5 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content

Google Archive

Archives for December 2025

Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
Valve’s Android compatibility layer now has its official name, Lepton, and a cute frog logo.

The name Lepton appeared on Steam and SteamDB just a few weeks after Valve unveiled the Steam Frame headset, which will be able to run Android apps.

In our new interview with Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais, he mentioned the Frame uses “a similar compatibility layer as Proton, just targeted at Android.”

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

The header image for Lepton on Steam
Image: Valve
Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
Android expands in-call scam protections to the US.

The feature was first piloted in the UK earlier this year, and works by automatically warning users when they launch eligible financial apps while screen sharing during calls with numbers that aren’t in the device’s contact list. The warning forces a 30-second pause period that aims to “break the spell of the scammers’ social engineering,” according to Google.

A scam warning message displayed on an Android phone.
The warning message will also provide guidance on how to avoid being scammed and prompt users to end the call.
Image: Google
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Why else would you call?

One of Google’s new Android updates is the beta for Call Reason, which allows callers to flag that it’s urgent. Sounds smart, but if you’re below the age of 40, “urgent” might be the only type of call you ever make.

mekalos:

Sorry but if literally anyone I know is calling me instead of texting, it’s already urgent.

Get the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.

Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
Normalizing extraterrestrial data centers.

In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that launching solar-powered satellites like Project Suncatcher into space in a bid to alleviate power consumption concerns will be viewed as “a more normal way” to build AI data centers within the next decade or so.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Google’s December Pixel update comes with a long list of fixes.

For everything from the Pixel 6 on up, there are a lot of bug fixes and improvements on the list for this month’s update, as well as two “Critical” severity security bugs patched.

In addition to the wider list of Android updates confirmed today, the list covers a bunch of freezes and screen glitches on newer devices, including screen brightness that could dim unexpectedly on Pixel 10 phones.

Google Pixel Update - December 2025

[ Google Pixel Community]

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Chrome on Android is getting pinned tabs.

After being added to the desktop version of the browser almost a decade ago, the mobile version of Chrome will soon let you pin tabs as part of Android 16’s new updates. Pinned tabs will be easily accessible at the front of your browser so they’re easier to find and can’t be accidentally closed.

A screenshot of Google Chrome running on Android showing a tab menu offering a Pin tab option.
Image: Google
Netflix kills casting from phonesNetflix kills casting from phones
Jess Weatherbed and Richard Lawler