The Google Pixel 8a is probably the most feature-rich mid-range Pixel cellphone but, sporting the identical nice AI options and Tensor G3 processor because the dearer Pixel 8. In a nutshell, which means there are a ton of fantastic options that you have to try.But which of them must you attempt first? We’ve bought an inventory of all the primary issues you might want to do along with your Google Pixel 8a to get the most effective expertise. From Audio Magic Eraser to VPN, Google’s AI-based name screening, and even automotive crash detection, Pixels accomplish that far more than you most likely realized. There’s a motive the Pixel A-series sits atop our checklist of greatest low-cost Android telephones!Call screening(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Everyone hates spam calls and robo calls, two issues that appear to solely worsen, not higher. Thankfully, your Pixel has a built-in AI-driven characteristic that may establish spam calls and mechanically filter them. That means Google Assistant can truly be your private assistant, together with asking callers why they’ve referred to as and serving to them depart a message whether it is truly vital.Here’s methods to allow that.Open the Phone app.Tap the three dots on the highest proper and faucet Settings.Select Caller ID & spam from the checklist.Click the toggle subsequent to caller and spam ID to allow the characteristic.While Google Assistant will mechanically filter calls which have been deemed spam, there are occasions while you would possibly need to manually filter them your self even when it is not a spam name.When a name is available in, you possibly can faucet the Screen name button between the “answer” and “decline” buttons. That’ll have Google Assistant decide up for you and stroll the caller by way of leaving a message. That’s notably good for while you’re busy however do not need to miss a name from a buddy, member of the family, or colleague.Erase photograph bombers(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Mager Eraser does precisely what it says on the tin. The instrument enables you to “magically erase” something you need in a picture with only a faucet or by circling it. Using the instrument is straightforward, and it is free to make use of for all Pixel cellphone homeowners. Everyone else will want a Google One subscription to make use of it.Get the most recent information from Android Central, your trusted companion on this planet of AndroidOur information for methods to use Magic Eraser provides you all the main points, however this is a fast overview:Open the Photos app and discover a photograph you need to edit.Tap the Edit button on the underside row of icons.Scroll over to Tools and faucet on Magic Eraser.Tap or circle any object you need to erase in a photograph.When you are achieved, faucet Done, then Save a replica.Make any photograph look higher(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Magic Editor launched with the Pixel 8 collection in October 2023 and introduced AI photograph modifying to the small display screen. With Magic Editor, you possibly can transfer and resize objects in a photograph, fill in lacking particulars, and even change how the sky seems to be to reinforce any picture.The instrument has seemingly limitless potential that is largely constrained to your creativeness, though it is not expressly designed to be an AI picture era instrument. Rather, it is designed to repair up images and make them look the best way you initially envisioned them.Open the Photos app and discover a photograph you need to edit.Tap the Edit button on the underside row of icons.Tap the multicolored icon on the underside left to launch Magic Editor.Tap or circle any object you need to selected, then long-press and slide to maneuver it, or pinch to enlarge or shrink it.To change the look of the sky, faucet the magic wand icon on the backside of the display screen and select your most popular look from the checklist.When you are achieved, faucet Done, then Save a replica.Clean up noisy audio(Image credit score: Android Central)Audio Magic Eraser is Google’s first “magic” characteristic for movies, and it really works by analyzing the sounds in a video and utilizing AI to separate them into channels. From right here, you possibly can modify the quantity of every channel in a manner that really feels magical, serving to take away undesirable background noise or different distractions.Better but, you should utilize the characteristic on any video, not simply ones you’ve got recorded along with your Pixel 8a. That means you possibly can return by way of all of your previous footage of your youngsters or household and take out visitors noises in household trip movies, enhance the quantity of your youngsters voices to make them clearer, and even take out that distracting music enjoying within the background.Here’s an thought of what it could do and methods to do it your self:Open the Photos app and discover a video you need to edit.Tap the Edit button on the underside row of icons.Select the Audio tab on the backside, then faucet Audio Magic Eraser.After all of the sounds are recognized, they