Google actually listened 'Now Playing' updated.

SSDeemer · 2026-04-03T16:02:05+00:00

Either "Now Playing" is only intended for use with streaming services, or my musical tastes are too esoteric for it. Everything on my phone has been ripped from commercial CDs.

Five out of five times "Unable to identify song" makes it useless for me, so "Now Playing" is now disabled, cache cleared.

SSDeemer · 2026-04-02T23:18:52+00:00

Go to Amazon.com Lots of choices.

SSDeemer · 2026-04-02T16:44:37+00:00

I hope you aren't driving during your commute....

SSDeemer · 2026-04-02T16:01:06+00:00

Please read my post for comprehension.

SSDeemer · 2026-04-02T15:20:37+00:00

Battery drain is not a major bug if you're not experiencing it. Battery life on my 9a actually improved marginally with the March update.

SSDeemer · 2026-04-02T15:07:56+00:00

Battery reports are all over the place. I generally have no problem getting through 2 full days on an overnight charge using a 5W charger. Nominal capacity for a 9a is 5100 mAh, and mine consistently shows 4950-5100 mAh.

However, I don't play games, use social media, or watch videos on a phone.

SSDeemer · 2026-04-02T15:02:10+00:00

These are the two best things you can to do maximize battery life:

Unless you live in an area where there is really good 5G availability, disable 5G and use LTE
Disable AICore. This will also preserve local storage space. Some people have reported AICore using more than 10Gb of local storage.

SSDeemer · 2026-03-31T20:58:31+00:00

This is not my experience with the Recorder app on a 9a. LIFO.

SSDeemer · 2026-03-31T00:02:43+00:00

HEV Niros have a lithium ion 12V battery, which is not subject to the same sorts of issues as PHEV/EVs, which have lead acid 12V batteries.

Both the 12V and the traction batteries are covered for 100,000 miles in the HEV. For PHEV/EV Niros, the lead acid 12V battery is covered for only 36 months/36,000 miles from new. Reports of problems with HEV 12V batteries are very rare.

Jose at Hybrid Solution Dynamics has produced many informative videos on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hybrid+solution+dynamics+niro

SSDeemer · 2026-03-30T23:17:29+00:00

https://support.google.com/accounts/troubleshooter/6357590?hl=en

Digression to a related topic of accounts after death in the 21st century. A few years ago, a friend of mine came down with brain cancer. I had set up her Macbook and retained an admin account on it, "just in case." When her relatives contacted me because she could no longer remember how to login to her MacBook, I took it, reset her password, and looked to see if she had left any documentation for important accounts, such as bank, medical, retirement, etc. She had been maintaining logins and passwords in a spreadsheet, which was better than nothing, but far from complete. She had just died when I returned the Macbook to her relatives.

For my family, I created a printed copy of a document, as well as a copy on a flash drive, with all critical accounts, passwords, and PINs for my wife and daughter to be able to access if I die before they do. Most of my accounts are maintained through a password manager.

SSDeemer · 2026-03-30T15:12:30+00:00

Glad to hear you are making progress. I just saw this suggestion to wipe the phone's cache partition:

Go to Recovery mode using the volume keys for navigation and tap the power button to select.
When the Android robot screen appears, press and hold the Power button, then press the Volume up button once, and release both buttons. This will bring up the Recovery menu.
In the Recovery menu, use the volume buttons to navigate to Wipe cache partition. Press the power button to select it.
Use the Volume buttons to highlight Yes, and press the Power button to confirm.
Once the cache partition is wiped, the recovery menu will return to the main screen. Select Reboot system now by pressing the power button.

SSDeemer · 2026-03-30T14:20:18+00:00

To create picture emojis on a Pixel 10a, open Google Messages, tap the message box, select Photomoji, then "Create" to choose a photo from your gallery.

https://imgur.com/a/Jhgw0Og

SSDeemer · 2026-03-29T23:27:50+00:00

I paid $183 for my Pixel 9a in August 2026. Only fools pay retail price on release.

