Google Pixel

The Android 16 update introduces “Battery health,” though specific functionality depends on what Pixel phone you have.

The Android 16 update with the June 2025 security patch is rolling out today for the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro, 7a, Tablet, Fold, 8, 8 Pro, 8a, 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold, and 9a. There are Pixel fixes across Biometrics, Bluetooth, Camera, Display & Graphics, Framework, Sensors, System, Telephony, and User Interface.

After six major previews and betas, Google is ready to launch Android 16 for Pixel devices today. There are a handful of additions and changes, but it’s not a particularly big release once again. (However, you can expect the next quarterly update to bring the Material 3 Expressive redesign.) Today’s release also coincides with the June 2025 Pixel (Feature) Drop.

Foldables are absolutely a niche within the smartphone market, but some brands are starting to see a bit of success with it, including Google which is not only seeing sales of Pixel Fold devices, but is one of the fastest-growing foldable makers Europe right now.

Google Pixel owners on Sunday evening unexpectedly received an app update for something called “Pixel VIPs.”

The Nintendo Switch 2 is here and, despite most of my time on it spent playing MarioKart, the thing I can’t get out of my head so far is how many of the delightful little animations and sounds remind me of Google’s best designs, especially those scattered throughout Pixel.

As previewed earlier this year, Google is getting ready to add a “Battery health assistance” setting to help long-term Pixel usage.

The top-selling phones of early 2025 have been broken down by country, and while most results won’t surprise you, one unexpected result was that a Google Pixel device actually made the list.

New findings suggest that, finally, Google Pixel devices may add a manual option to the Now Playing feature by using a new Quick Settings tile.

The flip phone foldable is a popular form factor, but Google has yet to make its own “Pixel Flip.” After a few weeks using the Motorola Razr Ultra, I’ve got a few ideas on where Google could do better.

Google Pixel still pales in comparison to other brands on the global smartphone stage, but these devices are slowly gaining ground in the market. In the latest example, Google Pixel is said to be growing in Canada, and appears to be the country’s third-largest phone brand.

Android is the dominant smartphone platform in Europe, but most brands are off to a “shaky start” in 2025, with only two names leading the pack in growth – Google Pixel and Honor.

In an email to Pixel owners today, Google is teasing what updates from I/O 2025, like Gemini Live, that they can look forward to in the near future.

If your Pixel 7 or newer can’t connect to the internet this evening (PT), “VPN by Google” is most likely responsible, with the security and privacy service “temporarily unavailable.”

Beyond getting a Material 3 Expressive redesign, Android 16 QPR1 allows you to customize Quick Settings to quite a degree. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of this interface you frequently interact with.

Google Pixel phones are picking up a new customization option for wallpapers, with “Effects” in Android 16 able to turn a wallpaper into a specific shape and color style, as well as applying weather effects on top.

Google is finally delivering an update to the At a Glance widget on Pixel devices in Android 16 QPR1, making the widget smaller, but still not allowing it to be disabled completely.

One of the Google Fi perks is access to a VPN. It now has a new name for all Fi subscribers, while Pixel owners are being switched over to the built-in “VPN by Google.” 

Ahead of Android 16, the Android 15 May security patch is rolling out today for the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro, 7a, Tablet, Fold, 8, 8 Pro, 8a, 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold, and 9a. There are three fixes this month that apply to all supported devices.