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Last week, Google released the developer preview version of Android 8.1 – the next step when it comes to the Oreo OS. We discussed a number of new features that were introduced in this update, as well as how to install Android 8.1 last week. Today, we have come across a strange new feature which could prove rather troublesome for some users.
A feature of this latest version of the Android OS causes the devices to be bricked if you forget your PIN/Password/Pattern to unlock the phone. This was recently discovered by a Reddit user who bricked his Pixel 2 XL.
The new Android 8.1 Easter Egg (Image: Android Police)
Usually, if you were to forget your security details, the only option you’d have is to factory reset the device. While you would lose access to most of your data and your apps, your phone would still be functioning. However, this is not the case on Android 8.1. In the past, the factory reset process would ask you for your Google account’s password. However, now it asks you the same security password you used on your phone (which you have now forgotten).
For those of our readers who may not be aware of what a ‘bricked’ device is – it is basically a phone that is as useless as a brick. You can’t do anything on it anymore. Google tech support has now confirmed that this is not a bug but actually an intended feature. Those who have their devices in warranty can get them replaced.
Make sure you remember your PIN before you update to Android 8.1
However, it is expected that this is a beta feature which Google would remove before they release the stable version of Android 8.1 comes out. If this feature is not removed, this might actually be quite a counterproductive feature for the users of Google’s Pixel C tablet where there’s a bug which tends to randomly change the lock pattern of the devices.
Ironically, this security feature might end up having some users not securing their device. Stay tuned with us for more details on this ‘security feature’ on Android 8.1.
Source: Reddit
The post Forgetting Your Password or PIN on Android 8.1 Might Brick Your Device Permanently appeared first on Google Tricks Blog.
Google Docs has become the go-to service for many users when it comes to document functions. Be it word processing, managing spreadsheets or creating presentations, Google Docs has been the tool of choice. Google’s document creation and sharing service is home to billions of documents stored by users from around the world.
A large number of Google Docs users found themselves in a rather strange situation today where they were unable to access their files. Users were suddenly restricted from accessing their document due to ‘violating Google’s Terms of Service’.
However, if you were getting this error earlier today, do not panic. It was a glitch in Google’s servers which the company has quickly resolved. While the Google docs users were blocked from restricting their documents under the pretext of violating Google’s Terms of Service, in reality none of these documents were doing so.
This however, raises more questions. This incident with Google Docs tells us that Google’s AI and Machine Learning systems are constantly monitoring all content. Moreover, this is a process that is happening in real-time. Even a minor glitch in this AI can cause such problems where users cannot access their own files. Questions over privacy too, have been raised following this incident.
Google released an official statement on this error, saying: “We made a code push that incorrectly flagged a small percentage of Google Docs as abusive, which caused those documents to be automatically blocked. A fix is in place and all users should have full access to their docs. Protecting users from viruses, malware, and other abusive content is central to user safety. We apologise for the disruption and will put processes in place to prevent this from happening again.”
A number of journalists too have lashed out at Google for having their AI constantly tracking what is being shared and stored on Google Docs.
Content That Actually Violates Google’s ToS
In case you are wondering what kind of content Google Docs does not allow you to share online – it is mostly spam, violent or hate speech, pornography, the spread of confidential information. Moreover, this applies only to shared files – which is why only shared files were affected by this bug.
The post Google Docs Bug Restricts Users From Accessing Files appeared first on Google Tricks Blog.
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