The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional are Google’s most important telephones but, providing spectacular {hardware}, top-notch cameras and an attention grabbing design, based on CNET’s reviewers. However to take advantage of your new Pixel telephone, you will wish to dig into the settings and make a number of tweaks.A few of these adjustments will give the consumer interface a recent look, whereas others will show you how to get extra out of your Pixel telephone’s digicam 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 the right way to flip these settings on or off, too.
Get the CNET How To e-newsletter
Obtain skilled recommendations on utilizing telephones, computer systems, sensible residence gear and extra. Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Here is a have a look at the settings it’s best to change in your Pixel 6 immediately. Learn extra: All of the Pixel 5 and Pixel 6’s largest differencesTurn on themed icons to make your apps match your wallpaperOne of the largest options in Android 12 is Materials You, which customizes the software program’s colour palette to match your wallpaper. To allow this, begin by lengthy urgent on any empty house in your Pixel 6’s residence display. Then faucet “Wallpaper & type” and ensure the change subsequent to “Themed icons” is toggled on. Now a few of your app icons and sure components in apps like Gmail, the Google Play Retailer and Google Chrome can have colour accents that match your wallpaper.
You can also make app icons on the Pixel 6 match its wallpaper.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
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 must see choices for alarms and timers and incoming calls. Faucet the change subsequent to every one to allow this characteristic.The fast-phrases characteristic permits you to dismiss alarms and reply calls with out utilizing the Hey, Google wake phrase.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Have Google Assistant wait on maintain for you and transcribe automated telephone menusTired of ready on maintain? Attempt utilizing Google’s Maintain For Me characteristic, which has Google Assistant wait on maintain after which notify you when a buyer consultant turns into out there. In the event you do not wish to bear in mind which quantity to punch the subsequent time you are sitting by automated voice prompts, you may also 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 high proper nook to get began. Select Settings and it’s best to see Maintain for Me and Direct My Name beneath the Assistive part.The Direct My Name characteristic appears promising, nevertheless it solely works for toll-free numbers in English proper now. That may 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.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Select whether or not you wish to lengthen battery life or increase efficiency Google’s Pixel telephones 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 desire to show this characteristic off in an effort to 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.”The Pixel 6 can optimize its battery based mostly in your telephone utilization.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Activate Good Storage to keep away from operating out of spaceIf you’re taking plenty of pictures and movies, you know the way treasured your machine’s space for storing might be. As one technique to take care of that downside, you’ll be able to select to have your Pixel telephone robotically delete previous pictures to unlock house. In the event you allow this characteristic, your Pixel machine will erase pictures backed as much as your Google Images account which were in your machine for 60 days in case your telephone’s storage is lower than 25 p.c. To show this on, open Settings, select Storage and faucet “Liberate house.” Then faucet the menu icon within the high left nook and choose Settings. Toggle the change subsequent to Good Storage.
Google’s Good Storage characteristic robotically deletes previous pictures to save lots of house.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Use Storage Saver to optimize your Pixel’s photograph and video storageIf you wish to save house, there’s another choice: Allow Storage Saver in your Pixel machine. This adjustments settings that use massive quantities of storage, similar to saving RAW photos as JPEG and recording movies in 1080p as a substitute of 4K. In the event you care extra about saving house than having one of the best decision potential, you would possibly wish to do that.Launch the Digital camera app and faucet the settings cog within the high left nook. Then, faucet “Extra settings” and choose “System storage.” Toggle the change subsequent to Storage Saver.The Pixel may also change sure media settings to optimize storage.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Customise what occurs while you press the quantity key whereas taking photosYou can use the quantity 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 popular possibility.You may customise the quantity key on the Pixel 6.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Be sure that your Pixel’s display robotically switches orientation when neededFew 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 can too select to activate face detection to make auto-rotate extra correct. Google says photos utilized in face detection are by no means saved or despatched to the corporate. Be sure that your Pixel switches its display orientation while you need it to.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Determine songs enjoying close by on the lock screenEver heard a music enjoying at a restaurant and questioned what it is referred to as? Google Pixel units can acknowledge songs and show the title of the music and artist in your telephone’s lock display. Open the Settings menu, select Show and faucet “Lock display.” Press Now Enjoying and toggle on the change subsequent to “Determine songs enjoying close by.”The Pixel 6 can show the monitor title and artist for songs enjoying close by.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Select whether or not you need smoother scrolling or longer battery lifeThe Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional 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 Professional can go up to120Hz. However since this characteristic will increase battery utilization, there are occasions while you would possibly wish to flip it off.To entry this feature, open the Settings menu and select Show. Scroll right down to Clean Show and toggle the change to show it on or off. You may select to extend the display’s refresh price or maximize battery life on the Pixel 6.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Add captions to movies, podcasts and telephone callsGoogle’s Dwell Caption characteristic 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 characteristic, and it will also be helpful for occasions while you’re caught with out headphones and want 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 seems like a speech bubble. Simply do not forget that utilizing Dwell Caption can use further battery sources.
Google’s Dwell Caption expertise captions audio enjoying in your machine.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Edit your fast settings to simply entry shortcutsPulling down 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 presents all kinds of choices starting from battery saver to enabling or disabling the microphone and accessing alarms. After all, you will discover staples like airplane mode, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi right here too.These are only a few of the numerous settings shortcuts out there on the Pixel 6.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Searching for extra recommendation on your different Google units? Try our suggestions for reinforcing your productiveness on Chromebooks and getting essentially the most out of your Google Nest.