What you need to know
- Pixel users can now creatively edit and share images directly inside chats, thanks to Gemini Nano Banana.
- A new “Wicked: For Good” theme pack adds magical wallpapers, icons, and sounds inspired by Glinda and Elphaba, available until January 2026.
- Pixel 9 and newer devices get Notification Summaries that condense long group chats, with more intelligent notification filtering coming in December.
- Pixel 6 and newer phones can now flag sketchy chat notifications, while Google expands live scam call detection to more countries.
Google just dropped its month update for Pixels and this seems to be feature loaded. The tech giant announced that a whole host of features is coming to Pixel 6 to the Pixel 10 series.
The update brings a mix of fresh AI tools, safety upgrades, and a themed makeover inspired by Wicked. Whether you’re rocking an older Pixel or the latest Pixel 10 Pro Fold, there’s something in here to play with.
One of the standout additions is Remix in Google Messages, a creative new feature powered by Google’s Gemini Nano Banana model. It lets you reimagine photos inside a chat. You and your friends can pass the same image back and forth, tweaking and remixing it without ever leaving the conversation.
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The feature launches first for RCS users in English-speaking countries including the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, India, Ireland, and New Zealand.
(Image credit: Google)
Wicked-themed customization
If you’re fond of customization, there’s the new “Wicked: For Good” theme pack. Available for Pixel 6 and above until January 31, 2026, it dresses your phone in Wicked-inspired wallpapers, icons, sounds, and GIFs — with themes based on Glinda, Elphaba, and For Good.
Pixel users will also get some useful quality-of-life improvements. Notification Summaries, coming to Pixel 9 and newer (except the 9a), automatically condense long group chats into quick recaps right in your notification shade. A follow-up feature arriving in December promises to take things further by automatically quieting less important alerts, helping you focus on what matters.
Scam protection gets tougher
On the security front, Scam Detection for messages can now flag suspicious chat notifications in popular apps on Pixel 6 and newer models. It checks message content and shows a “Likely scam” alert before you open the app. Google is also expanding call scam detection, which listens for scam-like speech during calls, to more regions like the UK, Ireland, India, Australia, and Canada.
For Pixel 9 and newer, Call Notes is also expanding internationally. The feature uses on-device AI to record and summarize calls, turning them into searchable notes with action items, making follow-ups less of a chore.
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(Image credit: Google)(Image credit: Google)(Image credit: Google)(Image credit: Google)
Google Photos is also getting Personalized Edits. Now you can simply ask it to fix group shots — like removing sunglasses or opening someone’s eyes — and it’ll pull from your photo library to make those changes look natural. This feature is rolling out to Android users in the U.S.
And for those long road trips, Google Maps’ new Power Saving Mode (exclusive to the Pixel 10 series) helps squeeze out up to four extra hours of navigation time by simplifying the display and cutting back background activity.
Finally, there’s Pixel VIPs, which makes sure you never miss messages from your closest contacts. VIP notifications are prioritized, and crisis alerts now appear right on their Contacts widget.
