New Pixel Drop Brings Material 3 Expressive Design To More Pixels, And Android Devices Get A Few Interesting Features

Google on Wednesday released several new Android features, including a big Pixel Drop that brings Android 16's new Material 3 Expressive design to Pixel phones older than the brand-new Pixel 10 series. Google also released updates for the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Pixel Watch, and made available a few AI features to more Android users, while also improving wireless earphone audio experiences for users. For example, two people can pair their earphones to the same device to listen to the same music, podcast, or other type of content.

The Material 3 Expressive release for more Pixel phones is easily the highlight of Google's announcements on Wednesday. Google demoed the new design language for Android earlier this year, introducing new concepts that should make using smartphones easier than ever. Android 16 phones will feature new animations and shapes, and dynamic menus that bring a touch of color to visually inform the user about what's available on the screen. Live effects bring animations to the lock screen wallpaper, and users can customize the Phone app by creating visuals for their friends and family.

While Android 16 launched earlier this summer, the Material 3 Expressive design wasn't ready for that initial rollout. The Pixel 10 phones unveiled a few weeks ago come with Material 3 Expressive on board. Starting Wednesday, Pixel 6 and newer devices will get the new Material 3 Expressive design. The list of supported devices receiving Google's early September Pixel Drop includes the Pixel Tablet.

Google did more than apply a new coat of paint to older Pixel devices on Wednesday. The company used the update to enable new features for the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and the Pixel Watch. Google's most expensive wireless earphones received support for Adaptive Audio, a sound mode that lets the earphones automatically adjust the volume to take into account noises from your surroundings. With Adaptive Audio enabled, the Buds Pro 2 will continue playing music while allowing the user to hear relevant sounds around them. A new Loud Noise Protection feature should protect your hearing when a loud sound appears in the background.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 also support better interactions with Google's Gemini AI thanks to the early September Pixel Drop update. You'll be able to keep interacting with the AI even when people are talking near you or when the TV is on. A new gesture (shaking your head) will let you accept or dismiss calls while you're wearing the earphones.

Pixel Watch users should be happy to hear that Google Maps walking and biking navigation will be available on their smartwatches, which will support hands-free navigation. You won't have to pull out the phone or tap the watch to see where Google Maps is guiding you to go.

The Pixel Drop update will start rolling out on Wednesday, but that's not the only update coming this week. Google announced a few new AI features for Android. The AI writing tools in Gboard now let you revise your text's tone with a simple tap. The same gesture can be used to bring up the AI writing tools to proofread or rewrite messages. These actions happen on-device, so your privacy is protected.

Google also updated the Emoji Kitchen so you can create and remix your emoji when you need to convey a message through images. Users can save favorites and craft new emoji on their devices. Androidify is a feature that lets you use AI on a selfie to turn yourself into an Android bot. Also, Google redesigned the Quick Share experience so users can preview photos and open received files immediately. A progress indicator will display the percentage of the file transfer.

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The new audio sharing abilities in Android are also important. Google added support for pairing two LE Audio Bluetooth headphones to the same phone, so two people can enjoy the same experience, whether it's music, podcasts, or movies. Audio Sharing can start with a simple QR code, and users can create private broadcasts that involve multiple people.

Finally, Google expanded LE Audio Auracast support to more devices, including Sony headphones, Pixel devices (Pixel 8 or later), Samsung phones (Galaxy S23, S24, S25, Fold 5, 6, and 7), and Xiaomi devices (Xiaomi 14, 14T, 14T Pro, 14 Ultra, 15, 15 Ultra). Auracast support means people with supported devices can listen to open Auracast broadcasts in public places like airports, self-guided museum audio tours, or TV and music content at the gym.