- Pixel feature drop for March adds several new features to Google’s tech
- Scam Detection is coming to Google Pixel 9 phones in the US
- Multimodal Gemini Live tools are coming to the Pixel 6 and newer phones
The latest Pixel feature drop update for March and Android update are bringing some impressive new tools to your Google Pixel phone and Watch devices, including improved scam protection and US FDA-cleared Loss of Pulse Detection.
Starting with the major new Pixel phone features, the headliner is AI-powered scam protection. Using on-device AI this tool will apparently alert you in real time if the person you’re calling or text messaging is using language that’s common among scammers, and everyone with a Google Pixel 6 or later can access the tool for texts in the UK, US and Canada; meanwhile Google Pixel 9 phones in the US can also use the call protection tool. Note, however (as Google itself warns), that scammers can mix up their tactics, and so the AI won’t be 100% effective, so don’t over-rely on this protection and drop your guard.
Continuing with the safety trend, Google’s Find My Device service is getting a new live location-sharing tool in-app, so you can easily update your friends and family on your whereabouts – either to let them know you got home safe, or to help coordinate a meetup. The app will also regularly remind you that you’re sharing your location, and with who, so you can remember to turn it off when it’s not needed. This feature isn’t a Pixel-exclusive – it’s coming to all Find my Device-compatible Android phones.
Beyond safety, the Pixel drop also includes new creative tools. New text-to-image tools in Pixel studio will let you create stickers and images of people and scenes on the Google Pixel 9, and if you love to stream your activities on YouTube, TikTok and other platforms from your phone, there’s a new multi-cam feature – using a Pixel 9 phone as the primary device you can sync with a Pixel 6 or later Google phone, or a GoPro Hero10 Black or newer camera, to stream with a multi-cam setup.
Three features for the Pixel Watch 3
Google Pixel Watch 3 users are also getting some nifty tools, starting with its Loss of Pulse Detection feature, which is launching in the US after being cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. This feature can detect when you experience a loss of pulse (perhaps due to cardiac arrest, circulatory failure, or an overdose or poisoning) and will contact emergency services, and it’ll start rolling out to Watch 3 users at the end of the month.
Pixel Watch 3 users can also now take advantage of new on-device menstrual tracking. This can help you monitor your period, and perhaps even predict when you might get your next one, all from your wrist.
Finally, all Pixel Watch devices are now set to offer improved step tracking precision, as the devices are now supposedly better at detecting when your walking pattern deviates – being able to tell the difference between someone jogging, pushing a shopping cart, or hiking with poles.
There are also a few more minor improvements coming to Google Pixel and Android devices, which you can check out in full on the official Google website, but the above features are the ones we’re most excited to try out – scam protection seems especially useful, and I’m excited to see how well it works.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
