With some telephones, the {hardware} itself is the first level of enchantment.Google’s self-made Pixel gadgets take a decidedly completely different method. Sure, the shells across the telephones are as shiny and purty as any of ’em — but it surely’s what’s inside that basically units the Pixel aside.Plain and easy, Google’s Android software program is in a league of its personal. And apart from the thoughtfully designed, platform-consistent interface and the shortage of obnoxious and infrequently over-the-top experience-harming additions so many different producers like to lard into their Android environments, Pixels are full of genuinely helpful options that faucet into Google’s high-tech smarts and make your life simpler in some small however important methods.But in some instances, it is as much as you to search out the options and activate ’em earlier than they will be accessible.So right this moment, we’ll choose up the place we left off with our earlier Pixel settings assortment and discover a slew of spectacular buried Pixel settings value surfacing. Find ’em, flip ’em on, after which come take a look at my free Pixel Academy e-course to uncover much more Googley magic lurking inside your favourite Pixel cellphone.Google Pixel setting No. 1: Your sensible storage sorcererPhone-makers like to push the narrative that you should drop extra {dollars} on gadgets with outsized quantities of native house — however for many of us, the fact is that native cellphone storage is little greater than a brief holding vessel for stuff that is quickly to be backed up, synced, and accessible wherever, anyway. That’s very true with images and movies, which are usually the most important shoppers of native cellphone storage. As lengthy as you are utilizing Google Photos to sync all of your stuff, there isn’t any have to hold the redundant native copies round. And your Pixel could make it extremely simple to filter that digital crud and hold your native storage spacious.Provided you have already arrange Photos to again up your pictures and movies, simply observe these quick steps:
Open up the Files app in your cellphone.
Tap the three-line menu icon within the upper-left nook of the display and choose “Settings.”
Look for the road labeled “Smart Storage” and flip the toggle subsequent to it into the on place.
And that is it: From that second ahead, your Pixel will robotically blast away the native copies of any images or movies which can be already backed as much as the Photos service. You will not discover a factor, virtually talking — aside from the truth that your Pixel all the time has loads of room to go round.Google Pixel setting No. 2: Your sensible safety sidekickThis subsequent one is technically one thing that is a part of Android itself, but it surely’s completely an vital piece of the general Pixel image.It’s a simple technique to make your cellphone simpler to entry whenever you’re in a secure situation — however then nonetheless hold it totally secured when an additional layer of safety is most pertinent. And you have acquired a number of intriguing choices for the way it can work.To get began:
Open up your Pixel’s system settings (by swiping down twice from the highest of the display and tapping the gear-shaped icon on the backside of the panel that comes up).
Tap “Security” adopted by “Smart Lock.”
You’ll then be prompted to place in your password, sample, or PIN earlier than you’ll be able to proceed. If you have not already set a password, sample, or PIN, cease what you are doing instantly, bop your self uponst the nostril forcefully, and discover the choice inside that very same settings part to get that arrange now.
Check out the accessible Smart Lock choices and see which of ’em take advantage of sense for you.
The most suitable choice, if you happen to ask me, is “Trusted Devices” — which retains your cellphone unlocked each time it is linked to a particular Bluetooth machine (like your automotive or your favourite headphones).”Trusted Places” is beneficial for preserving your cellphone unlocked everytime you’re in a particular, secure geographical location — like your house, your batcave, or your private hen coop. Just be warned that it may be a bit finicky at instances, so hold onto this useful Smart Lock Trusted Places repair in case you might have points with it working reliably down the highway.”On-Body Detection” is the broadest Smart Lock possibility. It’ll hold your cellphone unlocked anytime you unlock it after which stay in movement — strolling, dancing, fleeing from rogue chickens, or regardless of the case could also be.Activate all or any of ’em, relying in your preferences, and watch correct safety get a heck of loads simpler to handle. Google Pixel setting No. 3: Your emergency helperThis subsequent Pixel characteristic is not precisely enjoyable, but it surely most actually may very well be useful in the precise kind of state of affairs.It’s a sophisticated system that may really detect whenever you’ve been in a automotive crash after which alert the correct authorities if you happen to’re unable to reply.But, as with so many Googley treasures, the onus is on you to search out and allow it earlier than it’s going to be accessible:
Fire up the Safety app inside your common Pixel app drawer (by swiping upward from the underside of the display while on your house display).
