Today is the first Monday of the month, and that means it’s time for Google to release its monthly software update for Pixel phones. Only this time is special. This, in fact, is the latest Pixel Feature Drop, and not only that, but it’s the biggest of all time. It also includes some new features for the recently launched Pixel Watch!
Let’s get into it then. December’s Pixel Feature Drop comes with Google One VPN at no extra cost for Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro owners. The VPN is “built to ensure that your network traffic can’t be tied to your identity,” even from Google. This service was previously available for free to Google One members with Platinum plans (2TB and above), but is now open to Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro owners regarding Google One membership status. However, the VPN still works through the Google One app.
Moving forward, security and privacy settings have been unified into Android’s Settings, and this new section has action tabs at the top that notify you of any security risks and give you simple steps to improve things.
Next, Clear Calling on Pixel 7 and 7 Pro enhances the other caller’s voice and reduces background noise so you can hear them clearly even if they’re in a noisy place.
Pixel Recorder now identifies and labels each speaker and presents line breaks when the speaker changes, so when you record an interview or meeting each person is labeled individually. It’s all done by machine learning, live as you’re recording, and if something’s wrong you can relabel the speakers if you like after you’re done.
The Pixel Watch gets the Fitbit Sleep Profile feature, as long as you’ve activated (and will keep) your Fitbit Premium subscription. This is free for six months for new Pixel Watch buyers, but after that you’ll have to shell out ten quid a month to get features like this.
Sleep Profile gives you a high-definition picture of your sleep quality at a glance, taking into account aspects such as duration, texture, interruptions and presents you with an animal that best suits your sleeping style. The results will adjust monthly based on your personal metrics. For this to work, you need to wear your Pixel Watch to bed at least 14 days a month, so you get your results on the first day of the following month. Better keep that magazine handy, then.
Pixel 6 and 6 Pro get cough and snore detection, which you can access through Bedtime Mode. There are also new Pixel wallpapers and new tiles for Pixel Watch, including a Sunrise/Sunset tile from the Weather app, while the Contacts app now lets you block up to five contacts from your Favorites so you can call them and see their their details with a single tap.
The digital car key allows you to lock, unlock and start a compatible car with your phone and can be shared with friends and family who need access to that car. It currently works “on Pixels and iPhones,” but will soon be available on “select phones running Android 12+,” Google promises.
Plus, Gboard gets French grammar checker too, Live Translate can translate text in your messaging apps in Arabic, Persian, Swedish, Vietnamese, and Danish (on Pixel 6 and later), On-device search just got more powerful on Pixel 4a and later, and voicemail transcription has also arrived on the Pixel 4a and newer phones.
Google is also anticipating that support for spatial audio will arrive in January for Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 7 and 7 Pro paired with Pixel Buds Pro, but also with wired headphones. As usual with software updates from Google, it could take days, if not weeks, for the December update to roll out to all supported devices, so don’t worry if you don’t have it yet.
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