Google’s latest Pixel Feature Drop brings a mix of creativity, safety, and personality to its smartphones, with updates rolling out beginning November 10. This November batch adds several Gemini-powered upgrades, smarter notifications, and even a little musical flair for fans of Wicked: For Good.
Remix in Google Messages: AI Meets Group Chat Chaos
The new Remix in Google Messages feature lets users edit, reimagine, and share photos directly within their conversations. Powered by Nano Banana, a version of Google’s Gemini image generation and editing model, Remix allows users to collaboratively tweak photos without leaving the app. Whether it’s adding flair to a selfie or turning a vacation photo into meme material, everyone in the chat, Android or not, can see the results.
For those messaging over RCS, Remix rolls out first in English to users across the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, and New Zealand, with broader language support planned.
Wicked: For Good Theme Packs Bring Broadway to Your Home Screen
Google’s theatrical side takes the stage with Wicked: For Good theme packs. Inspired by the upcoming film, these packs let Pixel users customize wallpapers, icons, sounds, and even GIFs in three styles: For Good, Glinda, and Elphaba. Whether you’re Team Pink or Team Green, the new designs make your phone feel a bit more magical.
Smarter Notifications That Actually Save Time
Between work chats, family threads, and group memes, staying caught up can feel like a full-time job. Enter Notification Summaries, which condense long messages from chat apps into a quick recap right in your notification shade. The idea is simple: fewer scrolls, more clarity.
The feature debuts on Pixel 9 and above (excluding the 9a), with a follow-up update in December set to further streamline notifications by organizing and silencing lower-priority alerts.
Scam Detection Expands to More Apps and More Countries
Scam protection takes another leap forward. Pixel 6 and newer devices in the U.S. now get Scam Detection in messages, which flags suspicious texts from popular apps with a clear “Likely scam” warning. It’s an added layer of defense that catches shady messages before they catch you.
Meanwhile, Scam Detection for phone calls is expanding to Pixel 9 and newer users in the U.K., Ireland, India, Australia, and Canada. Using AI-based speech pattern recognition, the system can alert users mid-call if something sounds off, a rare case where getting interrupted might actually be a good thing.
Pixel VIPs: Keeping Important People Front and Center
The new Pixel VIPs feature prioritizes notifications from your most important contacts, ensuring you never miss a message from close friends or family. VIPs now even get a crisis badge in the Contacts widget, helping you stay informed during emergencies. It’s like a digital velvet rope for your most trusted people.
Personalized Edits in Google Photos: AI That Knows Your Smile
Google Photos is getting smarter about touch-ups. A new Personalized Edits tool lets users describe what they want changed in a photo such as “remove sunglasses,” “make Riley smile,” “open my eyes”, and Photos will build a more natural version using other images in your face groups. The result? A fix that actually looks like you, not a sticker version of you. This feature is available to eligible Android users in the U.S.
Power Saving Mode in Maps and Call Notes Expansion
For road-trippers and long-distance drivers, Power Saving Mode in Google Maps helps stretch battery life by simplifying the interface during navigation. It shows only what matters most, like the next turn, and promises up to four extra hours of driving directions. The feature is available on the Pixel 10 series, including the Pro Fold.
And for those who live by their phone calls, Call Notes is expanding to new regions including Australia, Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Japan. The feature uses on-device Gemini Nano to record calls, generate summaries, and even suggest follow-up actions, making it handy for interviews, planning calls, or that one relative who never gets to the point.
Availability
The November 2025 Pixel Feature Drop will begin rolling out to all supported Pixel phones starting November 10, with features varying by model and region.
