Here are some useful pixels functions that you may not know

In recent years, Google has tried to raise the user experience offered by their devices of the Pixel range, adding features that in the past were not available on the first models (or on deceased Nexus). In general, in fact, before Android “Stock” was really poor in particular features.

However, the pixels have always had an extra sort of march, offering rather smart features that are missing from the competition, offering features that remain exclusive to them for a certain period (before being made available to the other producers of the Android panorama) or offering little known features. So let’s find out five features smartphones Made by Google that you may not know.

Five pixels functions that you may not know

In the chaos of the features available on the devices of the Pixel range, always ready to get rich with new additions, we have selected some functions that could be little known to the most but that, if exploited, can return very useful.

#1 Now Playing, a Shazam always at hand

One of the more features hate and love of the devices of the Pixel range is Now Playing. In reality, it is not about an unknown function (it is already suggested during the first configuration of the device) but often it can fall into the oblivion.

It is in all respects a shazam at hand at hand that acts behind the scenes, without requesting the user’s intervention, recognizing any song that the smartphone “feels” in the surroundings.

For some time, the functionality has been enriched with the Chronologyallowing users to retrace all the songs identified by Now Playing. The function is located on the path “Settings> Display and touch> Lock screen” And inside it allows the activation/deactivation, activation/deactivation of the improvement options thanks to Google research, to access the chronology of the identified songs and to choose the favorite music reader among the apps installed on the pixel.

#2 two gestures that can turn the experience of use

The second underestimated (or semi-unknown) pixel function is the “gesture” Quick touch to start an actionavailable to the “Settings> System> Gestures” route: it can be customized on different options and, depending on what we choose, requires that with the finger we make two touches in rapid sequence on the back of the smartphone for its activation.

The gesture can be customized to speed up a function between: acquisition of a screenshot, access to the digital assistant, control of the multimedia content in reproduction, access to the recent app screen, access to the notification curtain, activation/deactivation of the torch or opening of any of those installed.

Staying in the System Settings gestures section, there is a quick gesture dedicated to the camera, called Change selfie camera: When activated, just rotate the wrist twice to switch from the rear camera to the front.

Staying in the photographic field, more precisely on selfies, the Pixel camera offers a tool to improve lighting in selfie shots thanks to the option More light that, activated the front camera, is located in the options menu (key with the gear at the bottom left).

This item can be set on three levels: Flash deactivated (to take selfies relying exclusively on environmental lighting), Night photo (increases the exposure to capture more light) and Lighting for selfie (It pushes the brightness of the screen to the maximum to ensure that the screen itself acts as a flash to give more light to the selfie subject).

#3 Rules, Google’s response to Samsung’s routines

In 2020, at the time with Android 10, Google brought the Rulesa functionality that is inspired (in a certain sense) to Routine That Samsung proposes on the One UI, although it is decidedly more basic in its essence.

This function, reachable to the path “Settings> System> Rules“, It allows you to change the status of the device between ringtone mode, vibration, silent or” do not disturb “mode depending on the position in which the user is located or according to the Wi-Fi network to which the device connects.

It is a very useful feature that can make us avoid “fools” with the phone that sounds in contexts where it would be good to be silent (like the cinema); Upon returning home or in another “safe” place, it can be made so that the smartphone reactivates the ringtone.

#4 Automatic rotation with facial recognition

All smartphones support the Automatic screen rotationa functionality that, depending on the orientation of the phone (between portrait mode, vertically, and overview, horizontally), the orientation of the content proposed by the app or the system interface changes.

In some contexts, automatic recognition can be very useful but in certain contexts, for example when we are lying in bed, it is better to keep it deactivated and rely on the manual one (through the rotation button that appears at the bottom in the user interface) to avoid involuntary activations.

However, there is an additional tool for this functionality on the pixels: on the path “Settings> Display and touch> Automatic screen rotation”just activate the switch Facial recognition To ensure that the smartphone recognizes from your face what the correct orientation to maintain is.

#5 Selection of text and images from recent apps

The fifth and last functionality of the pixels that you may not know is placed within the menu of Recent appsthe one that is accessed via a prolonged swipe from the bottom up (or via the “square” key in the event that navigate the system with the three keys).

At the bottom of the screen there is a tool called Select. This, if activated, allows you to select the text or images present in the last open app (or in the one on which you have activated the function).

As you can see from the following image, the tool directly highlights all the text that can be copied (in the same way as copying the text on the smartphone from any other app) but also the images that can be copied: by making a tap on an image, we can also directly share it, save it in the phone tunnel or start a search through Google Lens.

The importance of advice for pixels to discover the foundations and new features

Among the apps pregnant on smartphones and tablets of the Mountain View giant, Tips for pixels. It is often quickly “liquidated” and stamped as something useless but, in reality, it is the center where users can discover all the features (and tricks) of their device.

In the upper part, the latest features made available by Google are proposed, those that are almost always part of the Pixels Drop; In the lower part, organized by category, there are all other functions added in the past and, through quick guides and explanations quite “in hand”, the app tries to help us in the use “to the maximum of the potential” of our pixel.

To check that on your smartphone (or tablet) Made by Google The latest version of the app is installed Tips for pixelssimply make a tap on the underlying badge to reach the dedicated page on the Google Play Store. At this point, if an update was available, just select “Update”.