Iran reportedly to block Telegram due to 'national security' concerns

After posting about its impressive 200 million user count, messaging service Telegram has been dealt another blow. The Iranian government is reportedly preparing to block the platform, citing concerns of "national security." This follows not too long after Telegram lost an appeal in Russia, where the government there ordered the company to hand over its encryption keys, again with nods to national security. In Iran's case, the report comes from Mashreghnews.ir, who quotes Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the Chairman for the Committee for Foreign Policy and National Security of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran. Read More Iran reportedly to block Telegram due to 'national security' concerns was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

39 new and notable Android TV apps and games from the last 8 months (7/12/18 - 3/31/18)

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Google's Emoji Scavenger Hunt is a browser-based game that tries to make machine learning fun and accessible

"Machine learning" and "neural network" are familiar terms to anyone who follows what Google is up to these days, but they may not be the most accessible or comprehensible concepts for the masses. And that's fine — you don't need to have a firm grasp of machine learning to enjoy better photos or keyboards, for instance. Still, Google has been quietly showcasing ways for users to get more hands-on with these concepts, and the latest such experiment is a game called Emoji Scavenger Hunt. Read More Google's Emoji Scavenger Hunt is a browser-based game that tries to make machine learning fun and accessible was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Huawei discounts Mate 10 Pro and Mate SE for beginning of April

If you wanted to get your hands on Huawei's latest US flagship, it's about to be a good time. Huawei has announced a US sale on two devices that begins on April 1 and ends on April 14. The Huawei Mate 10 Pro will be $649.99, which is $150 off. For a flagship with a brilliant Leica camera and a 4,000mAh battery, that's a great price. The budget-oriented Mate SE will be $229.99, $20 off regular price. You can buy either device for the sale price through places like Amazon, Best Buy, and Newegg. Will you be picking up a new Huawei device? Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and S8 duo get GIF support for Always On Display

Samsung's Always On Display feature is great both in the added functionality of always seeing important info and in customization. You can tweak the feature and add different clocks and even photos. The company's latest update to the feature now allows you to add GIFs. These GIFs don't loop, but they play once when you lock the device. The feature has no practical use, but it allows for a bit of flair when setting your phone down. This new feature has been released for the Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, and Note 8. If you want to try it out now, you can hit the source link and download the APK. Let us know how you like it! Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

[Update: Rolling out wide] Google Play Store may start showing an app's top chart ranks in its listing

Update 1: 2018/03/30 11:48am PDT While we've been seeing this feature since last fall, as we mentioned at the time, not everyone was getting access to it all at once. Google seems to have wrapped Among the craziness of last week, we received one tip about a minor but welcome change in the Play Store that was showing up for some users: when browsing an app's listing, you might see a new line below the Install/Uninstall button that displays its current top chart rank, as shown for Spotify in the screenshot above. Read More [Update: Rolling out wide] Google Play Store may start showing an app's top chart ranks in its listing was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

The Play Store mobile client now shows original release dates for apps

The Play Store has long shown the date an app or game was last updated, but now you get a bit more historical information. The Play Store mobile client has started showing the release date for apps. So, you're a few taps away from finding out how long most apps have been on the Play Store. I say "most" because a few are showing obviously incorrect dates. The "Released on" date at the bottom of the listing when you tap on "Read more." Google's apps are, obviously, among the oldest with release dates around 2010. Read More The Play Store mobile client now shows original release dates for apps was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Play Store site redesign now rolling out to everyone

Earlier this month, Google began testing a new design for the Play Store's website. While the larger screenshots and dedicated review pages were much-needed changes, there were a few annoying regressions. Google switched image formats (from WebP to PNG/JPEG), causing screenshots to load slower, and navigating through the site was more difficult. Google seemingly halted the rollout just a few days ago, perhaps due to the complaints brought up. But now the new design appears to be live for everyone, with almost nothing changed from the initial rollout. Read More Play Store site redesign now rolling out to everyone was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

[Bonus Round] Umiro, Lichtspeer, JYDGE, AZ Rockets, Jelly Copter, Heroes of Rings, and Honkai Impact 3rd

Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got an artistic puzzle game, an arcade game about lightspear throwing, a twin-stick shooter, a minimal arcade game, an endless runner, a hero collection RPG, and a spectacle fighter. Read More [Bonus Round] Umiro, Lichtspeer, JYDGE, AZ Rockets, Jelly Copter, Heroes of Rings, and Honkai Impact 3rd was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

[Update: APK Download, linking works but contacting doesn't] Google looks nearly ready to link Duo with your Google account

Update 1: 2018/03/29 5:22pm PDT We're still waiting for Google to flip the switch on this new feature from the server end, but with a little app manipulation, one of our readers was able to Update 2: 2018/03/30 9:43am PDT When we told you this change felt imminent, we weren't kidding, and there's a new Duo 31 release out now that adds the ability to link Google accounts. You can Google Duo is a little unusual among the company's apps, as it identifies users not based on the Google account that connects you to everything from Gmail, to YouTube, to the Play Store, but instead uses your device's phone number. Read More [Update: APK Download, linking works but contacting doesn't] Google looks nearly ready to link Duo with your Google account was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Always On Display update for Galaxy S8/S8+ and Note8 adds GIF support

Samsung's Always On Display made its debut on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge over two years ago now. Since then, the company has steadily been adding features here and there, which it's been able to do since the feature itself has its own APK. Always On Display's newest addition is GIF support, which lets you add a little action to the otherwise-dull clock and time. Samsung has long allowed themes to be used with the Always On Display to make things a little more interesting, more recently also permitting photos to be added, but GIF support is new. Read More Always On Display update for Galaxy S8/S8+ and Note8 adds GIF support was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

ZTE’s Tempo Go now available to buy in the U.S.

Last month, ZTE officially announced a pair of phones: the Blade V9 and the Tempo Go, with the latter option being an Android Go handset destined for the wireless market in the United States. ZTE stuck to the playbook, as the company has just launched the ZTE Tempo Go for Android Go in the U.S. You can pick up the new handset directly from ZTE's online storefront, and you'll have to fork over $79.99 to make it yours. It comes with free standard shipping. As for what you get for that $80, the Tempo Go has a 5-inch 854×480 touchscreen display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of built-in storage. There is also a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 32GB. The battery measures in at 2200mAh, there's a 5MP camera on the back, and there's a 2MP front-facing camera on the other side. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack and a fingerprint reader. For the price, what do you think of the ZTE Tempo Go? Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Huawei isn’t giving up on the U.S. market yet

For those in charge of Huawei, 2018 was going to be a banner year: They were going to get a flagship smartphone onto a wireless carrier in the United States and finally make some inroads with U.S. customers. Huawei has had its sights set on expanding into the U.S. wireless market in a major way for years. Way back in 2010, for instance, Huawei said that wasn't giving up on the untapped market. But, much like back then, it doesn't look like Huawei has an easy road ahead of it. This time around, Huawei is actually losing any support it might have in the United States, all thanks to pressure applied by the United States government, citing national security concerns. That started with the Huawei Mate 10 Pro getting its launch at AT&T canceled, and subsequently, every other major wireless carrier in the U.S. opting out of working with the smartphone manufacturer based out of China as well. Another big blow came when it was confirmed that Best Buy was removing Huawei-branded products from its store shelves as well. There aren't many retailers still selling Huawei products, which doesn't give Huawei a lot of wiggle room to achieve its long-gestating goals. That doesn't mean they're giving up, though. In an email sent to CNET, Huawei's CEO of the consumer business group, Richard Yu, said: "We are committed to the US market and to earning the trust of US consumers by staying focused on delivering world-class products and innovation. We would never compromise that trust." According to Yu, the United States government's warnings about Huawei are "groundless suspicions", calling them "quite frankly unfair". Huawei says it's open to conversations with the U.S. government as long as the talks are "based on facts". Huawei has been working for so long to get into the U.S. market, but this latest road block is the biggest yet. The argument that Huawei should simply continue to focus on markets where its handsets and other devices are readily available seems pretty sound, especially considering how large a presence Huawei is internationally. In the U.S., the fight against Apple, Samsung, and even the likes of HTC, LG, and Motorola might prove pretty tough. What do you think? Would you buy a Huawei smartphone like the P20 Pro or Mate 10 Pro if it were available on your carrier? Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default