MediaTek’s high-end chips are compatible with Gemini Nano

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MediaTek’s high-end chips are compatible with Gemini Nano
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In case you don’t know, Google’s Gemini Nano AI model is the smallest and most efficient of the company’s AI models. It’s small enough to fit on a phone’s chip, and we’ve already seen it on the Google Tensor G3 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Well, according to a new report, MediaTek’s most advanced Dimensity chips are compatible with Gemini Nano.

Gemini Nano is currently powering generative AI features on the Pixel 8 Pro and the Galaxy S24 series. We are seeing new features rolling out for both platforms. This is something that all companies want, as we’ve been hearing rumors other companies developing their own on-device AI. For example, Oppo has announced that it’s going to be going all in on AI. So, more chips gaining generative AI capabilities is to be expected.

The highest-end MediaTek Dimensity chips are compatible with Gemini Nano

This wasn’t a last-minute decision or new addition; MediaTek actually worked with Google to make its large language model compatible with its two highest-end SoCs. The two chips in question are the latest and greatest MediaTek Dimensity 9300 and the still-powerful Dimensity 8300.

These chips are powering a handful of flagship and premium mid-range devices on the market. Devices using the Dimensity 9300 include the Oppo Find X7 series, iQOO Neo 9 Pro, Vivo X100 phones, and Techno Phantom V2 Fold. For the Dimensity 8300 SoC, phones include the Oppo Reno 12, Poco X6 Pro 5G, and Xiaomi Redmi K70E. That’s not a ton of phones, but more devices will use these chips as time goes on.

This is good news to hear because MediaTek processes are usually found in more affordable phones. While there are higher-end MediaTek chips in some very top-of-the-line devices such as the Lenovo Tab Extreme (Review), many affordable phones use Dimensity chips. This gives them access to a lot of power for a more palatable price.

Now, that power can come with enhanced capabilities. With Gemini Nano, phones using these two chips will be able to use on-device AI. This means that they will use powerful AI tools without having to connect to the internet and contact the server. That’s how AI technology has traditionally worked. However, we are at the dawn of the on-device generative AI age.

Now, it’s the developers’ turn

Google and MediaTek are currently working on releasing an APK for the two chips. This APK file will allow developers and phone manufacturers to collaborate and bring generative AI features to upcoming and current phones using these chips. It will only be a matter of time before on-device AI is standard across the smartphone community. Who knows if the next run-of-the-mill mid-range handset you buy for $199 will be able to utilize generative AI on-device?


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Microsoft Copilot app can now be your next default assistant app on Android

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Microsoft Copilot app can now be your next default assistant app on Android
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Android users currently have a slew of options available when it comes to choosing an assistant app on their devices. Where previously Google Assistant and Bixby were the ones that reigned, the rise of AI-powered chatbots saw these evolve as more than just text fields you can use on a browser. Currently, depending on the apps you have installed, you have fresh new options, and Microsoft’s Copilot is shaping up as one of them.
As reported by Android expert Mishaal Rahman on X (Twitter), the newest beta version of the Microsoft Copilot app (v. 27.9.420225014) now gives you the ability to set it as your default assistant app. This makes the chatbot accessible from anywhere on your device with a simple swipe or button press. 

Microsoft Copilot added as a default digital assistant app on Android

Image: Phone Arena

While this is a nice addition for Android users, don’t expect a fully seamless experience just yet. Currently, activating Copilot mainly opens the app, meaning that it won’t immediately start listening like some other assistants, nor will it offer to analyze what is on your screen.

However, this doesn’t mean that feature won’t be as helpful as Google Assistant or Bixby currently are, or perhaps even what Gemini could be. It’s still in beta, and Microsoft is likely to continue working on the app in order to make Copilot a truly integrated Android assistant. Microsoft has yet to officially announce this, but our guess is that by the time it moves on to the stable version of the app, more capabilities will be in tow.


