The new Windows Subsystem for Android is designed to let you run Android apps on Windows 11 computers. The official way to get apps is through the Microsoft Store and/or Amazon Appstore. Unofficially you can sideload apps from any source (we have a guide for doing that). But what if you want to install the […]
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Google to block sign-ins for Android 2.3 and lower
Google’s Android operating system has changed quite a bit since the first Android-powered phones began shipping in 2008. And maintaining support for old versions of Android gets increasingly difficult over time. So it’s unsurprising that a few years ago Google announced it would be largely ending support for devices running Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread or lower […]
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Google could charge up to $40 to include its apps on Android phones in the EU
This week Google announced that it would comply with an EU order to unbundle some of the apps it licenses to Android phone makers while appealing the ruling. The move would allow phone makers to include the Google Play Store and Gmail without loading the Chrome web browser or Google Search apps, for example. But […]
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8 Comments on Android phone makers may have to start paying for the Play Store, other Google apps (in Europe)
Android phone makers may have to start paying for the Play Store, other Google apps (in Europe)
8 Comments on Android phone makers may have to start paying for the Play Store, other Google apps (in Europe)After the European Union slapped Google with a $5 billion fine in an antitrust case this summer, Google appealed the ruling. But while waiting for the outcome of that appeal, Google has come up with a plan B: the company is changing the way it licenses its apps and services for Android phones and tablets […]
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Google wants its apps to run on feature phones
Google has been working for years to make Android available for dirt cheap smartphones. But in spite of the company’s efforts with the Android One and Android Go programs, there’s still a market for feature phones with low price tags and a limited set of “smart” functions. So Google’s latest move is to try to […]
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Google makes it tougher to use Google Apps on uncertified devices
Most Android devices that ship in countries that aren’t China come with the Google Play Store and other Google apps and services pre-installed. While the Android operating system is open source, these Google Apps are proprietary and Google requires phones, tablets, and other devices to meet certain requirements before they can be shipped with Google […]
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Windows 10 Mobile phones get unofficial Google Mobile Services (updated)
In an attempt to get more developers to release apps for Windows, Microsoft did something unusual with Windows 10: the company offered tools that make it easy for iOS, Android, and web app developers to convert their existing apps into Universal Windows apps that can be submitted to the Windows Store. That wouldn’t really help users […]
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Download the Nexus 5 keyboard, home, email, other apps
Want to try out some of that fancy new Android 4.4 KitKat software that comes with the Google Nexus 5, but not ready to buy a new phone (or patient enough to wait for an official release for your device)? No problem. Google has posted a factory image of the Nexus 5 online, and folks […]
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Running Google Apps on the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX (Gmail, Play Music, etc)
Amazon’s Kindle Fire HDX 7 and HDX 8.9 tablets have high-resolution displays, fast processors, and tight integration with Amazon’s app, music, book, and video stores. But they also let you side-load third party apps that don’t come from the Amazon Appstore, and Android Cowboy has figured out how to use that feature to give Amazon’s […]
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CyanogenMod 10.2 nightlies arrive, along with updated gApps, ClockworkMod Recovery builds
7 Comments on CyanogenMod 10.2 nightlies arrive, along with updated gApps, ClockworkMod Recovery buildsIt’s a big week for unofficial Android updates. The CyanogenMod team has started releasing nightly builds of CM10.2 for a handful of phones and tablets. Developer Koushik Dutta is updating his ClockworkMod Recovery tools for a number of Android devices. And there are new versions of the Google Apps available for custom ROM users running […]