Google Introduces iPhone X Support for Docs, Sheets, and Slides iOS Apps

Google today updated its collection of productivity apps for iOS with support for the iPhone X, so now anyone who uses Google Docs [Direct Link], Google Sheets [Direct Link], and Google Slides [Direct Link] on Apple’s newest smartphone will see full compatibility for the iPhone X’s 5.8-inch screen.

Additionally, the same update has introduced drag-and-drop support for all three apps on compatible iPads. This way, users can easily drag and drop content from other apps right into Docs, Sheets, and Slides using multitasking on iPad. The release notes for each app’s version 1.2017.46204 update reads as follows:

– iOS 11 and iPhone X support
– In iOS 11, easily drag and drop content from other apps into Slides
– Bug fixes and performance improvements

While Google has now introduced iPhone X support into its productivity apps, it still has yet to roll out compatibility for the iPhone X’s screen size with some of its more popular apps, including Google Maps and Gmail. Many other apps were ready with iPhone X updates prior to the smartphone’s launch on November 3, and the list is now growing as more developers update their apps following the iPhone X’s debut.

Tag: Google
Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumors Giveaway: Win Impulse Wireless Headphones from IFROGZ

For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with IFROGZ to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win the IFROGZ Impulse Wireless Headphones.

The Impulse Wireless Headphones, priced at $60, are on-ear headphones that are designed to provide immersive, balanced sound with 40mm drivers.

The IFROGZ headphones are Bluetooth-equipped and work with all of Apple’s latest devices, and there are on-device buttons for turning the volume up, changing the track, and playing and pausing. If you don’t want to use Bluetooth, there’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a built-in mic allows for calls.

IFROGZ uses AeroFoam padding on the earpads of the Impulse headphones for both comfort and passive noise isolation. Over Bluetooth, the headphones will last for 12 hours before needing to be recharged, with up to 58 hours of standby time.

When not in use, the Impulse Wireless Headphones collapse down for easier portability, so you can take them anywhere.

We have eight of the IFROGZ Impulse Headphones to give away. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (November 27) at 9:45 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:45 a.m. Pacific Time on December 4. The winners will be chosen randomly on December 4 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Tag: giveaway
Discuss this article in our forums

Hundreds of iPhone Users Complain About the Word ‘It’ Autocorrecting to ‘I.T’ on iOS 11 and Later

At least a few hundred iPhone users and counting have complained about the word “it” autocorrecting to “I.T” on iOS 11 and later.

Image: Sean James via Twitter
When affected users type the word “it” into a text field, the keyboard first shows “I.T” as a QuickType suggestion. After tapping the space key, the word “it” automatically changes to “I.T” without actually tapping the predictive suggestion.

A growing number of iPhone users have voiced their frustrations about the issue on the MacRumors discussion forums, Twitter, and other discussion platforms on the web since shortly after iOS 11 was released in late September.

MacRumors reader Tim shared a video that appears to indicate the issue can cause the word “is” to be autocorrected to “I.S” as well.

Many users claim the apparent autocorrect bug persists even after rebooting the device and performing other basic troubleshooting.

A temporary workaround is to tap Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement and enter “it” as both the phrase and shortcut, but some users insist this solution does not solve the problem.

A less ideal workaround is to toggle off auto-correction and/or predictive suggestions completely under Settings > General > Keyboard.

The issue is notable given Apple just recently addressed a similar bug that caused the letter “i” to autocorrect to “A[?]” on iOS 11 and later. The fix was included in iOS 11.1.1, publicly released in early November.

This similar “it” to “I.T” issue does not appear to be fixed in iOS 11.1.1 and later. It’s unclear if a future software update will be required to address the problem, which MacRumors hasn’t been able to reproduce. Apple did not respond to multiple requests for comment about this particular issue.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
Discuss this article in our forums

Snapchat Debuts New Filters That Automatically Recognize Food, Concerts, Pets, Beaches, and Sports

Snapchat over the weekend quietly began launching a new intelligent image recognition feature in its app, first spotted by Mashable. The feature automatically recognizes certain objects and events when you snap a picture of them, and provides you with appropriate filters and borders for your images when you scroll through editing options. At launch, recognizable objects include concerts, beaches, pets, sports, and food.