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You’re finally able to bookmark posts on Threads

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You’re finally able to bookmark posts on Threads
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Meta’s Threads is a pretty weird social media platform. It’s extremely popular, but it launched without many of the most basic social media features. The company still working on bringing a DM system, and it lacked the ability to insert GIFs, use hashtags, or view posts in a chronological feed at launch. However, Threads is getting new features, and the company just announced that the ability to bookmark posts is on its way.

Right now, Threads is working on two additional features. The first feature is the ability to save post drafts. This will allow you to start a post, save it, and finish it at a different time. The other feature is a dedicated camera that you can access with any app. This will let you quickly take a picture to upload to the platform without having to go to other apps. At this point, we’re not entirely sure when these features will roll out. However, based on the screenshots that were shared on social media, the features look to be pretty far in production.

Threads is getting the ability to bookmark posts

Sometimes, when you’re on social media, you have to save posts for later. Maybe you want to view it again at a later point or show it off to a friend. However, when it comes to social media fees, nothing is forever. It’s extremely easy for a post to get washed away in the stream. It’s very possible that you won’t be able to see certain posts ever again.

This is where bookmarks come in. When you bookmark a post, it gets saved to a separate list that you can access again. You are able to bookmark posts on Instagram, and that is an extremely useful feature, as Instagram’s main feed has the bad habit of randomly refreshing even while you’re still viewing posts. So, whatever post you’re looking at could be swept away at any moment.

Well, according to a new report, Threads is currently rolling out the ability to bookmark posts. In order to bookmark a post, all you have to do is tap on the three-dot menu next to a post and tap on the  Save button. It should be the top option.

In order to access your saved posts, go to your profile by tapping on your profile picture at the bottom left of your screen. On your profile screen tap on the hamburger-style menu right above your profile picture. On the resulting screen, tap on the Saved button, and you will see a list of your saved posts.


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This AI-based concept phone imagines an app-less future

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This AI-based concept phone imagines an app-less future
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At Mobile World Congress (MWC), Deutsche Telekom unveiled an intriguing concept smartphone that reimagines the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in mobile technology. Called the AI Phone, the experimental device avoids traditional apps in favor of an all-encompassing built-in AI assistant. According to Telekom CEO Tim Hoettges, apps as we know them could become obsolete within the next 5-10 years, as AI fulfills all user needs in a more flexible way.

Deutsche Telekom’s AI Phone relies solely on AI

Instead of a home screen full of app icons, the AI Phone presents users with a large button that connects them directly to its AI system, developed in partnership with Brain.ai. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC with access to cloud data, the AI handles tasks such as trip planning, photo sharing, shopping recommendations, and device control through natural language and visual interfaces.

At MWC, Telekom and Brain demonstrated examples such as using voice and touch to research and book flights. The AI also offered personalized gift suggestions from Amazon with one-tap shopping.

While the demo showcased messaging, day-to-day communication capabilities likely haven’t left the developmental stage. However, Telekom emphasized that the concept retains access to apps via a drawer – the AI is meant to add versatility, not replace existing features outright.

It’s clear that the concept AI Phone raises promising ideas for the evolution of the smartphone, but the technology remains in its early stages. Voice assistants on standard devices and Brain’s iOS app have received mixed feedback, suggesting the AI phone may need further refinement.

“The product presented reflects Deutsche Telekom’s belief that multi- and cross-modal Large Language Models (LLMs) will soon become an integral part of devices, improving and simplifying the lives of its customers,” said CEO Tim Hoettges. Telekom characterized this as a concept that could lead to future products, rather than a near-term launch.

In a similar move, AI startup Rabbit announced a dedicated AI companion device, the Rabbit R1, at CES 2023. It doesn’t aim to replace smartphones, but it can run apps on the user’s behalf. Its primary goal is to act as a bridge between users and their smartphones.


