Pixel VIPs, Android 16 and more updates in the June Pixel Drop

Your Pixel just got an upgrade with the June Pixel Drop, full of new features and updates that make your devices more helpful, personalized and accessible. ¹ Android 16 also starts rolling out to Pixel devices today. Here are a few new things you can do with your Pixel!

1. Keep your loved ones even closer with Pixel VIPs.

Friends and family are the VIPs in your life — and now you can make them the VIPs in your phone. Available only on Pixel, the new Pixel VIPs widget from the Contacts app helps you stay connected to your favorite people. To get the best Pixel VIPs experience, make sure you add as many details as you can, like birthdays, emails, home addresses and preferences. You can view your last call and message with your VIPs (including ones from WhatsApp), see their location when shared, receive updates for important events like birthdays and more. VIPs can also bypass Do Not Disturb, so you can always stay in touch with the people who matter to you most. ² And sensitive data – like your call log or content of your messages – never leaves your device.

2. Create fun, custom stickers in Gboard, powered by Pixel Studio.

With help from Pixel Studio, you can create a sticker of nearly anything you can imagine right on Gboard, thanks to generative AI. ³ Simply type in your prompt, choose the right emotion and send, without having to switch apps. Need some ideas? An excited jelly avocado, a sad starfish wearing sunglasses, sparkly blue sneakers — these are just a few of the many possibilities. You can even make stickers from photos in your camera roll — the background from an image will be automatically removed so the object of focus becomes your sticker.

3. Rely on expanded availability for favorite Pixel features.

We’re bringing existing Pixel features to even more users. Satellite SOS is now available in Australia, so you can connect with emergency services without a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. ⁴ And the Recorder app can now provide AI-generated summaries of your recordings in French and German. ⁵

We’re also bringing Clear voice in the Recorder App to Pixel 8 phones, so you can remove background noises from recordings for crystal-clear audio. ⁶

4. Advance your photography skills.

Pixel users can now tap the question mark icon in the upper right hand corner of Pixel’s Camera to see visual inspiration of what each mode does, along with helpful how-to instructions. This new education hub will help you to get the most out of your Pixel Camera.

5. Try enhanced accessibility features.

You can now use live search in the Magnifier ⁷ app in Pixel to help you learn more about your surroundings in real time — without needing to take a picture first. Instead, you can type what you’re looking for, like an item on a menu, and Magnifier will highlight matches on the screen as you move your phone. Your phone will also give a little vibration when it finds something.

Now you can also use new LE audio features with hearing aids on Pixel 9 and newer phones running Android 16. This makes it easy for you to take calls on the go and access your hearing aid presets, as well as change your ambient volume through your Pixel phone settings. ⁸

6. Get more details from Expressive Captions.

Expressive Captions ⁹ aims to understand the intensity, nuance and emotion conveyed through speech and now it can even capture elongated words (yessss!). And it’s available in even more countries beyond the U.S., including Canada, the U.K. and Australia.

7. Try AI-powered editing in Google Photos.

Soon, editing in Google Photos ¹⁰ will put more power at your fingertips so you can fine-tune your pics in just a few steps. You’ll get AI-powered suggestions that enhance your photos in just a single tap, plus instant access to recommended tools based on what you select to edit and easier access to your favorite tools for complete control.

For the full list of features arriving on your devices in June, check out our community forum post. And be sure to check out more new features coming to Android starting today.