Google Revives 'Androidify' with AI, Turning Selfies into Bots.

Google has relaunched its popular 'Androidify' tool, this time with powerful artificial intelligence at its core. The new app, available on the web and as a standalone Android app, allows users to transform a selfie or a text prompt into a personalized Android bot.

How It Works: The Magic Behind the Scenes.

The new Androidify app is a showcase for Google's latest AI models. When you upload a photo, it first uses Gemini 2.5 Flash to analyze the image, generating a detailed caption that describes your appearance, clothing, and accessories. This detailed description is then fed to a fine-tuned version of Imagen 3, which creates a unique Android bot that reflects your style.

Alternatively, you can skip the selfie and simply enter a text prompt to design your bot from scratch. This gives you complete creative freedom to create a custom character.

The app also serves as a demonstration for developers, highlighting how to use modern Android development practices and libraries such as Material 3 Expressive components and the ML Kit Pose Detection API.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Android Bot.

Creating your own Android bot is a simple and fun process. Here's how to do it:

1. Open the App or Website: Download the Androidify app from the Google Play Store or visit the official Androidify website.
2. Start Creating: Upload a selfie or enter a text prompt to describe your desired bot.
3. Generate Your Bot: The app will use AI to generate your unique Android bot based on your input.
4. Customize and Share: Once your bot is created, you can personalize it by selecting from various formats (e.g., 1:1, Wallpaper, Banner), and backgrounds.
5. Animate Your Bot (Fridays Only): On Fridays in September, a limited number of users can animate their Android bot into an 8-second video using Veo 3, Google's video generation model.

You can then share your custom Android bot on social media using the hashtag #Androidify.

What Makes Androidify Stand Out?

The new Androidify experience is infinitely personal, letting you transform yourself into an Android bot in countless ways. Whether you upload a selfie or craft a fun, imaginative prompt, the AI ensures your creation feels unique and deeply customizable.

At the same time, the app is creative and fun, designed to be playful and expressive. It’s perfect for sharing with friends, showing off on social media, or simply giving your digital identity a fresh look.

For developers, Androidify is more than just a toy; it’s developer-friendly. The app has been built using the latest Android design frameworks and tools, offering a practical showcase of how modern Android UI and AI integration come together seamlessly.

And to top it off, Androidify adds a daily surprise factor. With weekly animation features powered by AI, users can see their avatars come alive, keeping the experience engaging and exciting every time they return.

Google Phone New "Wide Calling Card" Feature Arrives with Android 16 QPR1.

Google is rolling out a new "Calling Card" feature for its Phone app, allowing users to personalize their incoming call screen with a wide, full-screen image for specific contacts. The update, arriving in version 188 of the Google Phone app, is being launched alongside the Pixel 10 and in preparation for the Android 16 QPR1 release.

This new customization option is similar to a feature found on other platforms, but with a key difference: the personalized image and name are visible only to the user and do not affect how they appear to others. This gives users a new level of control over their personal calling experience.

How the Calling Card Feature Works.

Users will be greeted by a promotional banner at the top of the app’s Home tab, which introduces the "calling card" feature. From there, the customization process is straightforward:

• Image Selection: Users can choose an image from their device's gallery, take a new photo, or select one from their Google Photos library.
• Cropping and Framing: Once an image is chosen, it can be cropped and framed to fit the wide, full-screen format.
• Name Customization: The contact's name can also be customized with various font styles and colors.

Once set, the chosen image will appear as a full-screen background whenever that specific contact calls. This update is a move by Google to enhance the visual experience of the core calling function, making it more personal and engaging.

The Bigger Picture.

This update is part of a broader trend in which companies are adding more personalization and customization features to their core apps. For Google, this feature not only improves the user experience but also deepens the integration of Google Photos within the Android ecosystem.

The launch of this feature with the Pixel 10 and Android 16 QPR1 suggests that Google is continuing to refine and enhance the user interface across its devices, focusing on both aesthetic appeal and user-centric functionality.

Google to Require Developer Verification for All Android Apps to Combat Malware.

In a significant move to enhance user safety and combat the rise of malware and financial scams, Google has announced a new policy that will require all Android apps to come from a verified developer. This mandate, which is set to be implemented in stages starting in 2026, will extend beyond the Google Play Store to include apps installed via third-party stores and even sideloading.

This new requirement applies to certified Android devices that are preloaded with Google Play Protect. The goal is to make it significantly more difficult for malicious actors to anonymously distribute harmful apps. Google compares this process to an ID check at an airport: it confirms the developer's identity without reviewing the app's content or its source. This will help prevent the spread of "convincing fake apps" that often mimic legitimate services to trick users.

