5 Android features that Google has quietly removed.

For a platform that prides itself on flexibility and experimentation, Android has a long history of testing bold ideas. Some ideas have survived and thrived for a while. Others weren't exactly failures, but they disappeared without much explanation, joining the list of phone features that no longer exist. What makes these losses so regrettable is that many of those features were quite good. People used them, they'll always remember them. And in some cases, nothing really replaces them.

Android Beam

Share everything with just a tap on your phone.

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Android Beam is one of those features that makes people exclaim, "That's cool!" the first time they see it. Introduced in 2011 with Android 4.0, if you want to send photos, map locations, or contacts to friends, you don't need to open a menu, wait for the device list to appear, or pair via Bluetooth . You simply unlock your phone, lightly tap the back of your friend's phone, and tap the screen when it prompts you "Touch to Beam." It uses NFC (Near Field Communication) to initiate the connection process and Bluetooth to transfer data.

Google officially stopped supporting Android Beam in Android 10 and completely removed it in Android 14.

Now on Tap

Contextual information at the touch of a button.

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Before Google Assistant (and Gemini ) became the voice-controlled artificial intelligence we know today, there was a brief but glorious period when we had Now on Tap.

Launched alongside Android Marshmallow (Android 6.0 and above), Now on Tap is a feature that provides contextual information from your screen. By pressing and holding the Home button, Google will instantly scan the text and images currently displayed on the screen and show you relevant information "tags".

Google eventually replaced this feature with Google Assistant (along with Gemini) and then Google Lens .

Dayfly VR

A gateway to another world in your pocket.

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There was a time when Google believed the future of virtual reality lay not in expensive computer setups, but in the smartphone already in your pocket. This initiative was called Daydream VR.

Daydream is a platform integrated into Android Nougat that transforms compatible phones (like Pixel and Moto Z) into virtual reality displays. You place your phone in a comfortable, fabric-covered headset (Daydream View), hold a small motion controller, and instantly you're in a virtual movie theater, a game world, or visiting a museum.

Google quietly discontinued hardware support for Daydream View in 2019, marking it as one of Google's biggest failures, and software support officially ended with Android 11 .

Trusted Face

Unlock with a smile

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We take biometric security for granted today, but years before Face ID , Android already had Trusted Face.

As part of the "Smart Lock" feature set, this feature uses the front camera to unlock your phone as soon as you turn on the screen. It's incredibly convenient because you don't need to swipe or wait for a dedicated infrared scanner. If the camera recognizes you, the phone will unlock.

Google removed Trusted Face in Android 10. While secure face unlock has returned on newer devices like the Pixel 8 (using advanced Machine Learning and autofocus cameras), widespread system-level use of "Trusted Face" on almost every Android device is a thing of the past.

Miracast

Screen mirroring without connecting devices.

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Before "casting" became synonymous with buying a Google Chromecast , Android supported an open standard called Miracast.

Miracast is essentially "HDMI over Wi-Fi". It allows your Android phone to project its screen directly onto a Smart TV, Roku, or Amazon Fire Stick without the need for a specific app or proprietary connection device. It's built into Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and works very well for displaying holiday photos or playing mobile games on a large screen. It's open-source, popular, and free.

However, with the release of Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), Google quietly removed native Miracast support from Android.

It's hard to forget these Android features.

Looking back, it's easy to spot a pattern. Google removed features not because they failed, but because they were always moving forward. However, if you experienced these ideas at their peak, Android never felt the same again.