In the name of privacy, the Google developers made it possible to use a randomized MAC address, starting with Android 8. However, it wasn’t until Android 11 that the default status of MAC randomization was such that users could enable the feature. To make it even more appealing, the randomization of MAC addresses on Android 11 is network based (per SSID). 

In other words, every time your device connects to a new network, it can use a randomized MAC address.

Why is this important?

To put it simply: Privacy. If your device uses the same MAC address for everything, it makes it possible for ne’er-do-wells to create a history of your activity, which could lead to far worse things. By making use of randomized MAC addresses, it becomes harder for

Confession here: I’m a Google Pixel fan–I have been since the release of the first device to hold that moniker. You might be wondering, why do I prefer the Pixel line of devices, over the numerous other Android smartphones on the market? That’s a good question, but it’s one that’s actually quite easy to answer. 

It’s not the hardware–there are much faster, more elegant, and impressive devices available. It used to be the camera, but the competition has caught up. It’s not the ease of onboarding, although that’s pretty sweet. It’s not the software (well, sort of). Let me explain, as that will clearly indicate what Samsung needs to do to become the greatest manufacturer of Android devices on the planet.

The thing about Android software is that, for the most part, you can

Length: 1:15 |
Jan 6, 2021

If you want to make sure your Pixel device is using the higher 90 Hz refresh rate, Jack Wallen shows you a couple of handy tricks.

I cannot tell you how many times this has happened to me. I call out to my Android device, “Hey, Google, call so and so,” only to have said device refuse to obey my command to call so and so. It’s frustrating, especially when one of the appeals of modern smartphones is hands-off usage while driving. 

This feature also makes daily usage far more efficient. So when it doesn’t work, it’s not only eye-roll worthy, it makes you want to chuck that device into the couch and shout to the developers to fix the issue. Well, fortunately there’s a much faster way than waiting for the Google devs to resolve the problem. In fact, the problem is usually fixed fairly easily. 

Let me show you how. 

Length: 1:42 |
Jan 6, 2021

Have you found your Android device no longer responding to “Hey Google?” Jack Wallen offers up a couple of ways to fix this problem.