What’s happened? Google is testing a new approximate location toggle in Chrome for Android, seen in version 142.0.7444.171.
- The feature lets a website access an approximate location, rather than the precise GPS-based location (via Android Authority).
- The Chrome app itself still has precise location permission at the operating system level, but it doesn’t share it with the website.
- This brings Chrome closer to Android’s app-level location model, which offers better user control over the location sharing rather than a one-size-fits-all permission.
Android AuthorityWhy is this important? Websites will no longer automatically gain access to precise GPS data, marking a major shift toward web-privacy parity with native apps.
- It helps reduce unnecessary exposure of sensitive location information.
- Although the update limits tracking, it still allows for essential location-based functionality.
- This granular control could encourage more users to keep location access enabled rather than turning it off entirely.
Why should I care? You’ll be able to browse sites for weather, local news, and map previews, without revealing your exact location.
- This reduces targeted tracking and hyper-localized advertising.
- It cuts down on permission anxiety. Instead of choosing between sharing a precise location and nothing, you finally get a middle ground.
Deepanker Verma/Pexels / PexelsOK, what’s next? If testing goes well, Google should roll this out broadly, likely making it the default Chrome behavior on Android devices.
- Other browsers may follow, creating a new privacy baseline in which approximate location becomes the norm for the mobile web.
- Web developers will eventually need to design experiences that gracefully adapt to two different levels of location data accuracy.
Motorola’s new budget phone lasts “over two days” on a charge, but you can’t buy it
The Moto G57 Power packs a 7,000 mAh battery, Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 chip, and Android 16, but it’s skipping the U.S. for now.
What's happened? Lenovo-owned smartphone brand Motorola is on a launch spree, but it’s the €279 Moto G57 Power that has caught my attention, especially because of its massive 7,000 mAh battery.
First and foremost, the phone features a 6.72-inch IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection.
Chrome’s new AI Mode button could be Google’s way of keeping you from rivals
A bold Chrome update that puts Google’s AI within easy reach, right in your line of sight.
What's happened? Google has added a new AI Mode button under the search bar in its Chrome browser, making it easier to access AI Mode on smartphones.
In a blog post published on November 5, 2025, Google announced this update as part of its ongoing development of the AI search experience.
Chrome can now autofill passports and IDs, with you in control
Google adds encrypted, opt-in autofill for passports, driver’s licenses, and vehicle info, with on-screen confirmation before anything is filled.
What’s happened? Google is expanding Chrome’s enhanced autofill on desktop to cover more sensitive details. Chrome now saves and fills passports, driver’s license numbers, and vehicle information, and it handles complex web forms more reliably. The update starts rolling out today worldwide, in every language. It will also recognize common document fields across travel booking portals, insurance claims, and dealership sites, reducing the usual copy paste shuffle that slows you down during multi page forms.
According to Google, autofill covers passports, driver’s license numbers, and vehicle details like plates or VINs.
