Latest Pixel feature drop includes Do Not Disturb improvements, Dark Theme scheduling, more
Mobility
In December, Google announced it would begin regularly adding new features to its Pixel lineup of phones with Feature Drops. The first feature drop, released at that same time, included improvements to the spam call screening feature on Pixel phones and improvements to Duo video calls.
Google on Monday announced the second Feature Drop is rolling out. This update has many more features, ranging from improvements to selfies on the Pixel 4 to the expansion of Live Caption to the Pixel 2.
With quarterly updates that add more than bug fixes and security improvements, Google is giving Pixel owners regular feature additions -- something that Apple's iPhone or Android device makers have to rely on major OS updates to do, typically once a year.
The March Feature Drop includes twelve new features in total. You can now use local sunset and sunrise times to enable Android 10's Dark Theme. You can also allow Do Not Disturb to turn on or off based on your location or when your phone connects to a Wi-Fi network. Google's Personal Safety app that will automatically call for help when a car crash is detected is expanding to Australia and the UK, and you can now long-press the power button on a Pixel phone to display your Google Pay cards and passes.
Motion Sense on the Pixel 4 -- a feature that allows owners to gesture above the phone's front-facing camera to control music playback -- has gained the ability to pause or play with a new tap gesture.
You can read more about the included features in this post.
Pixel owners can update their phone by opening the Settings app and going to System > System Update. If the update doesn't show up right away, keep checking. It's not currently showing for me on my Pixel 4 XL.
What do you think about significant features being regularly added to the Pixel lineup? Is it something that sets the Pixel apart from other Android phones?