October Pixel Drop: Helpful enhancements for your devices

We're always working to make your Pixel phones even better with regular software updates that are packed with new features and improvements. We're now calling these updates "Pixel Drops," and they'll include updates across your Pixel devices on an ongoing basis. Today's Pixel Drop brings AI-powered helpfulness expansions, camera improvements, new safety features and more to Pixel phones, tablets and watches. In addition to the features below, Android 15 starts rolling out today.

Previously announced with the launch of Pixel Buds Pro 2, you can now access Gemini on all Pixel Buds models. Whether you have Pixel Buds Pro, Pixel Buds A-Series or the original Pixel Buds, you can talk to Gemini to get walking directions, ask for info from your emails, or brainstorm out loud with Gemini Live. Simply say: “Hey Google, let’s talk” to start a conversation.

And Gemini Live is now widely available for all Pixel users, free of charge. We’re also expanding to new languages – including German and Portuguese — so more people can chat through new ideas or converse on the go.

You can now use Gemini to help you find something you saved in Pixel Screenshots, from wherever you are on your phone. All you have to do is long press power and ask Gemini to “find the brand of sneakers I saved in Screenshots” and Gemini will take you to the screenshot you were looking for.

Audio Magic Eraser reduces distracting sounds in your videos, like howling winds or noisy crowds. Now new editing capabilities let you turn specific sounds up or down, and separate voices to independently change their volumes, making the audio in your videos crystal clear. This feature is now available on Pixel 8 and newer phones.

You can now use any waterproof case to capture your favorite under-the-sea moments, like snorkeling or swimming, with improved underwater photography and video recording that makes colors look richer and more accurate.

Your favorite astrophotography feature is getting a useful update, letting you easily take stunning photos of the stars with Night Sight on Pixel. You’ll soon be able to access the astrophotography feature in the Night Sight slider. Just tap the Night Sight icon, slide to Astro, and press the shutter button. You'll have  seconds to set the phone down facing the sky, and then you'll be capturing beautiful pictures of the night sky. Perfect for capturing things like the recent Aurora Borealis in the US.

The Thermometer app on Pixel 8 Pro now lets you use your camera to help target exactly what you want to measure.Use the viewfinder to get live temperature readings on almost any surface, and save the results to reference them later.

If you’re worried about seasonal allergies, we’ve got you covered! The Pixel Weather app is introducing a pollen tracker so you can check current pollen index levels, pollen types and forecasts before stepping outside.

Additionally, the new Pixel Weather App is expanding to more Pixel phones, bringing helpful features like AQI and humidity levels to more devices.

Finding the best widgets for your Pixel phone is now easier. Now when you long press the home screen to customize how it looks, you’ll get recommendations for categories of widgets, like Social or Entertainment, and a preview of how they’ll look on your home screen.

Call Screen is getting an upgrade in the UK and Japan. A more human-sounding voice can talk to the caller and show you what they’re saying in real time, helping you decide if you want to pick up. Additionally, we’re bringing improved replies to the UK so you can respond to things like appointment confirmations and reservations without having to answer the phone.

Theft protection is a suite of tools that protects your device if it’s ever stolen. Theft Detection Lock uses Google AI and the phone’s motion sensors to detect if someone snatches your phone from your hand and tries to run, bike or drive away and can automatically lock your phone screen. You can also use Remote Lock to quickly lock your phone using any device with just your phone number and a quick security challenge, giving you more time to recover your accounts.

We know you have apps with sensitive information you want to keep from prying eyes. With Android 15 on Pixel, you can create a separate space for apps you don’t want others to see and keep them protected with a separate PIN.

We’re also making it easier for your phone to automatically adjust the vibration intensity of ringtones, notifications and alerts. This way, you can hear your phone in noisy environments and not be interrupted in quiet spaces like a library or an office.

Get to your favorite, most frequent contacts even easier with the individual contact tile on all three generations of Pixel Watch. This new tile lets you pick which contact to prominently display and use quick actions to call, message or open the contact for more details with just a tap.

You can now send and view select emoji reactions to Gmail notifications and in the Gmail app directly from your Pixel Watch. Try it out and send a thumbs up or a smiley face response to your next email.

Earlier this year, Pixel Watch 3 introduced Loss of Pulse Detection, a first-to-market feature that can identify when someone’s heart suddenly stops beating due to conditions such as cardiac arrest, poisoning or respiratory arrest, and then prompt their paired phone or watch to call emergency services for help.Loss of Pulse is now available for Pixel Watch 3 users in three more countries: Belgium, Italy and Spain.

Soon, you can easily transfer media from your Pixel Tablet to your Pixel phone with the new casting feature coming in the next few weeks. All you have to do is bring your phone close to your tablet and what you’re playing on Spotify or YouTube music will seamlessly move over without the extra steps of tapping the cast icon.

Your Pixel phone and Pixel Tablet now work together to make it easier to manage notifications. When you dismiss a notification on one device, it will disappear from your other devices. To get this clutter-free experience, you need to enable the feature in settings and be connected to Wi-Fi.

With the home panel screensaver, you can now easily access controls for your smart home devices and camera feeds while the tablet is idle and charging.