The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
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Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro supply important upgrades over the Pixel 5 line. The new smartphones get Google’s personal Tensor chip, top-notch cameras and an attention-grabbing design. But to benefit from your new Pixel telephone, you will need to dig into the settings and make just a few tweaks.Some of those modifications will give the person interface a recent look, whereas others will aid you get extra out of your Pixel telephone’s digital camera or battery. Google has additionally baked some attention-grabbing new options into the telephone app that may make it simpler to name customer support numbers with out ready on maintain. We’ll present you find out how to flip these settings on and off, too.
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Read extra: Pixel 6 vs. Pixel 6 Pro: Google’s flagship telephones comparedHere’s a have a look at the settings it’s best to change in your Pixel 6 straight away. Turn on themed icons to make your icons match your wallpaperOne of the most important options in Android 12 is Material You, which customizes the software program’s coloration palette to match your wallpaper. You’ll discover that some components inside sure apps — just like the keyboard in Messages and Gmail’s Compose button — may have coloured accents that match your wallpaper as a part of the broader Material You refresh. If you go into Settings, you possibly can select from just a few choices.
But you do not have to cease there. To give your app icons a colourful refresh that resembles your wallpaper, long-press any empty house in your Pixel 6’s house display. Then faucet Wallpaper & model and ensure the change subsequent to Themed icons is toggled on. Now app icons on the house display ought to match your wallpaper, as proven beneath. You could make app icons on the Pixel 6 match its wallpaper.
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Use Quick Phrases to dismiss an alarm or telephone name with out saying, ‘Hey, Google’We’ve all been there. It’s 6 a.m., your alarm begins blaring and also you barely have the power to succeed in in your telephone. Google makes this just a little simpler on the Pixel 6 by enabling you to pause or dismiss an alarm by merely saying, “Snooze” or “Stop” with out requiring the “Hey, Google” set off phrase. You can do the identical for telephone calls by saying, “Answer” or “Decline” with out having to seize your system.To flip this on, open the Settings menu and select Apps. Then, choose Assistant and faucet Quick phrases. You ought to see choices for alarms and timers and incoming calls. Tap the change subsequent to every one to allow this function.This function permits you to dismiss alarms and reply calls with out utilizing the “Hey, Google” wake phrase.
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Have Google Assistant wait on maintain for you and transcribe automated telephone menusTired of ready on maintain? Try utilizing Google’s Hold For Me function, which has Google Assistant wait on maintain after which notify you when a buyer consultant turns into out there. If you do not need to bear in mind which quantity to punch the subsequent time you are sitting by means of automated voice prompts, you can too activate Direct My Call. This transcribes automated menus in order that you do not have to recollect which quantity to press to get directed to the proper extension. Both of those options are accessible from the Pixel 6’s telephone app. Open the Phone app and faucet the three dots within the high proper nook to get began. Choose Settings and it’s best to see Hold for Me and Direct My Call underneath the Assistive part.The Direct My Call function appears promising, however it solely works for toll-free numbers in English proper now. That could make its transcriptions a bit complicated since many automated telephone menus usually learn choices in Spanish, too.Google Assistant can transcribe automated menus for you when calling toll-free numbers, however solely in English.
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Choose whether or not you need to lengthen battery life or increase efficiency Google’s Pixel telephones can optimize battery life relying on how you utilize your telephone. While that is a helpful perk, there could also be instances whenever you’d favor to show this function off so to get higher efficiency out of your system. You can flip this setting on or off anytime by opening the Settings menu, selecting Battery and tapping Adaptive preferences.The Pixel 6 can optimize its battery based mostly in your telephone utilization.
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Turn on Smart Storage to keep away from operating out of houseIf you are taking a variety of images and movies, you know the way treasured your system’s cupboard space may be. As one technique to cope with that drawback, you possibly can select to have your Pixel telephone mechanically delete previous images to unencumber house. If you allow this function, your Pixel system will erase images backed as much as your Google Photos account which have been in your system for 60 days in case your telephone’s storage is lower than 25 %.