are going to seem as separate soundtracks with clear labels on the underside, comparable to Nature or Noise.Tap the sound you need to edit, then transfer the slider to regulate the quantity of that sound.When you are achieved, faucet Done, then Save a replica.Get it achieved quicker with gestures(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Like different Pixel telephones earlier than it, the Pixel 8a helps plenty of gestures that may make frequent actions so simple as turning your cellphone over or double-tapping the again as an alternative of looking by way of menus or opening apps.I really like the Tap to examine cellphone gesture, which makes it simple to examine your lockscreen notifications by simply double-tapping the show. That’s tremendous helpful for when the cellphone is on a desk and also you simply desire a fast look.I additionally love the Quick faucet to start out actions gesture, which helps you to double-tap on the again of the cellphone to launch any app, or select from plenty of actions to launch as an alternative.To discover these and all of the gestures on the cellphone, observe these steps:Open the Settings app or simply swipe down twice on the cellphone’s standing bar, then click on the settings icon.Scroll right down to and faucet System.Select Gestures from the checklist.Let AI make your wallpaper higher(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Pixel AI-generated wallpapers are extraordinarily cool and so they supply a technique to get a singular background to your cellphone primarily based on all kinds of choices. Google enables you to decide from a number of totally different themes after which assign colours, patterns, and different context-sensitive choices for every theme to have AI create the right wallpaper.(Image credit score: Android Central)Long-press on an empty space of your own home display screen.Tap Wallpaper & type.Tap More wallpapers.Tap the AI wallpapers tile on the high.Have enjoyable experimenting with all the different sorts and choices!And that is not all AI wallpaper can do! You can take current flat pictures and add some magical depth and motion to them with only a few seconds of processing time. This characteristic is known as Cinematic Wallpaper and can mechanically animate current pictures with the ability of AI.This characteristic works greatest on pictures which have a number of visible layers, like a panorama scene or a extra complicated picture that the AI can break into movable segments. Here’s an instance beneath and methods to allow the characteristic:(Image credit score: Android Central)Long-press on any clean area on your own home display screen and faucet Wallpaper and elegance.Tap More wallpapers.Choose a photograph that you’ve got in your cellphone. Cinematic wallpaper will not work with most built-in wallpaper choices.Tap the three stars icon within the high proper to investigate the picture.Download the Cinematic Wallpaper characteristic if that is your first time making an attempt the choice.Once the picture has been analyzed, click on the slider to allow the cinematic model of your wallpaper, then hit Set wallpaper to use.Automatically establish music(Image credit score: Namerah Saud Fatmi / Android Central)Have you ever heard a track enjoying in a public place and puzzled what it was? You can at all times open Google Assistant and have it establish a track, however I’ve had loads of instances the place I wasn’t quick sufficient and missed my alternative. That’s what makes Pixel’s Now Playing characteristic so nice!Now Playing mechanically identifies any music it hears on a regular basis and offers you a fast technique to discover that track without having to open an app and look forward to it to hear. Plus, Now Playing has a track historical past checklist that makes it simple to scroll again and hear by way of any songs that may have been enjoying round you lately, making it tremendous simple to establish what you’ve got heard all through the day.Here’s methods to allow Now Playing:Open your Settings app.Go to Sound & Vibration.Tap Now Playing.Toggle Identify songs enjoying close by on.Now, while you hear a track enjoying and also you need to establish it, all you might want to do is have a look at your lockscreen. The track enjoying will seem on the backside of the display screen beneath the fingerprint sensor icon. If you need to discover that track in your favourite music service, simply faucet the track title, unlock your cellphone, and Now Playing offers you a number of choices for listening.If you need to examine in your Now Playing historical past, this is methods to discover all of the songs your cellphone has lately heard:Open your Settings app.Go to Sound & Vibration.Tap Now Playing.Tap Now Playing historical past.Find your track within the checklist.Get assist in an emergency(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Google Pixel telephones have been the primary telephones to have the ability to detect automotive crashes and have been providing the choice since 2019. This is a no-cost service that makes use of your cellphone’s sensors to detect a possible automotive crash, then can