The November Pixel Drop is officially here, bringing plenty of features that Pixel owners can start enjoying right away. One of the biggest additions is Google’s Gemini Intelligence expansion to last year’s Pixel lineup, first arriving on the Pixel 11 earlier this year.
This is huge for anyone who is sitting on their Pixel 10 and avoiding upgrading to the Pixel 11, as it finally closes the distance between the two devices. Although it made some notable design changes, such as the HiLight system, Google ultimately played it safe with the Pixel 11, with most of the major changes coming in the form of software that older Pixel devices expected.
Well, the time to close that gap has arrived, and Gemini Intelligence is far from the only addition Google is bringing with the November Pixel Drop. In fact, you can enjoy several new features and functions, including updates to HiLight on the Pixel 11, new changes to the Pixel’s Call Screen feature, and even custom icon styles to help personalize your device. The update will be rolled out in the coming weeks. Once you have that figured out, here are five things you should check.
The call screen becomes more natural during a conversation
Google is kicking off the November Pixel Drop by giving the Pixel 11 a substantial Call Screen upgrade. The spam filtering feature has been a mainstay of Pixel devices for years, but it will soon respond to users in a much more conversational way.
This should make interactions with Call Screen for users on the other side of the call much more natural, and Google says you’ll continue to see a live transcript of the entire conversation and can even edit what Gemini says if you decide to call someone back later or report the call as spam.
It appears this feature is only coming to the Pixel 11, at least for now, with Google noting that the Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Watch 5 will also benefit from the improved conversational calling screen. It’s unclear when exactly it will come to other Pixel devices – if at all – at the moment. It will also only work on a phone with a US SIM card and language set to English. Pixel users outside the US will also have to wait to get their hands on it.
More custom icon styles
If you love customizing your device, then this Pixel Drop is going to be huge, as Google is finally giving more customization to the Pixel with the introduction of new custom icon styles. The company first introduced custom icons to its Pixel launcher in March.
The feature launched with just five styles to choose from. Then your phone’s AI would generate an icon set based on the style you selected instead of forcing you to rely on third-party icon packs, which can often lack icons for different apps depending on their popularity.
Today, the company is increasing the number of styles available, although it hasn’t said exactly how many styles it’s adding. In May, Pixels received the first additional style, called Disco, and now it’s expanding with new styles, which will be available on the Pixel 6a and newer. So once the update is complete, you will be able to customize your phone even more.
Pixel Search gets better at finding things
Another change Google is making with this Pixel Drop is an upgrade to Pixel Search. The feature will now be able to pull results from your apps instead of just finding the apps themselves. This is a huge upgrade that will hopefully make Pixel Search even more like Spotlight on Apple products.
Google says users will be able to search for anything from vacation photos to recent emails, messages, calendar events, and even their device settings. You can also control how much of your email inbox appears in the results, so whether you want to focus specifically on content from other apps or just the apps themselves, that option is always there.
If you want to take full advantage of the feature, you will be able to do so once the update hits your device. Unfortunately, there’s no guaranteed rollout schedule for this feature, although Google says the Pixel 6a and newer devices should receive it in the coming weeks.
HiLight now supports text messages
The HiLight system is one of the biggest design changes Google made with the Pixel 11, and it appears to be doubling down on that feature with November’s Pixel Drop. Until now, the LED on the back of the phone only lit up when Gemini thought of and responded to you, or when one of your favorite contacts called you through supported apps. However, Google is officially adding support for Google Messages to HiLight, which means you can now track incoming messages even when your phone is on silent and face down.
We first saw evidence of HiLight adding messages back in October, when users spotted it in the Android 17 QPR2 beta. However, previously we weren’t sure when the feature would come to Pixel devices.
Now it looks like the feature is rolling out to Pixel 11 devices with the HiLight notification system, and you can even customize the colors that appear for each of your favorite contacts in the Contacts app.
Gemini Intelligence finally arrives on the Pixel 10
Of course, the biggest part of this month’s Pixel Drop is the arrival of Gemini Intelligence on last year’s devices. The Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold will finally receive the features that helped make the Pixel 11 worth the upgrade if you like Google’s AI capabilities. One of the first features Pixel 10 owners will likely notice and want to take advantage of is Rambler. This updated text-to-speech system can help filter out filler words like “um” when dictating text, which is ideal if you prefer to chat with others through your voice rather than typing.
Gemini will also be able to handle more multi-step tasks in your apps, including finding a ride, reserving a restaurant, or even ordering your dinner. Android Auto will also get an upgrade with more “proactive” suggestions, intended to help you get to the places you need to go based on conversations you’ve had with others. Theoretically, it should be noticeably easier to search for the dinner venue where you’re supposed to meet the boys next Wednesday.
Another big addition is Google’s Create My Widget feature, which will let you use AI to create custom widgets right on your device. You can use it to create specific widgets that you might otherwise have trouble finding, or simply to add a little more personalized touch to your home screen. The Pixel Watch is also expected to receive many of these updates, although of course some will take longer to roll out than others.
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