Tag: App Update

A new update to Chrome for Android has been released into the Play Store, bringing a fix to a rendering crash that was impacting some users.  The new version is build 64.0.3282.137 for those keeping score at home.  This update follows the original release of Chrome 64 for Android last month.

This update is purely a bug fix release, addressing a rendering crash that was impacting a small number of users as well as a fix for issues around geo location notifiers.  Otherwise, there are general bug fixes and improvements in the update.  You can read the full change log here but there are not any new features.

A new update to the Google Photos app is now rolling out in the Play Store, bringing several tweaks and enhancements to the photo storage app.  The update is version 3.13 for those keeping score at home.  One of the first changes you will notice is around Photo Books.  In this update, you can now get much more granular around book notifications, your draft photo books and promotions being offered.  Previously these were on by default.

There is also a new Share Back feature.  This works when you have an album shared with you in Google Photos.  In the overflow menu, you have the option to share back to that person immediately.  This will be a great feature for friends who want to share albums together.  For family members, it is still recommend you use the Partner Account sharing feature.

Microsoft Bing has a new update rolling out for Android users that brings an improved in-app browser experience along with a handful of other tweaks & improvements.  The new build is version 8.1.26158908 for those keeping score at home.

The biggest change in this new build is the improvements around in-app browsing.  Generally the entire experience is better but video and image viewing is better along with easier tab navigation and the ability to find text on a page.

Just a couple of days after the initial Chrome 64-based release of Chrome for Android, there is a new minor update build that is rolling out to users today.  The new build is version 64.0.3282.123 for those keeping score at home.  It is essentially a bug fix release but there is one bug in particular that is called out in the release notes.

That particular bug has to do with Chrome for Android crashing when using the Autofill when using Android System WebView.  This new build should address that issue if you have encountered it with the previous build of the app.

The Google Phone app has a small update rolling out but it has a big fix for some users who have had issues with answering calls with a Bluetooth device connected to your phone.  The update, version 16.0.181771308 is rolling out now and it fixes an issue where users couldn’t answer calls because their phones wouldn’t wake up when a call was incoming.  The issue seemed to impact mostly Pixel 2 owners but others in the Google Product forums reported it as well.

The issue, based on reports in the forums, seems to have been resolved with this update which became an issue after the last update to the app.

In a bit of a surprise, Google has released the Chrome 64 based update to Chrome for Android.  The update is rolling out now and brings a significant number of security improvements to the browser.  The new build is version 64.0.3282.116 for those keeping score at home.  The surprise is that the Android version of the browser was released before the update to the Windows, Mac and Linux version.  Usually Chrome for Android and Chrome OS are the last two to be updated in the monthly flow of updates from Google.

There are a number of security updates in this release but three in particular stand out.  First is a crack down on auto-redirects.  After this update, Chrome 64will block 3rd party iframes unless the users has to interact with it.  There is also a new infobar that appears when new tabs or windows are attempted to open by the site you are browsing.