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LoanDepot Ransomware Attack Leads to Data Breach; 17 Million Impacted

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LoanDepot Ransomware Attack Leads to Data Breach; 17 Million Impacted
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LoanDepot suffered a ransomware attack exposing the sensitive data of nearly 17 million individuals including PII data – Now, the company is offering credit monitoring and working to mitigate potential damage.

A major ransomware attack leading to a massive data breach at LoanDepot, a leading mortgage lender, has exposed the personal information of nearly 17 million individuals. In a data breach notification to Maine’s attorney general’s office, the company confirmed that the breach took place on January 3, 2024, and was discovered a day later on January 4.

The Breach:

Details surrounding the attack remain limited, but LoanDepot acknowledges unauthorized access to their systems, potentially compromising sensitive customer data. While the specific types of information exposed haven’t been confirmed, the letter sent to the victims of the data breach suggests it could include their full name, address, email address, financial account numbers, social security number, phone number, and date of birth.

Impact on Individuals:

LoanDepot estimates that approximately 16.9 million (16,924,071) individuals have been affected. This includes current and former customers, as well as individuals who inquired about loan products but ultimately did not pursue them.

The company has begun notifying affected parties through letters and emails, outlining the potential scope of the breach and offering resources to help them protect themselves.

LoanDepot’s Response:

LoanDepot took immediate action to contain the attack and secure their systems. They launched an investigation in collaboration with cybersecurity experts and notified law enforcement authorities. Additionally, the company has offered one year of complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to all impacted individuals.

Uncertainties and Concerns:

The full extent of the damage caused by this attack remains unclear. The potential for identity theft and financial fraud is a significant concern for millions of individuals.

LoanDepot is urging affected individuals to remain alert and take proactive steps to safeguard their personal information, including being cautious of suspicious emails or phone calls, monitoring credit reports for unauthorized activity, and considering placing a freeze on their credit files.

The LoanDepot data breach is likely to attract scrutiny from regulators and may lead to legal repercussions. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is responsible for enforcing data privacy regulations, and they may investigate the incident to determine if LoanDepot followed appropriate data security practices. Further, affected individuals may have legal recourse against LoanDepot for failing to protect their personal information.

For insights into the LoanDepot data breach, we reached out to Javvad Malik, Lead Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4 who stated “This breach at LoanDepot is a reminder of the far-reaching consequences of ransomware attacks and it’s concerning to see the scale and sensitivity of the data involved, particularly the inclusion of Social Security numbers, which opens up Pandora’s box of identity theft and financial fraud possibilities.”

Javvad emphasised the importance of employee training within the organisations especially those responsible for data handling. “This incident highlights the critical need for organizations, especially those handling vast amounts of personal information, to invest in strong cybersecurity measures, including threat detection, response strategies, and most importantly, providing employees with timely and relevant security awareness and training.”

Ransomware Gangs

While the LoanDepot data breach was confirmed in January 2024, the specific ransomware group responsible for the attack hasn’t been officially disclosed by the company or law enforcement agencies as of today, February 26, 2024.

Nevertheless, ransomware is one of the most prevalent threats to organizations of all sizes. While the United States has vowed to take strict measures against ransomware groups, with LockBit ransomware’s recent demise and resurrection, it is obvious that these groups are here to stay and plan to cause long-term damage.

Moving Forward:

While the immediate aftermath of the LoanDepot data breach is concerning, the company’s commitment to transparency and its efforts to mitigate the damage are positive steps. Individuals must remain informed, take appropriate precautions, and actively monitor their financial information to minimize the potential impact of this incident.

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  4. Schneider Electric Energy Giant Confirms Cactus Ransomware Attack
  5. Hackers Leak 2.5M Private Plane Owners’ Data in LA Intl. Airport Breach

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Motorola’s Adaptive Display looks like an interactive slap bracelet

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Motorola’s Adaptive Display looks like an interactive slap bracelet
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At Mobile World Congress this week, Motorola took the wraps off its latest device, a concept called the Adaptive Display that looks like an interactive slap bracelet. Do you remember slap bracelets? If you didn’t grow up in the 90s then chances are you may have missed this craze. But they were all the rage among high school students and younger kids. And they came in a wide variety of styles to match everyone’s individual personalities. Motorola‘s Adaptive display concept is most certainly not a slap bracelet, and it’s arguably much cooler than one. But the general design of this bendable phone made it easy to stir up memories of that bygone era.