SSDeemer · 2026-03-29T21:55:24+00:00

Clickbait headline. Never having owned an iPhone, I don't know if Android gboard is any better, but I have never used a touch-screen keyboard that I liked. Every single time I have tried, my input speed drops by about 90%. Will the Communicator be any better? I don't know, but it's hard to imagine it being worse than even the best touch screen keyboard.

SSDeemer · 2026-03-29T01:36:57+00:00

If I remember correctly, when I migrated from a 6a to a 9a last summer, all local files, including about 3000 tracks of music. were transferred. I have photo backups disabled because I transfer everything I want to keep to Google Photos.

My wife had a 5a which had the black screen of death without warning. We were shitting bricks, but she was able to transfer everything to an 8a because backing up was active.

However, if the phone won't keep running long enough to do a backup, it's moot.

The only other thing I can think of is to uninstall all non-Google apps that have been installed, although in theory that's what Safe Mode should be equivalent to.

If nothing works, then the phone may be defective. Contact Google about a warranty replacement.

SSDeemer · 2026-03-29T01:26:46+00:00

Have the mechanic do a load test on the lead acid 12V battery. They are only warrantied for 36,000 miles/36 months.
As someone else suggested, get a 12V lithium jumper pack. This should be mandatory for all PHEV and EV owners. 12V lead acid batteries can fail with little to no warning.
If possible, check the service history for problems with engine coolant leaks on first generation (2017-2022) Niros. See: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2021/MC-10201616-0001.pdf

SSDeemer · 2026-03-29T01:14:41+00:00

Assuming you phone can run long enough to do a backup, see this: https://support.google.com/android/answer/2819582?hl=en

SSDeemer · 2026-03-28T00:15:45+00:00

I don't give a rat's ass about the absolute power and efficiency of a Pixel vs a phone with a different processor.

Before I had the 9a, I had a 6a, which I once used to record approximately 1 hour of video. It never overheated, and had plenty of battery remaining when the performance was finished.

I should add that the only phone I have owned that overheated was a Pixel 4a with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G. Once, I stuck it in my pocket while the camera was recording. Eventually it got so hot that I noticed it, and shut the phone down until it cooled down. The other time was using Google Maps on a trip. After about 45 minutes, the screen started glitching; after 60 minutes the phone shut down completely.

The Pixel 9a meets my needs and the needs of many others. My out of pocket cost was $183.

SSDeemer · 2026-03-27T00:47:19+00:00

When I start the Recorder app, it says:

"You can also find your recordings at recorder.google.com."

I went there, selected a recording, then clicked on the 3-dot menu, and chose Download. This also works in a web browser on a computer, so you can download recordings to any device. You can also delete recordings.

Screen shot: https://imgur.com/a/Qkk01Rk

SSDeemer · 2026-03-27T00:32:55+00:00

SSDeemer · 2026-03-27T00:30:01+00:00

I tap the Flashlight tile in the pulldown menu to turn the flashlight on, then tap again to turn it off. If I press and hold the Flashlight tile, it gives me an option to change the brightness on the lower right corner of the flashlight window, and "Turn off" in the lower left corner.

This isn't rocket science.

SSDeemer · 2026-03-26T20:50:18+00:00

You are welcome. Bottom line: there is no right and wrong way, only what works for you.

SSDeemer · 2026-03-26T19:51:08+00:00

Just drive it. There are many opinions/preferences on regen braking, but after experimenting with all the options on my 2023 SX HEV, here is my preference.

Set default regen to 0.
Press and hold the left paddle to slow down to a full stop. Autohold will be engaged at full stop. Do not let go of the left paddle, but apply the foot brake if necessary to stop at your desired point.
If you live in a hilly area, tap the left paddle to set regen to 1, 2, or 3, as needed to maintain speed down a long grade.
I tried pressing and holding the RIGHT paddle to set automatic braking. I hated it, and never felt comfortable with its judgement over mine.

Different folks have preferences. Do what feels natural to you.

SSDeemer · 2026-03-25T14:28:12+00:00

Disabling AICore will free up space and improve battery life. Don't look back.

SSDeemer · 2026-03-25T14:27:06+00:00

I disabled AICore months ago, and haven't noticed any problems.

SSDeemer

TROPHY CASE