Changing These 10 Settings On My Pixel Phone Gave It A Nice Performance Boost

Even older Pixel models tin get successful connected nan optimization tweaks.

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Google Pixel phones are notorious for having hidden settings that tin greatly heighten nan personification experience.
• The database includes options for ramping up nan show refresh rate, optimizing nan artillery life, and gestures.
• I demo them connected a Pixel 9a moving connected Android 15, but newer and older package versions should person akin capabilities.

With truthful galore Google Pixel models retired successful nan wild, you whitethorn beryllium wondering if now is nan champion clip to upgrade and move phones. Perhaps a amended mobility to inquire is really you tin optimize your existent instrumentality to make it past longer. 

Like any Pixel phone, nan champion features often aren't enabled by default. I've tested generations of Google Pixel phones, and to execute nan champion personification experience, you almost ever person to do a spot of digging and research.

Also: The secrets that make Pixel 10 Pro nan world's smartest telephone camera - from wrong Google

That's why I've done nan difficult activity for you and gathered nan best, astir effective tips below, each of which are based connected a Pixel 9a running Android 15 and 16. Depending connected which Pixel exemplary and Android type you're using, nan nonstop paper locations whitethorn alteration slightly, but nan settings themselves are wide disposable crossed caller Pixel generations.

1. Enable Smooth Display

Jason Howell/ZDNet

Pixels proceed to vessel pinch a superb Actua 120Hz OLED surface group to a much blimpish 60Hz by default. It's good for artillery conservation, but if you want buttery-smooth scrolling and animations that show disconnected nan screen's afloat potential, move connected Smooth Display.

Also: 7 Google Pixel telephone settings you should alteration instantly (and really to do it)

Go to Settings > Display > Smooth Display and toggle it on. You'll instantly announcement a boost successful responsiveness erstwhile scrolling done societal feeds aliases navigating nan UI.

2. Customize Quick Tap

The Pixel's Quick Tap characteristic lets you double-tap anyplace connected nan backmost of nan telephone to trigger customizable actions -- but it's not enabled by default. You tin group it to motorboat nan camera, return a screenshot, region music, aliases unfastened your favourite app.

Also: My 7 favourite caller Android 16 features see delights for each Pixel user

Go to Settings > System > Gestures > Quick Tap, past move it connected and take your preferred shortcut. I group excavation to toggle nan flashlight, which comes successful very handy.

3. Maximize artillery life pinch Adaptive Battery and Extreme Saver

Jason Howell/ZDNet

Pixels already person coagulated artillery life, but Google's battery-saving devices return it moreover further. Adaptive Battery learns which apps you usage astir and cuts powerfulness to nan rest. Extreme Battery Saver shuts down predetermined non-essential apps to agelong powerfulness for days.

Also: The champion Android phones to bargain successful 2025

Enable some successful Settings > Battery > Battery Saver > Adaptive Battery and Battery Saver > Extreme Battery Saver. You tin besides group schedules for them to activate automatically erstwhile needed.

4. Personalize nan fastener surface pinch At a Glance

The Pixel's fastener surface tin go a mini bid halfway if you move connected its smarter widgets. At a Glance tin show formation info, upwind alerts, almanac events, and more.

Also: I upgraded to Android 16 - here's what I emotion and what's still missing

All of this happens done nan Pixel Launcher. On nan location screen, pat and clasp immoderate unfastened abstraction and prime Home settings, past pat nan settings icon for At a Glance. There, you tin negociate what kinds of accusation will look and what information sources it taps into (with your permission, of course).

As a bonus, your location surface will besides showcase this info successful nan At a Glance widget, truthful you're much apt to drawback those reminders and updates.

5. Enhance Now Playing for moreover greater opus recognition

Jason Howell/ZDNet

Now Playing is simply a cool characteristic that auto-detects songs playing astir you. The telephone displays that accusation connected your fastener surface passively. Even though nan database is awesome and stored afloat on-device, it can't place each opus retired there. That's wherever Google Search comes in.

Also: I changed 8 settings connected my Pixel telephone to dramatically amended artillery life

Head to Settings > Display > Lock Screen > Now Playing and activate Identify songs playing nearby. Then, move connected Show hunt fastener connected Lock Screen. The adjacent clip Now Playing comes up short, pat nan fastener surface icon to nonstop that audio fingerprint to Google Search for a 2nd opinion. It doesn't ever work, but erstwhile it does, you'll beryllium gladsome you did.

6. Enable app suggestions connected nan location surface

The Pixel Launcher tin aboveground app suggestions based connected individual discourse for illustration location, clip of day, and your usage habits.

Also: 6 Android location surface launchers that are amended than your default

Tap and clasp an unfastened abstraction connected nan location surface and spell to Home settings > Suggestions. Enable Suggestions connected Home Screen, past region astatine slightest 1 fixed icon from nan bottommost statement connected your Home Screen. That spot will move yellowish and statesman to dynamically displacement depending connected usage patterns. You tin moreover use this to nan full statement if you want.

7. Set up Live Translate and Interpreter Mode

Jason Howell/ZDNet

Tensor-powered Pixels support offline translator tools. Live Translate lets you automatically construe matter messages successful existent time.

Also: 6 hidden Android features each personification should cognize - and really they make life easier

Go to Settings > System > Live Translate and Add a language. Depending connected your selections, you'll unlock different features for illustration in-message translation, camera position translation, and Live Caption translator for videos. Interpreter mode still requires Google Assistant, which is becoming little cardinal now that Gemini is taking over.

8. Change your fastener surface privateness settings

By default, notifications look connected your lock screen, which intends others mightiness spot your messages. I ever set this mounting connected my caller Pixel devices.

Go to Settings > Notifications and group Sensitive notifications to Off. This keeps nan sender and app visible but hides nan connection contents. For maximum privacy, spell to Notifications connected fastener surface and prime Don't show immoderate notifications.

9. Use caller ID and spam ID to prevention clip and sanity

Pixel phones actively select spam and chartless numbers. With Caller ID and Spam, Google flags robocalls and different junk earlier you moreover answer.

Also: I replaced my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra pinch nan Pixel 10 Pro XL for a week - and can't spell back

Open nan Phone app > Settings > Caller ID and Spam. Enable See caller and spam ID, and those incoming calls will beryllium fixed a agleam reddish informing that's intolerable to ignore. If your Pixel shows nan action to move connected Filter spam calls, I urge activating that, which prevents those calls from ringing your phone, alternatively sending them straight to voicemail.

10. Dismiss notifications crossed Pixel devices

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This 1 is for nan Pixel superfans retired there. If you ain aggregate Pixel devices signed successful pinch nan aforesaid Google account, you tin sync notification dismissals crossed them.

Go to Settings > Notifications > Dismiss notifications crossed Pixel devices. Toggle connected Dismiss connected this device, assistance notification access, and take nan apps you want synced. Make judge to repetition nan process connected your different Pixel devices, and you'll ne'er spot nan aforesaid notification doubly betwixt them.

Also: Sick of ads connected Android? Change these 5 settings for much privateness - fast

A fewer mini tweaks tin spell a agelong measurement toward making your caller Pixel consciousness faster, smarter, and much personal. Whether it's your first Pixel or, for illustration me, you've mislaid count astatine this point, taking a infinitesimal to excavation into these settings helps unlock immoderate of nan champion of what Google offers.

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Follow my latest tech reviews and projects crossed societal media. You'll find maine connected YouTube astatine YouTube.com/@JasonHowell, connected X (formerly Twitter) astatine @JasonHowell, and connected Instagram astatine Instagram.com/thatjasonhowell.