Sony Begins Android 17 Rollout as Google, GrapheneOS and Developers Push Android Updates

According to Android Authority, Google is preparing to extend its on-device Sensitive Content Warning system to the Android Photo Picker. The system is powered by Android System SafetyCore and classifies media on the device, without sharing data with Google, so third-party apps could warn users when they select explicit media such as nudity. Android Authority said the feature could keep underage users from sharing explicit content. The company has also been working on a built-in media editor and a location data toggle for the Photo Picker.

Android Authority also reported that GrapheneOS is overhauling its Messaging app with a Compose-based interface and intends to bring RCS directly into that app. GrapheneOS already supports RCS, including end-to-end encrypted conversations, through Google Messages, but the project wants to eliminate that dependency. The team's approach is to first reproduce the RCS components currently handled by Google Messages, then replace them with its own code, and eventually rely on carrier services where supported. GrapheneOS is additionally developing a secure paste feature that would stop apps from reading clipboard content copied by other apps; devices would still allow apps to read data they put on the clipboard themselves, and paste would work through selection toolbars, keyboards, accessibility services, and shortcuts. Its default keyboard will get a Paste button for Flutter-specific cases, and the feature is planned for the project's replacement for the AOSP Keyboard.

Snapseed released version 4.1.6 for Android, according to Android Authority, adding a Color Grade tool and a search bar. Color Grade now appears in the main tools list and in the Refine submenu, letting users adjust tones and colors for a specific art style. The app also swapped its googly-eyed loading animation for a leaf-fan spinner. Android Authority says the update follows a larger Snapseed overhaul that arrived earlier this year.

The PS3 emulator ARMSX3 also issued a new version, 0.9.7, about a week after its first update, Android Authority reported. The release fixes three CPU hot spots that caused phones to heat up while doing nothing useful, and addresses a shutdown bug where the RSX thread was killed, leaving frozen games with audio still playing. Other changes include a recording-compatible audio toggle, removal of unnecessary texture handoffs, proper core sleep on Snapdragon 8 Elite-class devices, a vblank source that no longer terminates itself, cleaner shader logs, and a fix for a settings issue that allowed games to run uncapped.