These 5 Android features are gone forever — here’s why

Android updates don’t just bring new features — they also quietly kill off old ones. While some losses go unnoticed, others frustrate longtime users.

SlahGear shared five Android functions that have vanished, and what replaced them.

Live Folders

One of the earliest features of Android 1.5 Cupcake allowed you to display contacts, email, and other dynamic data on the home screen without opening apps. With Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, this option was replaced by more flexible and attractive widgets. The idea didn't disappear; it was reborn in an improved form.

Android Beam

The NFC feature, introduced with Android 4.0, allowed users to transfer links, contacts, and, later, photos and videos by simply touching two devices together. With the release of Android 10, Google officially ended support for Beam. Third-party developers offered similar capabilities, and NFC remained essential for mobile payments.

Support for Miracast

Android 4.2 introduced built-in screen mirroring to TVs via the Miracast protocol. However, in Android 6 Marshmallow, the company switched to its own Chromecast standard, which later evolved into Google TV Streamer. As a result, Miracast was only available through third-party solutions.

Widgets on the lock screen

Introduced in Android 4.2, widgets displayed mail, notifications, or the clock as soon as the smartphone was unlocked. However, due to possible privacy risks, Google removed the feature in Android 5 Lollipop. Now, Google is preparing a comeback first on the Pixel Tablet and then on phones with Android 16 Baklava, following the success of a similar solution in iOS 16.

Infrared blaster

Android 4.4 KitKat introduced native support for infrared transmitters, but only smartphones with a built-in IR laser, such as the LG G5 or Samsung Galaxy S6, could use it. As Bluetooth and Wi-Fi control became more popular, interest in IR ports decreased, and Google quietly abandoned the feature. Today, only a few Xiaomi models still have it.

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