Snapchat’s image recognition is meant to be used when you are taking pictures of real objects and animals, but it also appears to work for more generic images found on the internet. A Snapchat spokesperson told MacRumors that image processing takes place locally on your iPhone, and the company will continuously improve the feature with better accuracy and quality of the recommendations as more people use it.

The update is launching ahead of Snapchat’s imminent redesign, which CEO Evan Spiegel has stated will be a direct response to users who claim the app is difficult to understand. In an earnings letter shared earlier in November, Spiegel said that “our team has been working on responding to this feedback,” and the redesign has been hinted at including algorithmic feeds in the Stories section of the app.

Tag: Snapchat
Discuss this article in our forums

10 common Google Pixel problems and how to deal with them

So you’re having a few problems with your Google Pixel? There’s no need to panic. All smartphones, especially newer ones, have their fair share of issues, bugs, and glitches, from the unique to the familiar. Of course, if you’ve just spent a large sum of money to acquire Google’s phone, there’s no doubt you want it to be in perfect, working condition. We can help with that.

Below, we’ve detailed multiple problems that Google Pixel owners have experienced, as well as a few potential solutions and workarounds to deal with them. If you’re having Google Pixel problems, this list will help you get your smartphone back in working order.

If you have a Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, check out our list of problems affecting Google’s latest smartphone and what to do about them.

Problem: Reboot loop after updating to Android 8.0

Some Google Pixel owners have complained about reboot loops after updating their device to Android 8.0.

Potential solution:

• Make sure that your device is running the latest patches as Google is tried to fix this issue in an October OTA update. Go to Settings > About phone > System updates.

If you’re still experiencing reboot loops after an update, try the following:

• Android 8.0 has a feature that will detect a boot loop and try to fix it. If it can’t fix it, the device will boot up in safe mode where you can perform a factory reset.
• To go into safe mode when your device is on, Press and hold the Power button. After a moment, a box should appear, touch and hold Power off. You’ll see the message “Reboot to safe mode.” Tap OK, and your device will start in safe mode. The words “Safe mode” should be seen in a box at the bottom.
• To go into safe mode when your device is off, Press the power button and wait for the Google logo to appear. When the animation starts, press and hold the volume down button until the animation ends. Your device will start in safe mode, and you will see “Safe mode” at the bottom of the screen.
• Reset your phone to the factory default settings:
  • Before you reset your phone, back up your important data and files.
  • To perform the factory reset, go to Settings > Backup & reset > Factory data reset > Reset phone > Erase everything. Choose to restart your device once everything is erased and restore it using the back up you made. Note: You’ll need to input your pattern, PIN, or password to start this process, so make sure you know it beforehand.

Problem: Pixel won’t charge or isn’t charging correctly

Some Pixel owners on Google’s product forums have reportedly been unable to charge their Pixel phones. In other cases, the phone does begin charging, but it’s not as responsive or quick as it should be.

Potential solutions:

• Try a different wall outlet, the one you’ve been using may be faulty.
• Try your charger with another device. If it doesn’t charge the other device, the charger may be faulty and you’ll need a replacement.
• Restart your Google Pixel.
• Clean the Pixel’s charging port.
• Connect your phone to power and wait about a minute:
  • If you see a battery icon, your phone is currently off but is charging. You can restart it.
  • If there’s a red light, the battery is fully discharged. Charge your phone for at least 30 minutes before restarting it.
• Press and hold the Volume down and Power buttons for about 20 seconds. If you see the Android mascot and the word “Start” with an arrow around it, press and hold the Volume down button until you see “Power Off.” Use the Power button to select it, then charge your device for 30 mins. Restart your Pixel.
• If none of the above solves your issue, reach out to Google.

Issue: Poor Wi-Fi connection or no connection

Another common problem with smartphones is being unable to get, or maintain, an internet connection. There are several threads on Google’s product forums full of people having this problem. Fortunately, the solutions for other devices can also be applied to the Google Pixel, and Google Support also has some suggestions.

