5 Pixel options I at all times change on immediate...

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

Pixel 9a
, providing a aggressive various 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 working the most recent model of

Android 15
, and

Android 16
quickly to reach.

If you happen to’re trying to improve your expertise with any of Google’s Pixel smartphones working Android 15, there are a number of options you possibly can activate that are not robotically enabled by default, which might considerably enhance your every day use of the machine. Listed here are 5 settings I allow immediately every time I take advantage of a brand new Pixel smartphone to boost its efficiency and software program expertise.

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5

Charging optimization

Extend your battery’s lifespan

Charging optimization is among the latest options in Google’s Pixel sequence. It was launched with the December Pixel characteristic drop final yr, permitting you to set your smartphone’s battery cost restrict to 80 p.c. Why would you wish to do that? Most significantly, by not absolutely charging your battery on a regular basis, you assist protect it higher and prolong its lifespan by decreasing 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 p.c.

Enabling this additionally robotically prompts bypass charging. Which means that after your Pixel cellphone reaches its 80 p.c cost restrict, it’s going to solely be powered by the DC energy coming from the charger, bypassing the battery solely to energy the cellphone. This protects the battery even additional, and the cellphone produces much less warmth because the charger is not always attempting to recharge the battery. All in all, it is a win-win in your Pixel. When you won’t get as lengthy of battery life as you’d by charging to one hundred pc, your battery’s lifespan will final for much longer, which is vital if you wish to maintain your Pixel machine for some time.

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4

Clean show

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

As soon as you utilize a smartphone with a refresh price greater than 60Hz, I discover it almost unattainable to return to 1 with a decrease refresh price. The most recent Pixel telephones boast a number 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 gorgeous, and considered one of my favourite points is their excessive refresh charges.

Nonetheless, whenever you first get the cellphone, the show is ready to 60Hz by default to save lots of battery. If you happen to activate Clean show by going to Settings > Show & contact > Clean show, it’s going to 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 properly definitely worth the slight sacrifice to battery life, because it makes the cellphone’s display screen look buttery clean, particularly its animations.

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3

Fast Faucet

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

One in all my favourite options to indicate folks on my Pixel smartphone is the Fast Faucet choice. This lets you faucet the again of your cellphone twice to entry an app or carry out a particular perform, resembling taking a screenshot, viewing your notifications, turning on the flashlight, and extra.

To activate Fast Faucet, go to Settings > Gestures > Fast Faucet to begin actions. You possibly can then select from the assorted features I discussed above, or choose any app you might have put in. I’ve mine set to open Spotify, however up to now, I’ve had it set to open my digicam and the cellphone’s flashlight. This characteristic is similar to the double-tap characteristic the iPhone has beneath its accessibility settings.

There are additionally another useful gestures you possibly can take a look at within the Pixel’s Gestures menu, resembling one-handed mode, which permits a gesture to tug the display screen all the way down to make it simpler to make use of one-handed, and likewise Shortly open digicam, which helps you to double-tap the facility button to open the digicam.

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2

Notification historical past

By no means lose a notification once more

I’ve a foul behavior of typically clearing my notifications with out absolutely checking each notification that was in it. Prior to now, I’ve missed a number of essential notifications just because I by chance cleared them with out considering. That is the place Notification historical past is useful. Because the identify suggests, it saves your notification historical past, in order that for those who by chance swipe one and overlook what it was, you possibly can 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’s going to now seem on this menu beneath settings. To shortly entry it with out navigating via all these settings menus each time, faucet the Historical past button within the notification middle. In case your notification middle is empty, simply faucet the display screen, and Notification historical past will pop up.

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1

Now Enjoying

Discover out what music is taking part in close to you

Likelihood is, you have heard a very good music taking part in round you as soon as and instantly puzzled what the identify is. Often, you’d should shortly open the Shazam app or Google AI to determine it, however with this useful Pixel characteristic, yow will discover out what music is taking part in close to you simply by glancing down at your lock display screen.

The characteristic known as Now Enjoying, and to allow it, head to Settings > Show & contact > Lock display screen > Now Enjoying > Establish songs taking part in close by. When you flip it on, it’s going to additionally ask you so as to add the widget to your lock display screen. I additionally advocate enabling Improve Now Enjoying. This can use Google Search to determine any songs it does not acknowledge and likewise present album art work.

Now, if a music is taking part in close by, you may see the music’s identify and artist displayed beneath the fingerprint reader in your Pixel lock display screen. If you happen to faucet it and unlock your cellphone, it’s going to convey you to your Now Enjoying historical past, the place you possibly can view all of the songs that performed close to you lately. I’ve discovered Now Enjoying to be useful for figuring out any of the songs I’ve heard on the radio whereas commuting.

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