Android gets new features in December for Pixel phones

Google has started rolling out new features for Android smartphones, including a newer version of Quick Share that makes it much easier to use.

You can now quickly start sharing a photo, video, or other type of document on someone else’s phone by allowing them to scan a QR code on your phone, the company says.

Previously, Quick Share (Android’s answer to Apple’s AirDrop) didn’t quite live up to its name, because recipients first had to be stored in the sender’s smartphone contacts for ‘an exchange works. Sharing settings also had to be configured.

A new Gboard keyboard and the Emoji Kitchen feature now let you personalize messages with your own emoji combinations.

And for those who store files in Google’s Drive cloud, the company says photo scans of items like receipts and documents will now be automatically enhanced to make them easy to read. Contrast and white balance will be adjusted, and shadows and blur will be removed.

A new feature called Simple View, available only for Pixel smartphones starting from Model 6, is designed to improve clarity through a simplified presentation. It can be found in Settings under Accessibility.

At the same time, the feature is designed to simplify using the phone in general, for example with additional navigation buttons. It also allows you to change the size of fonts and icons, as well as the sensitivity of the touch screen.

Additionally, Google has extended the periods during which Pixel smartphones receive upgrades to the latest Android operating system – from three to five years from release for the 6 and 7 model series and for the Pixel Fold (1st generation).

For Pixel 6 devices, for example, the recent Android 15 would have otherwise marked the end of upgrades. Now they will also receive Android 16 and 17.

It may take a few days or even weeks for feature updates to reach all Pixel devices. Either get the December drop offered by the device, or try to start the update manually: go to “System/Software Updates” in Settings, tap “System Update”, then tap “Check for updates”.