Open it and observe the prompts to check in and add an emergency contact and medical info, if you happen to’re so inclined.
Once you get to the principle Safety display, faucet the gear-shaped icon within the upper-left nook, then faucet “Car crash detection.”
Flip the toggle on the prime of the display into the on place.
JRNow, in case your cellphone ever detects that you’ve got been in an accident, it’s going to vibrate, sound an alarm, and ask if you happen to need assistance. If you do not reply after a sure period of time, it’s going to then robotically contact 911 for you and share your location together with any automotive crash information it has accessible.With any luck, you will by no means want that characteristic. But it is a good little bit of assurance to know it is there and prepared simply in case.Google Pixel setting No. 4: Your dwelling display themerOn a a lot lighter word, your favourite Google Pixel cellphone has the hidden energy to remodel all of the icons on your house display in order that they all the time match the coloring of your present wallpaper.It’s a part of the Android 12-and-up Material You design system, and it is an extremely cool visible contact that makes your machine really feel perpetually contemporary and customized. Trust me: Once you get used to having it enabled, you will not need to return.To activate the system, supplied you are utilizing a Pixel cellphone latest sufficient to have Android 12 (and also you’re utilizing the default Pixel Launcher setup):
Press and maintain any open house in your Pixel’s dwelling display.
Tap “Wallpaper & style” within the menu that pops up.
Scroll down and activate the toggle inside the “Themed icons” line.
Now simply head again to your house display and mumble a number of magic phrases for good measure — and similar to that, it’s best to see your entire icons immediately coloured to enrich your present wallpaper. JRBest of all? Anytime you modify your wallpaper transferring ahead, the icons will robotically replace themselves to match — with out your a lot as even lifting considered one of your fancy little fingies once more.Google Pixel setting No. 5: Your darkish temper supervisorAndroid’s Dark Theme is a good way to make your Pixel’s display much less glary within the night hours. If you are something like me, although, you may choose having a lighter and brighter background through the day.Well, your Pixel has an choice to robotically swap between its Dark Theme and the usual lighter various by itself — based mostly both on a set time schedule or on the sundown and dawn in your present location.Here’s tips on how to discover it:
Open up your Pixel’s system settings.
Tap “Display,” then faucet the road labeled “Dark Theme.” (Make positive you faucet the precise phrases and never the toggle subsequent to ’em.)
Tap “Schedule,” and choose whichever sample you favor.
JRGoogle Pixel setting No. 6: Your nighttime display enhancerAndroid’s Dark Theme is good and all, however personally, my favourite screen-enhancing possibility is the Night Light characteristic constructed into the Pixel’s software program.Night Light applies an amber-colored tinting to your cellphone’s display to make it simpler on the eyes in dim environments. It’s superior to have enabled within the night hours — but it surely’s a problem to recollect to manually toggle it on and off each time you need it.Not to worry, although, on your Pixel has a useful technique to deal with that heavy lifting. And all you have gotta do is take 20 seconds to set it up:
Head again into your Pixel’s system settings.
Tap “Display” adopted by “Night Light” (and once more be sure you faucet the precise phrases and never the toggle alongside ’em).
Tap “Schedule,” and choose both a customized time routine or to have your Pixel flip the Night Light mode on robotically from sundown to dawn daily.
All that is left is to bask within the glow of your freshly optimized smartphone screenery. Bask, gersh dern it!Google Pixel setting No. 7: Your battery-boosting buddyFew issues are extra irritating than operating out of battery energy earlier than a day is finished. Your Pixel has some sensible methods that can assist you stretch out no matter stamina you have acquired and get your self safely to sleepytime — and if you happen to get ’em amped up and configured proper now, you will by no means have to consider it once more.Go, go gadget safety sequence:
Scoot your manner again into your Pixel system settings.
Tap “Battery” adopted by “Battery Saver.”
