If you’ve got a Pixel phone like the Google Pixel 8, then you get treated to extra software updates outside of the usual Android upgrades – and we’ve got some clues about what could be coming up in the next Pixel feature drop.
According to some detailed analysis of the latest Android beta code by Android Central, it would appear that some handy tweaks and additions are on the way to Pixel phones, covering everything from Bluetooth to screen recording.
In terms of Bluetooth, you’ll apparently be able to tap the Quick Settings tile to quickly switch between Bluetooth devices, rather than having to delve into Settings. Speaking of Quick Settings tiles, you’re also going to be able to share Wi-Fi login details with other people just by tapping on the Internet option.
When it comes to user privacy, it would seem the next Pixel drop will make it easier to see which apps are currently using the microphone and camera, and to quickly disconnect any apps that you don’t want to be accessing these parts of your phone.
Notifications and updates
Other changes concern notifications: it looks as though you’re going to be given the option to hide notifications while mirroring your screen or recording something happening on screen, which is good news if you regularly do either.
As per the report, updates are going to install more quickly after the software upgrade rolls out. Android updates already happen in the background to minimize user disruption, but this can be quite a slow process – thanks to some technical trickery, the downloading and installing should be faster in the future.
Other changes that are apparently on the way (unless Google changes its mind) include a search box on the taskbar, small updates to the way battery management is handled, and more information on the weather lock screen clock.
As Android Central points out, not every new feature in a Pixel drop is explicitly mentioned by Google, so it’s important to be aware of what’s coming so that you don’t miss anything. The update is expected to roll out sometime in May.
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