Potential solutions:

• Restart your device.
• Go to Settings > Wi-Fi and toggle the feature off and on.
• Make sure Airplane mode is turned off. If it’s already off, turn it on, then off again.
• Remove the network you’re trying to connect to by going to Settings > Wi-Fi, then select the network. Tap Forget to remove it. Re-add it and try connecting once again.
• Reset your network settings: Settings > More (Under Wireless & Networks) > Network settings reset > Reset settings.
• Restart your router and modem.
• An app could be causing the problem. To check you need to boot your phone into Safe mode. Start by pressing and holding the Power button, after a moment, a box should appear, touch and hold Power off. You’ll see the message “Reboot to safe mode.” Tap OK and your device will start in safe mode. The words “Safe mode” should be seen in a box at the bottom. While in safe mode, attempt to connect to Wi-Fi again. If it works, restart your phone to exit safe mode, then uninstall any recently installed apps one at a time, checking your connection after every uninstall, until Wi-Fi works. After finding the app causing the problem, you can reinstall the other apps you removed.

Issue: Unable to send or receive texts or messages from contacts

After upgrading or migrating to the Google Pixel, some owners on Google’s forums have realized that they’re unable to send or receive texts or messages of any kind from their contacts.

Potential solutions:

• As always, try restarting your phone.
• Makes sure none of the contacts you’re trying to message are blocked. Have your contacts unblock you as well. To check your blocked contacts, open your Messenger app, then tap More (the three horizontal dots) > Blocked Contacts. If the Blocked Contacts option isn’t there, you haven’t blocked anyone.
• If your previous smartphone was an iPhone, you’ll need to turn off iMessage before you can send and receive messages on your new Pixel. If you still have your old iPhone, turn it on, then go to Settings > Messages and toggle iMessage off. If you no longer have that iPhone, you can ask Apple to deregister the number associated with iMessage.

Annoyance: Pixel restarts, freezes, or crashes constantly

Uncontrollable restarts, freezes, and crashes are something you definitely don’t want to happen while in the middle of using your smartphone., as supported by this 500+ post thread, and these other threads. There are a number of things you can try to resolve the situation, from simple restarts and software updates to revisiting safe mode.

Potential solutions:

• Check for a software update:  Settings > About phone > System updates.
• Update your apps: Open the Google Play Store app, then tap Menu (in the top left corner) > My apps & games. Apps that can be updated will be labeled Update. Tap Update for a single app or Update All for all apps.
• Your device could start having more issues if you have less than 10 percent storage space. Check how much storage you have by going to Settings > Storage & USB. Consider deleting older apps, photos, music, and other media to free up space.
• Force close apps you’re not currently using by going to Settings > Apps, then choose an app and tap Force stop.
• An app could be causing the problem.
  • To check, you need to boot your phone into Safe mode. Start by pressing and holding the Power button. After a moment, a box should appear, touch and hold Power off. You’ll see the message “Reboot to safe mode.” Tap OK and your device will start in safe mode. The words “Safe mode” should be seen in a box at the bottom.
  • If you experience no crashes, restart your phone to exit Safe mode, then uninstall any recently installed apps one at a time. After finding the app causing the problem, reinstall the other apps you removed.
• Reset your phone to the factory default settings:
  • Before you actually reset your phone, back up your important data and files.
  • To perform the factory reset, go to Settings > Backup & reset > Factory data reset > Reset phone > Erase everything. Choose to restart your device once everything has been erased, and restore it using the back up you made. Note: You’ll need to input your pattern, PIN, or password to start this process, so make sure you know it beforehand.

The 20 best Google Pixel tips and tricks you need to know about

If you’re one of the many that pulled the trigger on a shiny new Google Pixel or Pixel XL, you made an excellent decision. The device is Google’s first official entrance into making smartphone hardware, and boy is it an awesome first attempt.

You’re probably getting used to your new phone, but it takes time to truly become a master of the Pixel. It would be impossible to know about every single feature the device has to offer. That’s why we’ve put together this list of Google Pixel tips and tricks to try out. All of these tips will work equally well on the Pixel XL.

Learn the basics of your new phone and camera

Keep searching from the home screen

The home screen is a little different than other stock Android phones, most notably dispensing with the standard ever-present search bar that graced our Nexus phones. Thankfully, it’s still easy to search the web from the home screen — simply press the Google logo at the top left of the display, and a search bar will pop up.

Wake your phone without touching with the home button

Unlike many phones of yesteryear, you don’t actually have to even touch the power button to wake your Pixel. Instead, make sure the fingerprint sensor is set up, and simply place your fingertip over the sensor to wake up your phone. It’ll open straight to the home screen, doing away with the need to press the power button and input a PIN code.

