Pixel Feature Drop for June 2024 is here: This is everything announced!

TL;DR

• Google launched the Pixel Feature Drop for June 2024 today, coming to Pixel phones, the Pixel Tablet, and Pixel smartwatches.
• The biggest news is Gemini Nano support for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a.
• Other highlights include a new Bicycle Fall Detection for Pixel Watches, improved HDR+ image capture, and more!

Pixel Feature Drop June 2024: Pixel smartphones

As one would expect, the majority of today’s updates are for Pixel phones, most notably the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and newest Pixel 8a. That being said, older Pixels also get some love.

• Gemini Nano: Before today, the only Pixel phone with Gemini Nano support was the Pixel 8 Pro. Gemini Nano brings on-device AI features, meaning they work even without an internet connection. Now, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a can join the fun, but with a very significant catch: you must manually activate Developer Options and then also manually activate Gemini Nano. This is a significant roadblock, but it’s good to know that anyone who really wants Nano features on a Pixel 8 or Pixel 8a can access them. To get this working, follow these steps:
  • Enable Developer Options by going to Settings > About Phone and tapping the software build number seven times until you see the “You are now a developer” alert.
  • Go to Settings > System > Developer options.
  • Find the AICore setting on the list and enable all AICore features.
• DisplayPort: For whatever reason, Google Pixel phones haven’t supported DisplayPort before, which prevents you from hooking up your phone to a monitor or television with the proper cable. On older models, this is a hardware deficiency, but on newer models, it is only a software deficiency. Google is finally fixing this! Starting today, the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and Pixdel 8a will support DisplayPort functionality! To do this, you’ll need a cable, and we suggest this one on Amazon.
• Reverse Phone Number Lookup: This is a brand new feature for Pixel phones. As the name suggests, it allows you to easily look up unknown phone numbers by doing a reverse search from your call logs. This will save you the hassle of first copying the number and manually pasting it into a Google Search. Not bad! This will be supported on all Pixels launched since the Pixel 6, including the Pixel Fold.
• More powerful Recorder: When you get a summary of your Recorder recording, it will now be more detailed by including the names of each speaker. This feature will only work on Gemini Nano phones, meaning the Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel 8 and 8a, if you have manually activated the Nano features. Meanwhile, you can also more easily work with Recorder transcripts and summaries by instantly exporting them to Google Docs. This feature is available to all Pixels that support Recorder.
• HDR+ improved frame selection: Your camera will now automatically pick the best moment from your photo shot in HDR+, even with just one shutter press. This should allow for better results from your photos. This is coming to the Pixel 6 and all newer smartphones, including the Pixel Fold.
• Powered-off Find My Device support: Google previously confirmed this, but it is now rolling out widely. For Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro users, the new Find My Device network (FMDN) will track their phones even if they are powered off. This will land on more non-Pixel phones in the future, but not many that are currently on the market, as special hardware is required for it to work.

Google has announced one significant new feature that is exclusive to the Pixel Watch 2. Meanwhile, a few other general Wear OS features were also included in this Pixel Feature Drop.

• Car Crash Detection: This feature has been a staple of Pixel smartphones for a long time, but now it’s coming exclusively to the Pixel Watch 2. As with the smartphone version, the watch will use its various sensors to sense when you’ve possibly been involved in a car crash. If it senses a possible crash, it will check to see if you are hurt and need assistance. If you don’t respond, it will automatically alert emergency services and your trusted contacts.
• Bicycle Fall Detection: This is just like Car Crash Detection, but for bicycle falls. Interestingly, this feature is now exclusive to the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2, as Pixel smartphones do not have a feature specifically catered towards bicycles. Really, though, Google makes it sound like this is just an enhanced version of Fall Detection, which is available on phones.
• PayPal support in Wallet: This actually rolled out with the Android Feature Drop at the end of May to all Wallet users, whether on Wear OS or Android itself. You can now use PayPal within Wallet, which allows you to make a contactless payment through your PayPal account right from your wrist.
• New Google Home features: Once again, these rolled out with the recent Android Feature Drop, so they are coming to all Wear OS 4 watches, not just the Pixel Watches. They include new complications for certain watch faces, a new Google Home tile, and a wider selection of smart home controls.