Quite simply because it’s the first thing that came to mind when I saw this thing. Of course, you don’t slap the Adaptive Display onto your wrist so it fastens shut. In fact it doesn’t completely enclose your wrist like a watch does. Instead, it bends into a U-shape that fits around your wrist like an open-ended bracelet. To ensure it doesn’t fall off, there’s a companion band that you do wear like a watch which has magnets to help secure the Adaptive Display in place. It’s a rather ingenious design that, while a little bit goofy looking, has some very real-world functionality.

The Adaptive Display concept offers tons of functionality

Aside from presenting as a smart bracelet with a touch screen, the Adaptive Display definitely has real-world uses. While on the wrist it could easily serve as your watch, just with much more information. And what’s neat is the display bends around both the top and underside of your wrist. So you could set things up to have the clock widget top side while other widgets for various things are wrapped around the bottom.

You don’t even need to wear this on the wrist at all times though. It can easily be detached from its magnetic wristband and placed on the desk. You can then bend just the bottom portion so it acts as a sort of kickstand for itself. Just in case you wanted it to act like an alarm clock or you wanted to watch videos on YouTube.

Motorola even baked in some fun features. For example, you can bend the Adaptive Display in half and bring up a game of Connect Four. Each person playing can then interact with their side of the game on their own side of the phone display. This is a super niche function. But I imagine it could be a really useful feature for parents and kids, or friends, who might be sitting around waiting at the airport or train station and want something to do. Or really sitting around anywhere that you might encounter a wait of some kind.

Motorola doesn’t currently have plans to launch this product, which is kind of a shame

This is just a concept after all, so this isn’t going to be something you can actually buy. Even if you would buy it. But, Motorola is doing nothing if not pushing the industry forward here with some really neat ideas. Flexible displays have been around for a few years now at this point. But this is a quirky device that’s on a whole other level from devices like Samsung’s Galaxy Fold series. And its features evoke the kind of fun aura that Motorola usually has.

For instance, Tech Radar notes that during their presentation with a Motorola rep, the rep wearing the Adaptive Display held their wrist up to a mannequin wearing a colorful outfit, and the generative AI cooked up a color scheme to match the outfit. That’s, not really something we’ve seen on any other devices. It’s the type of personalization that would easily draw in more fashion-conscious users. What’s more, is that this process of creation only took about 10 seconds. So Motorola probably won’t ever launch this thing.

And that’s kind of a shame because niche or not, it’s cool. Even if a little strange. At the very least, the Adaptive Display is allowing Motorola to showcase what it can do. And that it has plenty of fresh ideas to bring to the market. It’s also just the kind of zany idea that’s expected of Motorola given other out there, yet admittedly very cool concepts from its parent company Lenovo, like this transparent display laptop.


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The Humane AI Pin has been delayed slightly, but there’s a bright side

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The Humane AI Pin has been delayed slightly, but there’s a bright side
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With all the news about AI going on recently, it’s pretty easy to forget about one of the most interesting AI devices of 2023. The Humane AI Pin is set to redefine what AI models can do for our everyday lives. However, we’re going to have to wait a little bit longer to find out, as the AI Pin has been delayed a bit. However, there is an upside to this.

In case you don’t know, the AI Pin is a mobile device that you attach to your clothes. It will use onboard sensors such as its microphone and camera to ascertain the world. You’ll be able to speak to it, and it will use generative AI technology to respond to you. For instance, you can simply ask it any sort of question you would ask ChatGPT, and it will give you an audible spoken response.

You can use the onboard camera to scan objects, and ask the AI pen about them. For instance, you can scan a certain type of flower, and ask the AI pen the best weather conditions for it. That’s just one example.

