Google's August system update brings Tap to Share and phone files on a laptop
Google's monthly release notes for Play services and the Play Store list several new device-to-device features, though not all of them are widely available yet.
Every month Google publishes release notes for the pieces of Android that update through the Play Store rather than through a full phone update — Play services, the Play Store app, and the Play system update. The August 2026 notes, covered by 9to5Google, list a few changes that are easy to notice.
Tap to Share lets you hold two phones together to pass across contact information, photos, videos, links, or your location, instead of hunting for a share menu. Google also says you can now reach files on your phone from a laptop, and view and manage your phone's notifications on a tablet or laptop. On the Play Store side, there are curated app bundles that install a set of related apps together, video highlights for apps and games, and improved Play Protect detection of potentially harmful apps.
An important caveat: these are changelog entries, not a launch announcement. 9to5Google points out that a feature showing up in these notes does not mean it is switched on for everyone, and some take months to reach all phones. Google did not state region-specific availability for these items.
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