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New features have arrived for the Pixel family

The front and back of a Pixel phone with the text "Pixel Feature Drop December 2022"
10:25

It’s the gift that keeps on giving: the latest Pixel Feature Drop is here. It’s our biggest one to date — and a first for Google Pixel Watch — centered around making your life easier. Updates begin rolling out to Pixel 4a through the latest Pixel 7 and 7 Pro and Pixel Watch today. Take a look at what’s new.

Surf safely (the web, that is)

Pixel 7 and 7 Pro now include VPN by Google One at no extra cost, so your online activity is protected at a network level no matter what app or web browser you’re using.1 Whether it's the airport or your local coffee shop, VPN by Google One is built to help ensure your network traffic can’t be tied to your identity. Learn more about how VPN by Google One gives you an extra layer of online protection here.

New unified security & privacy settings

Now, you can review your security and privacy settings, risk levels, and other information all in one place, making it easy to protect your phone, accounts and passwords. This includes new action cards that notify you of any security risks and give you easy steps to enhance your privacy and security.

Image of new security and privacy settings on Pixel phone

Did you hear? Calls are clear!

There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to hear the person on the other end of your phone call. With Clear calling, your Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro now enhances the other caller’s voice and reduces their background noise, so you’ll be able to hear them clearly if they’re in a noisy place — all thanks to Tensor G2.2

Image of how to turn on clear calling in your Pixel’s settings

Keep track of who said what

Pixel’s Recorder just got even smarter with speaker labels. When you record and transcribe a conversation in English with a Pixel 6 or newer, Recorder now identifies and labels each speaker and inserts line breaks when the speaker changes. You can record an interview, meeting, lecture, or conversation with each person labeled individually. This feature uses machine learning to process speaker labeling live and on-device, so you can watch it work as you record. And once the recording is complete, you can easily re-label speakers with their names.

Image of Recorder transcribing a conversation live

Get more insights into your sleep

With Fitbit Sleep Profile now available for Pixel Watch, you’ll learn more about how you catch your ZZZs and what your sleeping style means, plus get tips for better rest.3 This beloved Fitbit Premium4 feature takes into account 10 different aspects of sleep — including duration, bedtime consistency and disruption — to depict your patterns with one of six sleep animals. With these profiles and insights to portray your sleep habits, the results can adjust monthly based on your personal metrics and behavior, so you reflect and take action to adjust your sleep. Wear your Pixel Watch to bed for at least 14 nights each month, and you’ll see your results on the first day of the following month.

Fitbit Premium Sleep analysis as shown in the Fitbit app, including trends, Sleep Score and Sleep Profile, alongside Sleep Score on a Google Pixel Watch.

Breathe easier with cough and snore detection, now available on Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Pixel can help you understand what affects your sleep, like coughing and snoring activity during the night or time spent on your phone at bedtime. Set up Bedtime mode in Clock and Digital Wellbeing settings to easily access these features.5

Make your Pixel Phone and Watch more you

Customize your Pixel Phone with three new Curated Culture wallpapers to celebrate International Day of People with Disabilities. Illustrated by artist, poet, podcaster, and author Morgan Harper Nichols, this work is inspired by real-life interactions and stories.

  • New Curated Culture wallpapers celebrate International Day of People with Disabilities
  • New Curated Culture wallpapers celebrate International Day of People with Disabilities
  • New Curated Culture wallpapers celebrate International Day of People with Disabilities

Our new Live Bloom wallpaper collection also brings your Pixel screen to life with images that shift and sway when your phone moves.

Image of Live Bloom wallpaper shifting with your phone

There are also more ways to customize what’s on your wrist with a suite of new tiles for popular apps to make important information just a swipe away. We’ve added the Sunrise/Sunset Tile from the Weather app to help you plan your day better around when the sun rises and sets. With the Contacts app, we’re making it even easier to keep in touch with your favorite people. You can pin up to five contacts from your Favorites so you can call or text them and see their contact details with just a tap.

The Sunset Tile is displayed on a Pixel Watch, showing when the sun will set that day.
The Contact app shows the five favorite contacts on a Pixel Watch.

Plus, more helpful features in more places

These existing features are expanding to more regions, languages and devices:

  • Digital car key — a feature that lets you lock, unlock and start a compatible car using just your phone — can now be shared with friends and family who need access to your vehicle. You can share your digital car key across Pixel and iPhone, and soon on select phones with Android 12+. You can find more details here.
  • Grammar Check on Gboard is now available in French (in addition to Spanish and English).
  • Live Translate can now translate texts in your messaging apps (both sent and received) in five more languages: Arabic, Persian, Swedish, Vietnamese and Danish.6
  • A more powerful search is now available on Pixel 4a and newer Pixel phones, so you can quickly find what you’re looking for — whether that’s an app, contact, screenshot, setting or web result.
  • Voice Message Transcription in Messages now supports Pixel 4a and newer Pixel phones.

And more to look forward to in the new year

Fully immerse yourself in your media with spatial audio, coming in January. When paired with Pixel Buds Pro, your Pixel will support spatial audio with head tracking, so you’ll feel like you’re right at the center of your favorite movies and shows.7 You can also turn on spatial audio with wired headphones. Your apartment will practically feel like a private home theater.


More Information


1

Restrictions apply. Some data is not transmitted through VPN. Not available in all countries. All other Google One membership benefits sold separately. This VPN offer does not impact price or benefits of Google One Premium plan. Use of VPN may increase data costs depending on your plan. See g.co/pixel/vpn for details.

2

Not available on VOIP calls. Call quality depends on the environment, carrier network conditions, and other factors. Actual results may vary.

3

Requires Fitbit account and mobile app, and Fitbit Premium membership. Not intended for medical purposes. Consult your healthcare professional for questions about your health. Feature not available in all countries or languages.

4

Six month membership included for new and returning Fitbit users. Valid payment method required. Membership must be activated within 60 days of device activation and canceled before membership ends to avoid subscription fees ($9.99/month or $79.99/year).

5

The Digital Wellbeing app is not intended to diagnose, cure, mitigate, prevent or treat any disease or condition. It is intended to provide information that can help you find a balance with technology that feels right for you. If you have any concerns about your health, please talk to a healthcare provider. Google does not guarantee or warrant that this feature can be used to achieve particular results. See g.co/pixel/digitalwellbeing for more information.

6

Available only on Pixel 6 or newer Pixel phones. Not available in all languages or countries. Not available on all media or apps. See g.co/pixel/livetranslate for more information.

7

Available only on Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Requires compatible app and supported content. Pixel Buds Pro sold separately.


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