Google has released its latest quarterly feature update for Pixel users, introducing a range of new tools designed to improve performance, battery efficiency, and user experience.

The November Pixel Drop includes a battery-saving mode in Google Maps, advanced notification controls, new AI-driven editing features for photos and messages, and expanded scam detection capabilities.

One of the standout updates is a new low-power mode for Google Maps, available on the Pixel 10 series.

When enabled, the screen darkens and only essential navigation details — such as the current route and upcoming turns — are displayed.

Google says this feature can help users extend battery life by up to four hours during navigation.

The update also introduces notification summaries for Pixel 9 and newer devices. The feature is designed to condense and organize longer message threads, helping users focus on more important alerts.

A wider rollout scheduled for December will allow low-priority notifications to be automatically silenced — Google’s answer to similar features previously introduced by Apple.

Google is expanding its Gemini Nano-powered scam detection, which analyzes voice and message content to identify potential fraud attempts.

Previously available only in the United States, this security feature is now being extended to users in the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, Australia, and Canada.

In addition, messages flagged as suspicious will now display a “Likely a scam” alert directly in the notification panel.

Another major feature in this update is Photo Remix in Google Messages. Powered by Google’s Nano Banana image model and Gemini AI, the tool allows users to reimagine or transform photos using text prompts.

The feature will be available to users with RCS enabled in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, India, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Google is also enhancing the Pixel VIPs feature introduced earlier this year. Notifications from up to eight selected priority contacts are now more visible, and if any of these contacts are in an area affected by a natural disaster such as a flood, a crisis badge will appear beside their profile in the widget.

In Google Photos, users can now tap “Help me edit” to request complex edits in natural language, such as asking the app to adjust facial expressions or remove objects.

Google says this feature uses face recognition tools already built into Photos to apply the requested changes accurately.

Other updates include expanded availability of the Call Notes transcription tool to Australia, Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Japan, as well as a new “Wicked: For Good” visual theme pack inspired by the film, available for Pixel 6 and later devices.

Source: Techcrunch