Google is testing a feature to bring the Pixel 11's color-matched My Pixel app icon to older Pixel 9 phones, though support is incomplete and doesn't yet extend to Pixel 10 models. The company is also planning a design update to the app icon, shifting to a lighter blue shade with a white Google logo.
Google updated the Pixel Weather app with a refresh button on home screen widgets to manually fetch the latest forecast, and removed arrow buttons for scrolling hourly and daily predictions, now requiring users to swipe instead.
Google's September 2026 Pixel Feature Drop introduces a redesigned Pixel VIP widget with single-tap quick actions for calling or texting contacts, full-width layout enforcement, and automatic reversion to the old layout when more than four VIPs are selected. Adding a single-contact widget now automatically adds the contact to the VIP list and opens a dedicated VIP sheet instead of the contact details page. The new widget will be available on Pixel 6 and newer devices after Google enables it server-side.
Google released Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5 for Pixel devices from the Pixel 6a onwards, featuring bug fixes for Bluetooth, camera, HDR, and UI issues, along with new features like an Auracast Quick Settings tile and battery settings reorganization. The build follows Android Canary 2609 and precedes the stable QPR2 release expected later in 2026.