Google Pixel Update Adds Battery-saving Maps Mode, Ai Photo Remixing, And Smarter Notifications

Google announced its November package update for Pixel phones, called Pixel Drop — a quarterly characteristic merchandise that brings caller capabilities to existing devices — pinch features including notification summaries, a power-saving mode for nan Maps app, prompt-based edits for Photos, and Gemini Nano-powered photograph edits successful Messages.

Apple introduced notification summaries pinch its Apple Intelligence suite of features last year. Now, Google is catching up pinch its ain notification summaries for longer chats and conversations connected Pixel 9 and later devices. The institution said that successful December, it will rotation retired a characteristic that would soundlessness low-priority notifications. By comparison, Apple has a Priority Notification characteristic that highlights important notifications.

Image credits: Google

Google is introducing a caller low-power mode for its Maps app that will darken nan surface and only show important information, including nan navigation way and specifications of nan adjacent turn. The institution said that pinch this feature, which will beryllium disposable to Pixel 10 bid users, you tin prevention up to 4 hours of artillery life.

Image Credits: Google

The institution antecedently introduced scam discovery for telephone calls utilizing Gemini Nano and on-device reside discovery for users successful nan U.S. pinch Pixel 9 and later models. It is now expanding this characteristic to users successful nan U.K., Ireland, India, Australia, and Canada.

Google is besides adding a measurement to bespeak erstwhile a connection is perchance a scam, by including a “Likely a scam” fastener successful nan notification for nan message. This builds connected nan company’s existing characteristic that analyzes a message’s contented and detects spam aliases scam.

The company’s Nano Banana image exemplary has been celebrated among users. It is now adding a characteristic called Remix, powered by that exemplary on pinch Gemini successful nan Messages app, which lets you usage a photograph and reimagine it utilizing prompts. The characteristic is being rolled retired to users successful nan U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, and New Zealand pinch RCS enabled and support for nan English language.

Google added a Pixel VIPs feature successful June that let’s you designate 8 of your closest contacts and get updates from them done a location surface widget. With nan November Pixel Drop, notifications from these contacts will beryllium prioritized. Plus, if an incident for illustration a flood has occurred successful area they unrecorded in, you would spot a situation badge successful nan contacts widget.

The institution is besides adding a caller AI-powered editing characteristic for Google Photos. Users tin pat connected “Help maine edit” and inquire Photos to “Remove Riley’s sunglasses, unfastened my eyes, make Engel grin and unfastened her eyes.” The characteristic will usage Google Photo’s look groups characteristic to admit group and use edits.

The November driblet besides expands support for a telephone transcription feature, called Call Notes, to Australia, Canada, nan U.K., Ireland, and Japan. And it brings a “Wicked: For Good” taxable battalion pinch caller wallpapers, icons, strategy sounds, and GIFs based connected nan movie for Pixel 6 and later devices.