Get extra battery life with power saving mode

Running low on juice and not yet done with your day? You need power saving mode! To access power saving mode, head to the Settings app, then hit Battery, and press the Battery saver button. You can then switch on battery saver right away, or set it to turn on automatically when you have 15 percent or 5 percent battery left.

Schedule Night Light mode

Night Light has finally made it to Android. The feature takes out much of the blue light being blasted towards your eyes — light that could signal to your brain that it’s still daytime. What that does is help you to get to sleep quicker and easier than you otherwise might, especially if you tend to use your phone at night. To schedule Night Light mode simply head to Settings, then hit the Display button. You’ll see an option for Night Light — press that button, and you can either turn the feature on straight away, or schedule it to turn on and off at certain times.

Tap the weather widget to get to the weather app

You may notice a slightly different look to the Pixel’s home screen — that’s because Google has included a few widgets, something that you probably wouldn’t have found by default on your Nexus phones. The most notable of these widgets is the weather widget, but did you know that you can simply tap on the widget to go straight to the weather app? It’s a nice, quick way to get to the weather forecast for the next few days. If you want more, then check out our best widgets for Android roundup.

Set up pulse notification lights

You may not know this, but the Google Pixel and Pixel XL actually have a hidden notification light that’s disabled by default. It might take some getting used to to figure out what the colors mean, but that will come with time. To enable the light, head to Settings, then tap Notifications. You’ll need to tap the settings gear in the top right hand corner, and turn on the pulse notifications light switch.

Quickly get to the camera from anywhere

Many people are aware of the fact that you can quickly access your camera from the lock screen, but it turns out you can access the camera from any screen on your phone. Simply double press the power button, and you’ll be taken straight to the app.

Switch to selfies with a gesture

Once you’re in the app, it’s super easy to switch over to taking selfies. You could hit the camera switch button, but you can also twist your wrist twice to make the camera switch from the rear-facing to the front-facing sensor. Double twist it again to switch back to the primary camera.

Hold down the take photo button to use burst mode

Want to take a burst of photos instead of just one. You don’t need to tap the take photo button as fast as you can — instead, just hold the button down and the camera will take a burst of photos. It will even go as far as to make a little animation out of those photos, after which you can look at all the pictures and choose which one’s best.

Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes Apple apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest iOS app deals available from the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Active Voice

Active Voice is the power of your voice in the palm of your hands. Use your voice to send messages and emails. No more tedious typing. Translate your text into 32 foreign languages.

Available on:

iOS

Cassette Gold

Cassette Gold is a cassette player emulator. It plays your music and shows an animated cassette, taking you back to that bygone era when CDs, MP3s, and iPhones were nowhere to be found.

Available on:

iOS

Listaway

Listaway, which includes a to-do list, task manager, and reminders, is an outstanding planner app that helps you organize your life on your terms.

Available on:

iOS

Weather Now

Amazingly beautiful 3D images of our planet draw your attention for so long that you may forget that the application has other useful features that allow you easy access to precise, global weather information.

Available on:

iOS

Relax Rain

Designed with simplicity in mind, Relax Rain is the simplest way to enjoy the relaxing and soothing sound of rain falling. Open up the app and sounds start playing automatically so you can relax, unwind, meditate, or just get some quiet time right away.

Available on:

iOS

Perfect Me

This app claims to hold you to your promises, helping you actually cross off items on your checklist. Your to-do list will be transferred to your calendar so that you can hold yourself accountable.

Available on:

iOS

How to enable the FPS counter on the Razer Phone

Razer built an FPS counter into its first Android phone so you can see exactly what’s going on with that 120Hz display.

120 FPS. That’s the boast from Razer about how fast games can run on its first Android phone. The 120Hz display with UltraMotion sync is one of the centerpieces of the Razer Phone, and while not everything will push it to its limits, there are games that do.

Some games have a built-in FPS counter to tell you what’s going on. But Razer didn’t leave it to chance and included one buried away that anyone can turn on. Here’s how you do it.

First, enable developer options

The FPS counter for the Razer Phone is buried inside the developer options menu, so only proceed if you’re happy to enable this hidden menu.

Go to the Settings menu.
Scroll down to About phone. Tap it.
Scroll down to Build number (your build number may vary from ours here).
Tap it seven times.

If successful you’ll now see a message telling you that you’re a developer (if only it were that simple.)

Now, turn on the FPS counter

You’re now ready to turn on the FPS counter.

