there, but now its in a different slot, and it jumps around. So I never know exactly where to go and my brain has to figure it out each time. Just not a feature I enjoy living with tbh.
3 Likes
Goodbye Arena, we hardly knew ye. Except that we did cause we enjoyed you for nine straight years. We knew you pretty well, actually.
5 Likes
Regarding Google Music, I got tired of checking and rechecking if I could transfer my music yet. But on this latest episode, someone (I think it was Jason?) was talking about Google Music… So I tried it again, and I can finally transfer! I’m letting both accounts transfer now.
Yeah, I never heard back from YT Music either, but checked today after listening to the show and bam…there it is. I guess I’ll give it a shot.
1 Like
Camera icon in the bottom row was a staple of mine until very recently. I had been using the double tap power to get to the camera for a while (especially when the phone is still locked), but would occasionally still use the icon (muscle memory habit). Once I deleted the icon, it only took a week or so to be fully adapted to not having it there.
I tried the “AI” powered bottom row for a day or two, but I really just like having stuff where I expect it. I see what Google is trying to do, but until it can actually read my thoughts and start auto-launching apps the second I think about them, I’m reverting to the plain old “manual” bottom row.
As for what’s on my bottom row…it’s kind of busy (left to right): 1) Folder containing phone and messaging apps, 2) Folder containing often used utilities like LastPass, Authenticator, Lens, etc., 3) Folder containing social media apps, 4) Calendar, 5) Chrome
It’s pretty messy, and I’m not 100% happy with it, but it works…mostly.
Calendar used to be more useful when I was using Business Calendar to roll my personal Google and work Exchange accounts into a single app, but work switched systems and we can only use Outlook Mobile for email and calendar. So now I’m just in the habit of opening my work calendar to check on work stuff AND Google Calendar to check on personal items. It’s a pain, and I’m hoping my work will open up the Exchange server at some point and allow third party apps.
Hi all,
I am starting to do some podcasts using my Google Pixel 4XL phone. I have the 2020 iPad Pro 12.9". I also have the Mokin USB-C 11-in-1 dongle. Is there a way I can plug in my Pixel to my iPad and access my Pixel like a HDD to easily copy my video files to my iPad for editing.
BTW: I use the App “Luma Pro” on my iPad for editing.
I currently can’t get my iPad to recognize my pixel as a HDD in the Files app.
Thank You,
Johng
When I plug my Pixel 2XL into my computer, it silently adds a notification. You need to pull down the notification shade, then pull down on the bottom of that to get silent notifications. There should be one about USB. There are like 5 different options, plus 2 others for which side of the link controls the USB. You may have to mess around and see if any of the options work for you.
@Leo, this question might make a clever topic for Ask The Tech Guy.
2 Likes
I just want to say I LOVE the new format and expect great things. My fav shows have always been the ones with the core group of hosts and no guests. And I have never been a fan of the app arena. No offense intended it just wasn’t my thing. So you guys have made to other the show I have wanted for a while now - Thank you… Side note - not gonna go to youtube music, so i’m sticking to pandora for my streaming and i’ve uploaded my music to amazon music so that will be my main music app for my music now.
Now back to trying to figure what phone to replace my pixel 2XL.
Glen
1 Like
@ronxo should be OK with the billing situation (Play Music vs YouTube Premium). I just received this note from Google after my transfer from Play Music to YT Music completed:
Your billing transfer is complete. Your recurring monthly membership price is still $9.99 and the payment method you provided will continue to be billed. You can explore, manage, and cancel your membership at any time by visiting YouTube account settings.
As a long-standing Google Play Music member, you’ll continue to keep YouTube Premium at no extra cost, which includes Music Premium. That means unlimited ad-free, background play, and downloads on both YouTube and the YouTube Music app.
Since he has some duplication, I’d probably cancel the YouTube Premium first. Once that is done, complete the Play to YT Music transfer and let the billing port over.
My immediate thought is that it might be easier to do this wirelessly somehow but I feel like that might take a lot of work to set up. iPads never used to be able to access external storage but then they did create some kind of dongle that let you access thumb drives. I just tried plugging my Pixel 3 into my iPad and neither acknowledge each other’s existence.
Other than using a file explorer app that exposes a web browser interface, an in-between server or cloud storage, I’ve seen this Move To iOS app as another solution. I’ve not tried this, though.
1 Like
Looking forward to seeing more of the new format. I would say though I will miss the arena as it had been a source to find new apps as I am not adventurous when it comes to trying apps. Also, frequently, I’d look to your lists for apps to try for a particular function. I suppose there are other venues for that though like Android Police and XDA.
It is great to hear (primarily a listener, seldom have time to watch) from you three weekly; however, guests bring such a breadth of additional opinion and content, so please try not to decrease them too much. 
Thank you for the work you, @ronxo, and @ohthatflo do each week to keep us in the know All About Android.
The one update that keeps tripping me up in Android 11 is the removal of screen shot from the long-press of the power button. I can’t seem to get the volume down + power button combo to work half of the time. I always end up muting my phone or at least lowering the volume. It makes sense to put it in the app overview screen, but I wish they would have left the other shortcut as well.
1 Like
AAA will still be a source of new apps. There just won’t be an arena.
1 Like
Between AAA and HOA there should be plenty of exposure to new apps.
I’d also add that everyone should subscribe to JR Raphael’s Android Intelligence newsletter. It is packed with info about apps, usage tips, news stories, etc.
2 Likes
I don’t really get the appeal of apps anyway. Other than Authy, which I kind of HAVE to use now that I set things up with 2FA, I can’t think of any app that I ever “go to.” Oh I have tried various apps from the area and other recommendations, but none of them stick. Even games, I download, play around with a few times, and then forget about them. I have 100s of apps on my phone that have only been launched a handful of times. It wasn’t any different on my iPad when I used it. I’d download something, say “this is pretty neat” and then never go back to it.
I think the idea is that you shouldn’t use it for things you rely on. If it’s something you use often, you should have on your home page. Basically put your existing pinned row on the home itself, and then use the new bottom row for recommendations only.
What I personally don’t like is how it’ll show duplicate suggestions from stuff that’s already on your home screen.
1 Like