The message with this update is simple: you can do more, be safer and put down the extra apps. It will be with you in the coming weeks, and it puts new AI under one roof with the kind of tweaks that make for an easier day-to-day.
AI for when you need it
Google has tied Emergency Sharing to three on-the-spot detection tools: for car crashes, falls or if your pulse is lost. If one of those goes off, the phone makes the call to emergency services and lets your chosen contacts know at the same time.
You have the option in settings to decide who gets pinged for what. The whole point, as Google puts it, is to avoid any hiccups in a moment of crisis, particularly if you can’t get to your phone.
Video and music made easy
Screen Reactions is for the type of person who doesn’t want to be bothered with third-party software to put together a tutorial or a reaction. It records the screen and you in one go.
Head to Quick Settings, hit record and turn on ‘Show selfie camera.’ You can reposition and size the window as you go, which is a nifty way to frame things without much fuss.
Then there’s Gemini Omni for a more involved approach to video. Google says you can work from a prompt, an image or something from your camera roll, even using an AI avatar. It’s part of the $20 a month Gemini Pro plan.
Pixel users on Android 17 will be able to make some noise with the new Lyria 3 model in the Gemini app. Put in a description or a photo and you’ve got a track with lyrics. Tweak the style and tempo to your liking by going to the tools menu and hitting ‘Create music’.
A better way to juggle tasks
If you long-press an app icon now, you can put it in a Bubbles floating window so it doesn’t get in the way of what you’re after. On the Pixel 10 Pro Fold they are in their own bar at the bottom for an easy tap.
And if you have a Pixel 8a or 9a, Quick Share is opening up to AirDrop. It’s one less step to send a file over to someone, which is handy when you’re working with people on different set-ups.
Some goodie for your phone and messages
The Pixel 10a is getting Voice Translate. We’re looking at English and Hindi for now, and it will run with the caller’s own voice in real time. You can have it ready to go in the Google Phone app before you dial in.
We’re also seeing some refinements to how we talk and text. Magic Cue is on its way to Snapchat for some in-chat suggestions. For calls, you can use Custom Greetings to leave a note; the other side’s reply is transcribed right then and there for you to read over.
In India, you can now use Manual Call Screen to have Google’s Call Assist ask an unknown number to identify themselves. A good filter if you want to know who’s on the line before you answer.
To sum it up:
– Gemini Omni for your video needs
– Lyria 3 to generate some music
– A no-fuss way to record with Screen Reactions
– Floating app windows with Bubbles
– Auto-alerts for emergencies
What to expect
It’s happening today and for the next couple of weeks. We’re seeing these features make their way to the right devices and in some cases, more of them are being opened up to a wider range of Pixels.
This is all coming out with Android 17 and Wear OS 7. Once you have it, your Pixel should be a bit more of a creator’s tool, a bit more on top of things in an emergency and just easier to work with.