The AI Pin doesn’t have a collection of apps like most other mobile devices. Instead, when you ask it a question, it will contact different AI models in the cloud. It will summon the proper model for the query.

The AI Pen costs $699, and it comes with accessories like two detachable batteries, a charging case, a wall adapter, Etc. If you’re interested in picking one up, you can go to the official Humane website.

The Humane AI Pin has been delayed just a bit

This news might be a bit of a bummer, considering the fact that Humane had to lay off a section of its staff not too long ago. In any case, the news isn’t quite as bad as it seems.

Humane staff member Sam Sheffer posted a video on X explaining that the company is going through a few delays. Early adopters were originally set to have their devices ship sometime in March. Well, in the video, Sheffer stated that early adopters’ orders will start leaving the factory at the end of March. So, they should expect to receive their orders soon after that.

After that, he said that priority access orders will begin receiving the deliveries by mid-April. After that, everyone else who placed their order will be receiving their devices after that. There’s no definite date or time frame to speak of. So, we expect them to start seeing devices sometime in May. However, that’s just a guess.

People who placed their orders will be receiving onboarding emails letting them know when to look out for their devices. So, if you’ve been excited about getting an AI Pin, then you’re going to have to wait a bit longer, unfortunately.

So, what’s the upside?

The upside to this is the fact that people who order their AI Pins before March 31st will get the first three months of their Humane subscription for free. As you may know, there’s a $24/month subscription fee that you must pay in order to access the AI models. This plan will include cellular data provided through Verizon.


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Google Maps on Wear OS finally incorporates transit directions

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Google Maps on Wear OS finally incorporates transit directions
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Google Maps on Wear OS now incorporates transit directions as part of the app’s latest update on smartwatches. The launch of this particular feature for Maps on your wrist has been a long time coming, but users can rest easy now that the wait is just about over.

Google announced the update as part of everything going on at Mobile World Congress this week. It also launches alongside other Wear OS changes that Google says are intended to help optimize and improve battery life and performance. This is in addition to the announcement of one of the newest smartwatches to come with Wear OS. The OnePlus Watch 2. In fact, the new battery life and performance changes are specifically for the OnePlus Watch 2. Compatibility will spread to other devices. Although Google hasn’t specified a timeframe yet.

That means you won’t have to upgrade to a new watch just to see these improvements. But you will end up having to wait a little while most likely. The changes to battery life aren’t improvements aren’t massive, but they will probably take some time to implement across hardware. To achieve these improvements, the new software update lets the microcontroller unit handle notification processing. This is something that’s handled by the application processor on every other Wear OS smartwatch. Worth noting is that the MCU uses less power. So tasks like reading notifications and sending quick replies in messages won’t drain the battery as much.

Transit directions from Google Maps on Wear OS can show you departure times

Wear OS Google Maps Transit Times

Imagine if you would, you’re rushing to your stop to make sure you don’t miss the train or bus you’re supposed to be on. You take a quick break to stop, pull your phone out of your pocket, and check the departure times. You want to be sure you have time to get there. But this break to pull out your phone and check costs you precious time that results in you missing your transit. Google’s update to Maps on Wear OS should help alleviate this sort of situation.

You’ll now be able to use Maps on your wrist and check things like departure times, and even get guided directions. Since you can do all this from your wrist now it should be easier to continue to your destination. Additionally, it’s now possible to mirror directions from your phone to your watch.

The update to Maps is also one of two new improvements to Wear OS. There are some updates to Google Wallet on Wear OS too. Namely, the ability to access boarding passes from the watch. This works in tandem with the new update to Maps that lets you check departure times. You can more easily look at the departure time of your chosen transit method and then pull up the boarding pass once you get there. The Wallet update also now lets you access event tickets, loyalty cards, and even your gym membership.


