- The latest Google Pixel Drop brings some important updates
- These include improved support for Circle to Search and AirDrop.
- Some features are exclusive to the Google Pixel 10
Hot on the heels of Samsung’s Unpacked event that gave us the Galaxy S26 series devices complete with a suite of new AI-powered software, Google announced new Android features coming to Pixel phones, including a couple of new S26 toys.
They will come in the next Pixel Drop that will roll out to Google phones, although some updates are limited to only the latest generation of Pixel 10 or will require downloading an additional app. We will highlight them as we go.
There are plenty of updates on the way, but here we pick the six best ones from the Google Pixel Drop announcement.
Look
1. Find your next outfit with Circle to Search
Circle to Search shines as a tool for finding clothes you see in person or online. You simply circle the person in the image and the AI will help you find similar shirts, skirts, and shoes for you (as well as anything else it can see they’re wearing). It works great, but it can be a little tedious to search for each item in an outfit if you want to mimic someone’s entire look rather than just a few elements of it.
With the new clothing search option, Circle to Search will search for an entire fit in one go, giving you a few options for each item as you search for them, and if you give the app a selfie, you can even use AI to try on the style virtually.
The only disappointment is that this feature is currently limited to Pixel 10 phones.
2. Magic Cue can help with social plans
A bit like Samsung’s new Now Nudge feature, Magic Cue can analyze your text chats to offer helpful AI automations without you having to switch apps. For example, if your friends want to meet next Saturday at a bakery near a movie theater, Magic Cue will appear on your phone’s keyboard with a Gemini automation to search for bakeries in that area open on the weekend, which you could suggest.
The main difference with Now Nudge is that it doesn’t appear to use your calendar or other information to inform its suggestions, although that could land in the future.
3. Now Playing App
Now Playing is one of the best phone tools out there for music lovers. It allows your Pixel to easily identify and find the songs it’s listening to while you’re out and about. With the latest version of the Pixel, it now has a new home in a dedicated Now Playing app.
This app will not only identify what’s currently playing, but it will also keep track of the tracks you’ve listened to throughout the day and offer links to find them on the streaming service of your choice.
As a Samsung convert, Now Playing is the feature I miss the most and I’m even more jealous of Pixel users because of this addition.
4. AirDrop on Pixel?
Taking a cue from Apple instead of Samsung for this next entry, Quick Share on Pixel phones now has more support for Apple’s AirDrop so you can easily and securely send photos, videos, and files between Pixels, iPhones, iPads, and Macs without an Internet connection.
This expands on a feature that the Google Pixel 10 introduced last year to make it even easier to work and share between different devices.
5. Find my luggage
Another Apple-like feature, this time inspired by AirTag, a new item location sharing feature in Find Hub will let you share the location of your lost tracker with others.
Google highlights that this will be useful for locating lost luggage, as you can share the location with an airline if your suitcase goes missing, but you can also choose to stop sharing your location at any time.
6. Hands-free watch controls
Lastly, we have a Pixel Watch update that lets you control your smartwatch without needing to touch the screen.
One-hand gestures let you answer calls or play music by double-pinching with your watch hand, or dismiss calls and notifications by flicking your wrist.
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