Go to the Settings menu.
Scroll down to Developer options.
Scroll down almost to the bottom until you find the monitoring section.
Enable show FPS value.

You’ll now have a permanent FPS counter overlayed onto your phone. It’s nothing more than green numbers, but you can at least move it around just by holding your finger on it and dragging to where you want it to be. For most of us, it doesn’t serve any real daily use, but it’s great to show off to your friends!

More: Razer Phone review

Snapchat now suggests filters based on what you take a picture of

Your filters are getting smarter.

During the short stints in which I actually use Snapchat, it’s quite obvious that filters are a big part of the app. Customizing your photos with little graphics helps to give them that iconic Snapchat look, and over the years, these filters have become smarter and smarter. Snpachat filters can tell how fast you’re currently traveling, what the temperature is around you, and even recommend certain ones based on where you’re at.

Now, according to a Snapchat representative that spoke with Mashable, some filters will be available based on what you’re actually taking a picture of.

This is a feature that Snapchat’s reportedly been rolling out to its users since last week, and it’s dead simple to use. After you’ve taken a photo of whatever it is you want to send to a friend or add to your Story, swiping through your filters like usual will now show you special ones if you’ve taken a picture of something that Snapchat can recognize. These filters currently pop up for pictures of concerts, pets, food, sports, and beaches, and we’d expect more to be added as time goes on.

I tried out the filters for myself, and I managed to get one that said “food cam” when taking a photo of a stock turkey image, as well as one that read “beach please” when taking a picture of a beachfront. You can try out the filters for yourself by taking photos of these things in real life, or by simply searching Google Images for relevant images like I did.

A redesigned Snapchat app is in the works

Best Cyber Monday 2017 Deals in Canada

• Tech
• Accessories
• Home
• Toys
• Fashion

Tech

• ASUS Rugged Chromebook – $219 (Was $299)
• Smart Home Devices – Up to 50% off
• BlackBerry KEYone & Motion – Save up to $100
• Eero 3-pack Mesh Wi-Fi System – $399.99 (Was $449.99)
• PlayStation 4 NHL 18 Bundle (1TB) – $249.96 (Was $379.96)
• PlayStation 4 Slim (1TB) – $279.94 (Was $379.99)
• PlayStation VR Gran Turismo Bundle – $399.99 (Was $499.99)
• Oculus Rift + Touch VR System – $449 (Was $549)
• Nintendo Switch Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle – $449.98 (Was $471.84)
• ASUS 24″ LCD Gaming Monitor – $262.92 (Was $399.92)
• Microsoft Surface Pro 12.3 – $899.99 (Was $1,219.99)

Accessories

• Fitbit Charge 2 – $129.95 (Was $199.99)
• Anker PowerCore+ mini 3350mAh Portable Charger – $16.99 (Was $19.99)
• Anker SoundCore Bluetooth Speaker – $33.50 (Was $52.99)
• Anker SoundCore 2 Bluetooth Speaker – $45.99 (Was $69.99)
• Roav DashCam C1 – $89.99 (Was $129.99)
• Eufy Robovac 11+ – $209.99 (WAs $299.99)

Home

• Ancestry DNA Kit – $99 (Was $149)
• Casper Mattresses and more – Up to 30% off
• Sunny Health & Fitness Exercise Equipment – Up to 30% Off
• Shark Rocket Ultra-Light Upright Vacuum Cleaner – $129.99 (was $149.98)
• Dyson V7 Motorhead Vacuum – $349.99 (was $499.97)
• iRobot Roomba 860 Vacuuming Robot – $499.99 (was $699.99)
• Hoover Cruise Cordless Ultra-Light Vacuum – $148.88 (was $248.98)
• Bissell Powerforce Bagged Canister Vacuum Cleaner – $49.98 (Was $66.98)
• Bissell Powerforce Multi-Cyclonic Canister Vacuum – $89 (Was $109.98)
• Dyson DC78TH Cinetic Canister Vacuum Cleaner – $499 (Was $699)

Toys

• LEGO Minecraft The Snow Hideout – $33.74 (Was $53)
• Play-Doh, NERF, Hasbro Games & more – Up to 30% off

Fashion & Beauty

• Old Navy has 50% off your entire purchase
• Joe Fresh has 30% off your entire purchase
• Gap has 50% off your entire purchase
• Sephora has tons of sets marked down to under $20