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Oppo announces Air Glass 3 powered by AI at MWC 2024

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Oppo announces Air Glass 3 powered by AI at MWC 2024
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Oppo has just announced a pair of smart glasses at Mobile World Congress 2024 called the Air Glass 3, and they’re surprisingly inconspicuous for something that you wear on your face that also happens to be connected to the internet.

Remember smart glasses like Google Glass? Fitted with a camera and driven by the power of your smartphone’s internet connection? Well, these aren’t those. The Oppo Air Glass 3 smart glasses are like Google Glass in some ways, but they’re also considerably more advanced. That shouldn’t be surprising though given these have come more than a few years later. After all, there have been plenty of improvements made to this tech product category since back then. These also don’t feature a camera so they shouldn’t trip anyone’s privacy concerns.

In fact, it’s really not easy to tell these are smart glasses at all. Unless you were to put them on. The Air Glass 3 are capable of quite a few different things, or at least they will be if they ever make it to production. The pair shown off at Mobile World Congress this week is a prototype as noted by Android Authority, which means they aren’t available for consumer purchase. At least not yet. Oppo has launched older models of these before (although not globally). So there is a good chance these will be released at some point.

Oppo Air Glass 3 smart glasses can tap into an AI assistant

AI is starting to become the core of many new and existing tech products these days. In a lot of cases, this takes the form of an AI-powered digital assistant. Such as ChatGPT or Microsoft’s Copilot. The Air Glass 3 will come powered by an AI assistant as well. Although it won’t be either of those other options and it won’t be onboard. Instead, it’ll use Oppo’s own AndesGPT large language model. The glasses can use the AI to help with processing certain tasks, like searching for information or even setting up plans for a trip. As noted by Phone Arena, the AndesGPT isn’t built into the glasses, but rather into the AndesGPT app.

You’ll need to have these paired to an Oppo smartphone with the app for the glasses to take advantage of the AI features, Oppo says. Outside of AI, the Air Glass 3 can do loads of other things like allowing you to answer voice calls, reading messages, or playing music. Oppo is also reportedly planning to add features like navigation and translation in the future.


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You will soon be able to easily copy and save a video frame on Android

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You will soon be able to easily copy and save a video frame on Android
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Grabbing the perfect screenshot from a video hasn’t always been the easiest task on desktop or mobile. Although you could always use the usual screenshotting tools on either platform, it wasn’t always possible to get a clean output without menus and player controls being visible, unless you cropped a significant portion out of the picture. Fortunately, this has now been somewhat remedied on desktop, and an Android solution appears to be on the way as well.

Grabbing a clean screenshot of a particular frame on a YouTube video, for example, proved to be a challenge without resorting to third party extensions that could take care of this task for you. Google fixed this on desktop via an update to Google Chrome that allowed you to right click on a video and select “Save Video Frame As…”. This option would output a clean .jpg of the entire frame (without cropping) to your desktop. 
You will soon be able to easily copy and save a video frame on Android

“Save Video Frame As…” option in Google Chrome Desktop

This feature had been spotted in the Canary builds of the Chrome browser since early last year by @Leopeva64 on X, who regularly scours the Chromium Gerrit repository for new commits of upcoming features. This went live for Chrome desktop, but there was still no way to do this on Android, other than waiting for the player controls to fade and then screenshot using the usual button combinations on your respective mobile device.

However, recent code updates indicate that Google will soon allow you to save video frames directly from YouTube on Android devices. This was also spotted by the same user via yet another commit on the Chromium Gerrit repo called “Mark copy/save video frame features as disabled on Android,” with a description that clearly states “These features are not implemented on Android yet. To be prepared for the implementation, mark them as disabled until they are ready to launch.”

You will soon be able to easily copy and save a video frame on Android

This indicates that plans are in motion to bring this handy tool to Android, although there is no clear indication of how it will be implemented. Since YouTube has its own dedicated app on Android, my guess is that it will be part of the interface and added as an option within a video’s settings, where you would normally choose the playback speed and video quality. This is just a guess, though, since there are no screenshots available as of yet.


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