Welcome to the 485th edition of Android Apps Weekly. Here are the big headlines from the last week:
YouTube is adding longer, unskippable ads in the near future. These ads are upwards of 30 seconds long. However, this does replace the current model of two unskippable ads that are 15 seconds long each. In addition, YouTube is experimenting with showing ads while videos are paused. Google is also deleting old, unused accounts starting in December, including old YouTube accounts.
Android 14 may have some tricks for split-screen mode. It’s actually an old trick, but it allows users to pair apps together to open in split-screen mode. Microsoft and Samsung devices have this feature already. It’s not confirmed, but it’s a nice quality-of-life improvement. Hit the link to learn more.
WhatsApp is adding a Chat Lock. It lets you lock your extra private messages behind a password and effectively separates them from your other chats. The platform says this is for folks who share devices with their family members. However, we think it’ll be mostly used for more private stuff.
Google Drive is adding a spam folder. The intention is to clean up your Google Drive space from erroneous shares that are either actual spam or from people you don’t know. It’s a fairly self-explanatory feature, so hit the link to learn more.
T-Mobile is gracing its customers with another opportunity to get MLB.TV. This is one of my favorite personal services that T-Mobile offers, and it gives you an entire season of MLB.TV for free. The promotion begins May 23rd, and it’ll be your last chance to get it this season.
Price: Free
