Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro: Change these settings to get the most out of your new Google phone

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are Google’s most important telephones but, providing spectacular {hardware}, top-notch cameras and an eye catching design, based on CNET’s reviewers. However to profit from your new Pixel phone, you will need to dig into the settings and make a number of tweaks.

A few of these adjustments will give the consumer interface a contemporary look, whereas others will assist you get extra out of your Pixel phone’s 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 flip these settings on or off, too.

Here is a take a look at the settings you must change in your Pixel 6 straight away. 

Learn extra: All the Pixel 5 and Pixel 6’s biggest differences

Activate themed icons to make your apps match your wallpaper

One of many largest options in Android 12 is Materials You, which customizes the software program’s shade palette to match your wallpaper. To allow this, begin by lengthy urgent on any empty house in your Pixel 6’s dwelling display. Then faucet “Wallpaper & fashion” and ensure the change subsequent to “Themed icons” is toggled on. Now a few of your app icons and sure parts in apps like Gmail, the Google Play Retailer and Google Chrome may have shade accents that match your wallpaper.

Use Fast Phrases to dismiss an alarm or telephone name with out saying, ‘Hey, Google’

We have all been there. It is 6 a.m., your alarm begins blaring and also you barely have the vitality to succeed in on your telephone. Google makes this somewhat simpler on the Pixel 6 by enabling you to pause or dismiss an alarm by merely saying, “Snooze” or “Cease” with out requiring the “Hey, Google” set off phrase. You are able to do the identical for telephone calls by saying, “Reply” or “Decline” with out having to seize your machine.

To show this on, open the Settings menu and select Apps. Then, choose Assistant and faucet Fast Phrases. You need to see choices for alarms and timers and incoming calls. Faucet the change subsequent to every one to allow this function.

Have Google Assistant wait on maintain for you and transcribe automated telephone menus

Uninterested in ready on maintain? Attempt utilizing Google’s Hold For Me function, which has Google Assistant wait on maintain after which notify you when a buyer consultant turns into accessible. In the event you do not need to keep in mind which quantity to punch the following time you are sitting via automated voice prompts, it’s also possible to activate Direct My Name. This transcribes automated menus in order that you do not have to recollect which quantity to press to get directed to the right extension. 

Each of those options are accessible from the Pixel 6’s telephone app. Open the Cellphone app and faucet the three dots within the prime proper nook to get began. Select Settings and you must see Maintain for Me and Direct My Name below the Assistive part.

The Direct My Name function appears promising, but it surely solely works for toll-free numbers in English proper now. That may make its transcriptions a bit complicated since many automated telephone menus sometimes learn choices in Spanish, too.

Select whether or not you need to prolong battery life or increase efficiency 

Google’s Pixel phones can optimize battery life relying on how you utilize your telephone. Whereas that is a helpful perk, there could also be occasions while you’d want to show this function off so that you could get higher efficiency out of your machine. You may flip this setting on or off anytime by opening the Settings menu, selecting Battery and tapping “Adaptive preferences.”

Activate Sensible Storage to keep away from working out of house

In the event you take quite a lot of photographs and movies, you know the way valuable your device’s storage space might be. As one approach to take care of that downside, you possibly can select to have your Pixel telephone mechanically delete previous photographs to liberate house. In the event you allow this function, your Pixel machine will erase photographs backed as much as your Google Photos account which were in your machine for 60 days in case your telephone’s storage is lower than 25 %. 

To show this on, open Settings, select Storage and faucet “Unlock house.” Then faucet the menu icon within the prime left nook and choose Settings. Toggle the change subsequent to Sensible Storage.

Use Storage Saver to optimize your Pixel’s photograph and video storage

If you wish to save house, there’s an alternative choice: Allow Storage Saver in your Pixel device. This adjustments settings that use giant quantities of storage, resembling saving RAW photographs as JPEG and recording movies in 1080p as a substitute of 4K. In the event you care extra about saving house than having the perfect decision potential, you may need to do this.

Launch the Digital camera app and faucet the settings cog within the prime left nook. Then, faucet “Extra settings” and choose “Gadget storage.” Toggle the change subsequent to Storage Saver.

Customise what occurs while you press the amount key whereas taking photographs

You should utilize the amount button to snap a photograph, regulate the zoom or management the audio quantity in your Pixel machine. Open the Digital camera app, press the settings icon and select “Extra settings.” Then, select Gestures and choose “Quantity key motion” to decide on your most well-liked possibility.

Make certain your Pixel’s display mechanically switches orientation when wanted

Few issues might be extra annoying than having your telephone caught in portrait mode while you’re holding it in panorama mode to look at a video. Keep away from this in your Pixel 6 by opening the Settings menu, selecting Show and tapping “Auto-rotate display.” You may also select to activate face detection to make auto-rotate extra correct. Google says photographs utilized in face detection are by no means saved or despatched to the corporate. 

Determine songs enjoying close by on the lock display

Ever heard a music enjoying at a restaurant and questioned what it is known 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 Show and faucet “Lock display.” Press Now Taking part in and toggle on the change subsequent to “Determine songs enjoying close by.”

Select whether or not you need smoother scrolling or longer battery life

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are able to boosting their refresh charges to allow sooner scrolling and smoother animations, which makes the software program usually really feel extra responsive. The Pixel 6 can bump its refresh fee as much as 90Hz, whereas the Pixel 6 Professional can go up to120Hz. However since this function will increase battery utilization, there are occasions while you may need to flip it off.

To entry this feature, open the Settings menu and select Show. Scroll all the way down to Easy Show and toggle the change to show it on or off. 

Add captions to movies, podcasts and telephone calls

Google’s Live Caption feature generates captions for media enjoying in your machine, and it really works on older Pixels relationship again to the second-generation mannequin too. It is an accessibility function, and it may also be helpful for occasions while you’re caught with out headphones and wish to listen to the content material of a video or podcast in a public setting. To show this on, press the quantity button and faucet the Dwell Caption icon, which appears to be like like a speech bubble. Simply do not forget that utilizing Dwell Caption can use further battery sources. 

Edit your fast settings to simply entry shortcuts

Flattening from the highest of the display will launch the quick-settings menu. Faucet the pencil icon to edit this menu and add the settings you utilize most frequently. Google affords all kinds of choices starting from battery saver to enabling or disabling the microphone and accessing alarms. In fact, you will discover staples like airplane mode, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi right here too.

On the lookout for extra recommendation on your different Google units? Take a look at our suggestions for boosting your productivity on Chromebooks and getting essentially the most out of your Google Nest.