mechanically name emergency companies if the necessity arises.You’ll want to just accept plenty of permissions with a view to use the characteristic, nevertheless, so simply bear in mind that the checklist of required permissions is kind of prolonged. Here’s methods to allow automotive crash detection:Open your Settings app.Go to Safety & emergency.Tap Car crash detection.Sign in to Google Personal Safety along with your Google account.Accept any permissions required to make use of the Personal Safety app.Click the banner up high for location permission, then choose Allow on a regular basis for location entry.Scroll right down to the Actions should you need assistance after a crash part and allow any actions you need your cellphone to carry out within the occasion of detecting a automotive crash.Fancy up your lock display screen(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Do you end up checking your lock display screen for notifications or the time all through the day? Getting bored of the best way it seems to be? Thankfully, the Pixel 8 collection launched model new lock display screen customization options, and so they’re very simple to make use of!To customise your lock display screen, simply long-press on any clean area on the lock display screen after which faucet the Customize lock display screen button on the backside of the display screen.(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)From right here, you possibly can change the font, coloration, measurement, and elegance of the clock, choose a special wallpaper to your dwelling and lock display screen, and modify the 2 shortcuts within the backside corners.A phrase of notice: some lock display screen customizations are solely seen when you haven’t any notifications, so you might need to disable lock display screen notifications if this bothers you. That might be achieved within the lock display screen customization choices.Enable VPN by Google One(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Every Pixel ships with a free VPN service by Google. While it was once accessible to all Google One subscribers, the corporate has since rescinded the supply, making it a very Pixel-exclusive characteristic. That means your Pixel’s web visitors might be safe regardless of should you’re utilizing sketchy Wi-Fi at a restaurant and even the spotty Wi-Fi on an airplane.Google’s VPN service is not as full-featured as the most effective VPNs, so there isn’t any technique to change your location or customise different options, however it nonetheless retains your web visitors encrypted and safe. Plus, you possibly can’t beat free! Here’s methods to allow Pixel VPN:Open your Settings app.Tap Network & web.Tap VPN.Select VPN by Google One from the checklist.Click the toggle subsequent to Use VPN to allow the characteristic.You may toggle VPN by Google One within the fast toggles space of your notification shade. Just pull down twice on the standing bar on the high of the show.Turn on Live Captions(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Live Captions are a beautiful characteristic, notably for people who’re deaf or arduous of listening to. Live Captions allow an automatic captioning service to current captions in your cellphone it doesn’t matter what video you are watching or what audio you may be listening to.Thanks to Google’s spectacular machine studying applied sciences, Live Captions is not restricted on a per-app foundation. That means you possibly can even get Live Captions on cellphone calls, which might be an actual game-changer for some people! Here’s methods to allow Live Captions on a Pixel 8a:(Image credit score: Namerah Saud Fatmi / Android Central)Click one of many quantity buttons on the fitting aspect of your Pixel to carry up the quantity adjustment panel.Tap the Live Captions button beneath the quantity slider.Accept the permission immediate if that is your first time enabling the characteristic.To disable Live Captions, repeat steps one and two.Track coughing and loud night breathing(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Sleep monitoring generally is a fantastic factor, particularly should you’re having hassle feeling such as you’re drained within the morning. Some of the worst sleep issues happen when folks cough or snore of their sleep, and your Pixel 8a may help detect these precise issues while you allow this pivotal Digital Wellbeing characteristic.Here’s methods to allow cough and snore detection in your Pixel 8a:Open your Settings app.Scroll right down to and faucet Digital Wellbeing & parental controls.Select Continue on the Cough & snore detection dialog up high.Tap Allow to offer the cellphone entry to your microphone throughout your repeatedly scheduled bedtime.Make positive you both manually choose Bedtime mode when sleeping or schedule it by way of the Digital Wellbeing settings panel.The Google Pixel 8a is a superb cellphone crammed with incredible options that can change the best way you employ a smartphone, however they’re no good except you know the way to make use of them. We hope this information has been useful and also you get much more use out of your Pixel 8a due to it!