Tap “Set a schedule” and choose both “Based on your routine,” to have your Pixel activate its power-saving Battery Mode when it thinks you are prone to want it — or “Based on percentage,” if you need it to easily kick in when your cellphone reaches a sure remaining proportion degree of energy.
If you might have a comparatively latest Pixel and need to take your energy safety up a notch from there, again out to the principle “Battery Saver” display and search for the road labeled “Extreme Battery Saver.” That’ll allow you to allow an much more aggressive power-saving setup that may both activate itself robotically each time Battery Saver will get triggered or can come up as an possibility each time you attain that standing.(The Extreme Battery Saver might or might not additionally activate anytime you are enjoying the 90s power-ballad “More Than Words.” I’ve but to substantiate this, however I actually hope it occurs.)Google Pixel setting No. 8: Your notification reminiscenceAll proper, riddle me this: How many instances have you ever seen some kind of vital notification in your cellphone — then inadvertently swiped it away on accident?If you are as butter-fingered as I’m, the reply might be someplace round “way too many times.” But whether or not that flub-up occurs to you continually or subsequent to by no means, it is nicely value your whereas to allow your Pixel’s tucked-away notification historical past characteristic, which’ll make it simple to look again at dismissed notifications anytime.Just mosey your manner again into these system settings as soon as once more, then:
Tap “Notifications” and search for the road labeled “Notification history.”
Tap it, and faucet it good!
On the display that comes up subsequent, flip the toggle subsequent to “Use notification history” into the on place.
Now, anytime you might have a minimum of one notification current, you will see a particular “History” possibility on the backside of the notification panel. JRTapping that can take you to an inventory of all of your lately dismissed notifications, the place you’ll be able to work together with ’em, curse at ’em, or fake they’re chickens and chase ’em round till you all fall right into a feathery pile of laughing beaks.Google Pixel setting No. 9: Your quick cellphone silencerGive your self a super-simple technique to silence your Pixel at a second’s discover by flipping in your cellphone’s implausible Flip to Shhh characteristic:
March again into your Pixel’s settings. Get these digital legs up excessive!
Tap “System” then “Gestures.”
Look for the road labeled “Flip to Shhh.”
Tap it, then flip the toggle on the subsequent display into the on place.
Once that is finished, you’ll be able to silence your Pixel instantly just by flipping it face down on any flat floor. As quickly as you choose it again up, your earlier sound settings will probably be restored.Google Pixel setting No. 10: Your energy button fixLast however not least, you probably have a latest Pixel mannequin — the Pixel 6 or later — do your self an enormous favor and repair one smartphone setting Google acquired severely incorrect.By default with the Pixel 6 and up, urgent and holding your cellphone’s bodily energy button pulls up the Google Assistant. And when you’ve acquired loads of distinctive Pixel-specific superior Assistant actions accessible, you have additionally acquired loads of different methods to drag up Assistant whenever you need it.So except you want having that further Assistant-summoning possibility and revel in needing to leap by way of further hoops to get to your precise energy menu — y’know, that on-screen sequence of choices that makes it simple to close down or restart your cellphone (which explains the ability button is even referred to as the ability button, for cryin’ out loud) — take 20 seconds to revive the ability button’s correct objective and ship that Assistant connection a-packin’.Here’s all there may be to it:
Open up your cellphone’s settings.
Tap “System” adopted by “Gestures.”
Find the road labeled “Press and hold power button” and faucet it — ideally while muttering alternative obscenities beneath your breath.
Tap the toggle subsequent to “Hold for Assistant” to show it into the off place.
Breathe a heavy sigh of aid.
And there you might have it — 10 out-of-sight Pixel settings, dug up and found (plus the unique seven we waded by way of earlier). Whew! That’s numerous enchancment for an already-excellent cellphone.And that is additionally simply the beginning of our Pixel-enhancing adventures. Come be part of my free Pixel Academy e-course for seven full days of pleasant Pixel information — beginning with some highly effective camera-centric smarts and transferring from there to superior picture magic, next-level nuisance reducers, and oodles of different alternatives for useful Pixel intelligence.You’ve already taken step one by palming a Pixel product. Now take your expertise up a notch and begin tapping into all the pieces your Pixel can do for you.

Copyright © 2022 IDG Communications, Inc.