5 Pixel options I at all times swap on immediately

Google not too long ago launched its new $500 mid-range cellphone, the

Pixel 9a
, providing a aggressive different to the

iPhone 16e
and different mid-range choices, such because the

OnePlus 13R
.

Google’s Pixel series is famend for its software program expertise and highly effective cameras, with the Pixel 9a operating the newest model of

Android 15
, and

Android 16
quickly to reach.

When you’re trying to improve your expertise with any of Google’s Pixel smartphones operating Android 15, there are a number of options you’ll be able to activate that are not mechanically enabled by default, which may considerably enhance your every day use of the system. Listed below are 5 settings I allow immediately every time I exploit a brand new Pixel smartphone to boost its efficiency and software program expertise.

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5

Charging optimization

Delay your battery’s lifespan

Charging optimization is without doubt one of the latest options in Google’s Pixel sequence. It was launched with the December Pixel characteristic drop final 12 months, permitting you to set your smartphone’s battery cost restrict to 80 %. Why would you wish to do that? Most significantly, by not totally charging your battery on a regular basis, you assist protect it higher and prolong its lifespan by lowering the variety of cost and discharge cycles the battery undergoes. To activate Charging optimization, go to Settings > Battery > Charging optimization > Use charging optimization > Restrict to 80 %.

Enabling this additionally mechanically prompts bypass charging. Which means after your Pixel cellphone reaches its 80 % cost restrict, it should solely be powered by the DC energy coming from the charger, bypassing the battery completely to energy the cellphone. This protects the battery even additional, and the cellphone produces much less warmth because the charger is not continuously making an attempt to recharge the battery. All in all, it is a win-win on your Pixel. When you may not get as lengthy of battery life as you’ll by charging to one hundred pc, your battery’s lifespan will final for much longer, which is vital if you wish to preserve your Pixel system for some time.

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4

Easy show

Benefit from your Pixel’s excessive refresh price on a regular basis

As soon as you utilize a smartphone with a refresh price larger than 60Hz, I discover it almost unattainable to return to at least one with a decrease refresh price. The most recent Pixel telephones boast a few of the most lovely Actua 120Hz OLED shows available on the market. Whether or not it is the costlier Pixel 9 Professional XL or the cheaper Pixel 9a, the OLED shows on each fashions look beautiful, and one among my favourite elements is their excessive refresh charges.

Nonetheless, once you first get the cellphone, the show is about to 60Hz by default to avoid wasting battery. When you activate Easy show by going to Settings > Show & contact > Easy show, it should elevate the cellphone’s refresh price to a constant 120Hz always, permitting you to reap the benefits of the elevated refresh price constantly. It is effectively definitely worth the slight sacrifice to battery life, because it makes the cellphone’s display look buttery clean, particularly its animations.

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3

Fast Faucet

Double-tap the again of your cellphone to open any app

Considered one of my favourite options to point out individuals on my Pixel smartphone is the Fast Faucet possibility. This lets you faucet the again of your cellphone twice to entry an app or carry out a selected operate, equivalent to taking a screenshot, viewing your notifications, turning on the flashlight, and extra.

To activate Fast Faucet, go to Settings > Gestures > Fast Faucet to start out actions. You may then select from the varied capabilities I discussed above, or choose any app you could have put in. I’ve mine set to open Spotify, however up to now, I’ve had it set to open my digital camera and the cellphone’s flashlight. This characteristic is similar to the double-tap characteristic the iPhone has below its accessibility settings.

There are additionally another useful gestures you’ll be able to take a look at within the Pixel’s Gestures menu, equivalent to one-handed mode, which allows a gesture to drag the display right down to make it simpler to make use of one-handed, and in addition Shortly open digital camera, which helps you to double-tap the ability button to open the digital camera.

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2

Notification historical past

By no means lose a notification once more

I’ve a nasty behavior of generally clearing my notifications with out totally checking each notification that was in it. Previously, I’ve missed a couple of essential notifications just because I unintentionally cleared them with out pondering. That is the place Notification historical past turns out to be useful. Because the title suggests, it saves your notification historical past, in order that if you happen to unintentionally swipe one and neglect what it was, you’ll be able to shortly pull it up once more.

To allow Notification historical past in your Pixel cellphone, go to Settings > Notification historical past > Use notification historical past. As soon as it is turned on, any time you dismiss a notification, it should now seem on this menu below settings. To shortly entry it with out navigating by all these settings menus each time, faucet the Historical past button within the notification heart. In case your notification heart is empty, simply faucet the display, and Notification historical past will pop up.

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1

Now Taking part in

Discover out what track is enjoying close to you

Likelihood is, you’ve got heard track enjoying round you as soon as and instantly questioned what the title is. Often, you’d must shortly open the Shazam app or Google AI to determine it, however with this useful Pixel characteristic, you will discover out what track is enjoying close to you simply by glancing down at your lock display.

The characteristic known as Now Taking part in, and to allow it, head to Settings > Show & contact > Lock display > Now Taking part in > Establish songs enjoying close by. When you flip it on, it should additionally ask you so as to add the widget to your lock display. I additionally suggest enabling Improve Now Taking part in. It will use Google Search to determine any songs it does not acknowledge and in addition present album art work.

Now, if a track is enjoying close by, you will see the track’s title and artist displayed below the fingerprint reader in your Pixel lock display. When you faucet it and unlock your cellphone, it should convey you to your Now Taking part in historical past, the place you’ll be able to view all of the songs that performed close to you latterly. I’ve discovered Now Taking part in to be useful for figuring out any of the songs I’ve heard on the radio whereas commuting.

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