To flip this on, open Settings, select Storage and faucet Free up house. Then faucet the menu icon within the high left nook and choose Settings. Toggle the change subsequent to Smart Storage.Google’s Smart Storage function mechanically deletes previous images to avoid wasting house.
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Use Storage Saver to optimize your Pixel’s photograph and video storageIf you need to save house, there’s another choice: Enable Storage Saver in your Pixel system. This modifications settings that use massive quantities of storage, comparable to saving RAW photographs as JPEG and recording movies in 1080p as a substitute of 4K. If you care extra about saving house than having one of the best decision attainable, you may need to do that.Launch the Camera app and faucet the settings cog within the high left nook. Then, faucet More settings and choose Device storage. Toggle the change subsequent to Storage Saver.The Pixel may change sure media settings to optimize storage.
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Customize what occurs whenever you press the quantity key whereas taking imagesYou can use the quantity button to snap a photograph, regulate the zoom or management the audio quantity in your Pixel system. Open the Camera app, press the settings icon and select More settings. Then, select Gestures and choose Volume key motion to decide on your most popular possibility.You can customise the quantity key on the Pixel 6.
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Make certain your Pixel’s display mechanically switches orientation when neededFew issues may be extra annoying than having your telephone caught in portrait mode whenever you’re holding it in panorama mode to observe a video. Avoid this in your Pixel 6 by opening the Settings menu, selecting Display and tapping Auto-rotate display. You may select to activate face detection to make autorotate extra correct. Google says photographs utilized in face detection are by no means saved or despatched to the corporate. Make certain your Pixel switches its display orientation whenever you need it to.
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Identify songs enjoying close by on the lock screenEver heard a music enjoying at a restaurant and puzzled what it is referred to as? Google Pixel units can acknowledge songs and show the identify of the music and artist in your telephone’s lock display. Open the Settings menu, select Display and faucet Lock display. Press Now Playing and toggle on the change subsequent to Identify songs enjoying close by.The Pixel 6 can show the monitor title and artist for songs enjoying close by.
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Choose whether or not you need smoother scrolling or longer battery lifeThe Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are able to boosting their refresh charges to allow quicker scrolling and smoother animations, which makes the software program usually really feel extra responsive. The Pixel 6 can bump its refresh price as much as 90Hz, whereas the Pixel 6 Pro can go as much as120Hz. But since this function will increase battery utilization, there are occasions whenever you may need to flip it off.To entry this feature, open the Settings menu and select Display. Scroll right down to Smooth Display and toggle the change to show it on or off.
You can select to extend the display’s refresh price or maximize battery life on the Pixel 6.
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Add captions to movies, podcasts and telephone callsGoogle’s Live Caption function generates captions for media enjoying in your system, and it really works on older Pixels relationship again to the second-generation mannequin too. It’s an accessibility function, and it may also be helpful for instances whenever you’re caught with out headphones and want to listen to the content material of a video or podcast in a public setting. To flip this on, press the quantity button and faucet the Live Caption icon, which appears to be like like a speech bubble. Just do not forget that utilizing Live Caption can use further battery assets. Google’s Live Caption know-how captions audio enjoying in your system.
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Edit your fast settings to simply entry shortcutsPulling down from the highest of the display will launch the quick-settings menu. Tap the pencil icon to edit this menu and add the settings you utilize most frequently. Google gives all kinds of choices starting from battery saver to enabling and disabling the microphone and accessing alarms. You’ll discover staples like airplane mode, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi right here.These are just some of the numerous settings shortcuts out there on the Pixel 6.
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Looking for extra recommendation in your different Google units? Check out our ideas for enhancing your productiveness on Chromebooks and getting probably the most out of your Google Nest.Update, Nov. 11: Clarified the part on Material You and themed icons.