Initial developer access to the verification process will begin in October of this year, with the program opening to all developers in March 2026. The requirement will first go into effect for users in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand in September 2026, as these countries have been particularly impacted by fraudulent app scams. A global rollout will follow in 2027.

Developers who distribute their apps outside of the Play Store will be able to use a new Android Developer Console to complete the verification process, ensuring they can continue to offer their apps directly to users while meeting the new security standards.

Everything New in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3.

Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 (build BP31.250610.004) has landed, and it's shaping up to be the final polishing step before the stable release expected in September. If you're enrolled in the QPR1 beta on compatible Pixel devices, you’re getting a refined experience with essential bug fixes, minor UI upgrades, and two standout features designed for accessibility and productivity. Let’s explore what's new.

Android's Quarterly Platform Releases (QPR) deliver regular, bug-focused improvements to the OS without introducing major new APIs ideal for stability and polish. Beta 3 marks the last preview of QPR1, heavily focused on enhancing reliability before the stable rollout.

Key Features & UI Enhancements.

Keyboard Magnifier in Accessibility

One of the most meaningful additions in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 is the Keyboard Magnifier, specifically designed for users with low vision. Found under Settings → Accessibility → Magnification, this new toggle allows users to magnify just the keyboard when it's active, without zooming the entire screen.

This seemingly small change has huge implications for accessibility. Previously, magnifying a screen meant zooming in on all UI elements, which could be disorienting and slow. With the Keyboard Magnifier, the rest of the screen remains static while just the keyboard is enlarged, letting users comfortably type messages, search queries, or login credentials with less visual strain.

Desktop Mode Shortcut Enhancements.

For users experimenting with Android’s Desktop Mode, especially on larger screens like tablets or via external monitors, QPR1 Beta 3 introduces an intuitive feature: the ability to pin and unpin apps directly from the taskbar.

Previously, users had limited control over the taskbar’s appearance in desktop mode. Now, by long-pressing any app icon, a new context menu appears with options to "Pin to Taskbar" or "Unpin." This gives users a Windows-like customization ability, enabling a more streamlined, personalized workspace when using Android as a desktop OS alternative.

Whether you're multitasking between Gmail, Google Docs, and YouTube, or turning your Pixel Tablet into a workstation, this update helps build toward a smoother, more PC-like experience on Android. It also signals that Google is investing more in productive and flexible UX across screen sizes.

5-Bar Cellular Signal UI.

Another quiet—but-effective change in Beta 3 is the update to Android’s cellular signal bar UI, which now consistently displays five signal bars instead of the previous four. This brings Android’s design closer to iOS and offers users a more nuanced view of their signal strength.

Why does this matter? For many users, especially those in rural or congested urban areas, knowing the difference between “barely connected” and “strong signal” can affect how and when they make calls, use data, or switch to Wi-Fi. More signal granularity equals better real-time decisions for users on the go.

Credit: 9to5Google

Refined Settings & System UI Details

Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 also brings a batch of minor UI refinements to the Settings app, Quick Settings panel, and launcher widgets—subtle but impactful.

For example:

• Spacing between settings options has been slightly adjusted for better tap targets and visual clarity.
• Toggle switches now have a more responsive animation, creating a smoother feel during navigation.
• The At-a-Glance widget on the home screen has been restored to include colorful weather icons, improving both the aesthetic and usability at a glance.

Nine Major Bug Fixes.

This Beta addresses nine headline issues flagged by users:

1. RTOS task list kernel bug causing restarts

2. Launcher display glitches

3. Notification rendering problems

4. Media player malfunction in shade

5. Class loader restart bug

6. Kernel-caused restarts

7. Camera startup black screen fix

8. Status bar padding adjustments

9. Notification folding issues.

With at least nine key problems resolved, the update significantly boosts device reliability.

What's Still Missing?

Several experimental improvements remain absent from Beta 3, including:

• Qi2 charger screen savers

• Enhanced HDR brightness toggle

• Dedicated "Parental controls" menu

• New 90:10 split-screen ratio

• Tablet bubble bar and lock‑screen blur UI.

Google appears to reserve these for future Canary or stable builds.

This release supports Pixel 6 and newer, including Pixel 6a, 7/7 Pro, 7a, Fold, 8 series, 9 series, and Pixel Tablet. If you're enrolled in QPR1 beta and want stability over bleeding-edge features, this is an optimal moment to either remain enrolled or opt out ahead of the September stable release.

Google expects to launch Android 16 QPR1 Stable on September 3, 2025. To ensure you receive it, unenroll post-Beta 3—you’ll otherwise be moved to QPR2.