In what could be a bug or behavior change, the Google Play Store is not showing available updates for system-level apps. 

Last year, I wished that Google iterated more on the personal side of Gmail, Calendar, and other Workspace apps. In 2024, Google made a number of updates to the suite of productivity apps that I benefit from and appreciate on a daily basis.

At the end of Made by Google 2024, a Google Store in Santa Monica was teased and here’s where it will be located.

Following basketball and soccer (football) around the world, Google Pixel is now the “official smartphone of the Australian Open.”

Google makes 10 different bands for the Pixel Watch, but half are “Google Store exclusive.” Fortunately, the Pixel Watch Performance Loop Band is not.

With only two days left in 2024, I would like to point out that Google Voice was not updated with any consumer-facing features this year.

With an eye towards New Year’s resolutions, the US Google Store is starting a new round of deals for the Pixel Watch 3 and Fitbit trackers.

Just before the holiday break, CEO Sundar Pichai and other Google executives had a 2025 strategy meeting, with Gemini being the “biggest focus” looking ahead.

Google is testing a new Gemini-aligned loading animation for AI Overviews in Search that is flashier and bolder than the current approach.

The biggest moment for Google Messages in 2024 was when the iPhone gained RCS support with iOS 18 in September. In terms of new features, there were some highlights but the biggest one — a redesign of the text field — was stuck in limbo. There are quite a few big additions in the pipeline. 

Now in its third year, the Pixel Watch experience remains quite consistent in 2024. Compared to Pixel phones, it’s harder to distinguish each generation’s hardware, while the software has changed even less.  

After rolling out a round of design updates and new features to the mobile app, YouTube is testing a “Play something” FAB.

Season 2 of Squid Game was released on December 26 — in a choice, thematic decision — and Google Search is marking the occasion with an easter egg. 

In 2024, Made by Google rolled out big updates with new features to Pixel phones on six occasions. The year saw everything from routine operating system updates to entirely new apps and even a rebrand. 

Getting a new phone — be it your first or the routine upgrade — can be overwhelming given the variety of features there are to explore. We have a few tips on how to set up and get the most out of your new Google Pixel.

Customization is one of the best aspects of a smartwatch compared to its mechanical counterparts. Google’s wearable is no exception, and here are some tips on getting started with the Pixel Watch 3.

In 2024, YouTube Music switched to quarterly “New Features Highlights,” but skipped the Q3 edition. Google is now back with a cumulative list to summarize the second half of the year in launches.

The US Google Store is launching a Pixel Referral Rewards program: “Earn $50 in Google Store credit for each friend who buys a Pixel and they’ll get 10% off a Pixel phone.” 

Google Photos is simplifying the bottom bar to three tabs, and another big design change tests a very prominent row of shortcuts.

In addition to other remedies, the Justice Department in November shared that it wants Google to sell Chrome. Google today shared its own remedies proposal.