Google’s Latest Pixel Feature Drop Enhances Your Phone and Watch

howtogeek.com:

The latest Pixel Feature Drop is here, and with it comes several improvements for the Pixel smartphone and smartwatch. Some of these new features are exclusive to the Pixel family, while others will be generally available on Android or Watch OS in the future.

One of our favorite features, the Call Screen, can now tell unknown callers to wait a few minutes for your answer. Additionally, you can now press a "hello" button when screening a call. This button may be useful when a caller is silent—a good way to weed out robocalls or gain more information on an unknown caller.

Plus, the Pixel smartphone can now upload high-quality videos or photos to Instagram. Bask in the glory of Ultra HDR images, or upload an Instagram Reel in 10-bit HDR. Note that high-quality Instagram uploads are exclusive to the Pixel 7, Pixel Fold, and later devices.

The March Feature Drop also brings Circle to Search to the Pixel 7. Perform the Google Assistant gesture and circle any on-screen content to look it up with Google Lens. Previously, Circle to Search was exclusive to the Pixel 8 and Samsung Galaxy S24.

Interestingly, your Pixel smartphone's Fast Pair settings can now be transferred to a new phone. So, if you go from the Pixel 7 to the Pixel 8, all Bluetooth accessories that were set up on your old phone will be available on the Pixel 8. However, you still need to facilitate a connection with those Bluetooth devices in the Connected Devices settings page.

The biggest Pixel Watch improvement is Transit Navigation, which was previously announced as a Wear OS 3+ feature. Transit Navigation provides on-wrist directions to public transport services, such as buses, ferries, and subways. That said, Google is bringing several Pixel Watch 2 features to the first-gen Pixel Watch. These features include Pace Training, Heart Zone Traning, the Relax app, and Auto Workout Mode, which automatically detects activities such as running or cycling.

Google's March Pixel Feature Drop is rolling out now