For many months now, Google let us test a big quarterly update that would eventually turn into the June Pixel Feature Drop. It arrived via Android Beta program beginning in March and is on the 3rd beta at the moment. During testing, it lacked the “feature” part of the Feature Drop, as it was mostly a quarterly bug fixer that Google would use as setup for a splashier arrival once it went stable. Today, it has gone stable and the Feature Drop is here.
You already know the build and update details from this write-up, so let’s talk here about what’s new from a feature standpoint for those with a Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, Pixel 4, Pixel 4a, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, and Pixel 6 Pro.
At a Glance gets Nest, Flashlight, Air Quality alerts
The At a Glance widget that lives at the top of your main Pixel home screen and on your lock screen is getting three new features. The first is for Nest Doorbell alerts, where you’ll now see the person in At a Glance who just rang your doorbell. You’ll need an actual Nest Doorbell for this, as well as the Google Home app.
The second is a Flashlight reminder. If you forgot to turn your flashlight off and for some reason can’t see it beaming everyone’s eyes out the back of your phone, a little reminder/shortcut in At a Glance will let you turn it back off.
And finally, Google is preparing to show you Air Quality alerts in At a Glance based on your current location. This will work for users in the US, Australia, and India.
New App: Pocket Operator by teenage engineering
The next new item up for grabs is an app called Pocket Operator and its exclusive to Pixel phones for now. Made in collaboration with teenage engineering, this new app lets you shoot video content and then “turn it into fun music and video cut-ups.” There are layers, visual effects, and patterns and beats that can be mixed about to create tracks.
Once live, Pocket Operator will live at Google Play. It will be available to the Pixel 5 and newer.
Google Play Link: Pocket Operator
New Pride Month wallpapers
To celebrate Pride Month, Google is adding three new wallpapers in their Curated Culture collection. The wallpapers were made by Yann Bastard and feature “big, bold shapes and bright colors.”
Vaccine card shortcut on home screen
I’m not sure there are as many vaccine card requirements as there was a year or so ago, but Google is still giving those with vaccine cards an easier way to save them digitally for easy access. Now, when you take a screenshot of your digital vaccine card, you’ll be able to save a shortcut to it on your home screen.
This feature is available in the US, Canada, and Australia. Availability will also depend on state and healthcare providers.
Other new features and those expanding to more phones:
- Real Tone Filters: The Real Tone Filters that Google announced at Google I/O to improve representation of diverse skin tones in Google Photos are now live. You’ll find these in Google Photos under the filters menu when editing a photo.
- Conversation Mode in Sound Amplifier out of beta: The Conversation Mode in the Sound Amplifier app that Google previously released in beta is now available to all Pixel 3 and newer phones.
- Car Crash Detection: Google has expanded Car Crash Detection in Canada for the Pixel 3 and newer (excluding the Pixel 3a).
- Live chat translations in new languages: Google has made live chat translations available in Chinese, Dutch, Korean, Thai, and Turkish on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
Again, most of this Feature Drop stuff is rolling out as early as today alongside the June Pixel update.
To check for the update, head into Settings>System>System update.
My wife’s 3A xl got the ota last night, nothing yet for my 4A 5g.
No update on my 6 Pro or wife’s 4a.
I still do not have the June update on my Google unlocked Pixel 6 Pro. It is 6/7/22 at 6:50 pm PST
Yeah I’m on Verizon and I haven’t received the update either. Bummer man. If I’m not mistaken I believe there is a way to manually side-load it, at least that’s how it used to work. IDK.
Yeah I’m on Verizon and I haven’t received the update either. Bummer man. If I’m not mistaken I believe there is a way to manually side-load it, at least that’s how it used to work. IDK.
Are we doing the Everything Except for Verizon again? I’ve yet to get the update on my unlocked P6 Pro on Verizon.
Same, but I’m not on Verizon ????
No I think were doing a,
No ota, radio silence from Google, probably update later in month, something broke with the ota, ohh well????????
So just standard Dec protocol!
Anyone know why Verizon Pixels haven’t gotten the update yet?
I was wondering the same.
I’m on google Fi and haven’t received it yet either
Something is probably wrong with the OTA. Last time this happened it was back in Dec, and the OTA’s were killing the cellular radio. Looking on reddit, some are saying the FPS is now broken, some say wireless charging doesn’t work. It’s a mixed bag of broken things.
My wireless charging has been broken for months. Sometimes it charges, sometimes it doesn’t. Very frustrating.
thos gonna fix that at a glance weather just rando disappearing once every week or 2?
Glad I live in a place that never required a vaccine card. Including flying to multiple countries.
Same here. Would never give money to an establishment that asked for one either.
Yes! Let’s get political and give our personal opinions on an Android site. What a perfect place to do that.
It’s a bunch of woke junk
Go get a freedom phone then
I see there is at least 22 people sleep walking..
Vaccine card for what the hell, that doesn’t prevent infections ???????? ♂️
How will this work for those enrolled in the Android 12QPR. We supposedly can update to the stable June update and opt out without having to wipe our devices.
That would be awesome if it works out that way
Not a very good Pixel Feature drop.
This is a very… Liberal feature drop ????????
Ridiculous that it took almost 3 years into the pandemic to get a secure vaccine QR code on our Pixel phones when iPhones had this last year
Here in Virginia, we have had the ability since December of last year to download our Smart Health Card Vaccination record into Google Pay, and it automatically asks if we’d like a shortcut to the record on the home screen. This new feature looks like an alternative measure for those whose state departments of health don’t yet support this capability. It’s the states, not the phone or app manufacturers, that have been lagging behind.
It’s ridiculous you feel it’s necessary to have to show your papers to do anything.
How could anyone down vote this? Why won’t people just admit they were wrong?
You have to have papers to fly on a plane (ticket and ID) and drive a car (License). So it’s not ridiculous to show papers for something’s.
I have had a shortcut on my home screen to the vaccine card in G Pay for months on my Pixel 7 Pro. I can’t recall how I did it, but it has been there.
Edit: Pixel 6 Pro. Typo 🙂
Pixel 7 Pro? Hot dog 😉
WANT