6 disabled Google Pixel features that every owner should enable first

Introduction

Google's Pixel smartphones offer a clean, approachable experience, but some of the most useful features are either switched off by default or buried deep in the Settings app. Two recent guides from Android Police and SlashGear walk Pixel owners through the toggles they should enable first.

Features to Enable

Screen Protector Mode

If you use a screen protector, especially a thicker tempered-glass one, you might notice that light taps or swipes don't always register as confidently. Android Police recommends enabling Screen Protector mode, which increases touch sensitivity to compensate for that extra layer. The setting is found under Settings > Display & touch > Touch sensitivity > Screen Protector mode. As the guide notes, it can make a noticeable difference when typing quickly, swiping through apps, or using edge gestures.

Notification History

Accidentally swiping away an important notification is a common frustration. Android Police suggests turning on Notification history, which keeps a record of recently dismissed notifications. This allows you to go back and check what you missed without opening several apps. The setting lives under Settings > Notifications > Notification history.

Screen Attention

To avoid accidental screen timeouts while you're reading, you can enable Screen Attention. This uses the front-facing camera to detect whether you're looking at the display and keeps it awake accordingly. It's located under Settings > Display & touch > Screen timeout > Screen attention, according to Android Police.

Adaptive Vibration

Both guides highlight Adaptive Vibration as a feature worth turning on. SlashGear notes that this uses the Pixel's microphone to adjust haptic intensity based on ambient sound levels, so you get stronger vibrations in noisier environments. Android Police describes it as adjusting vibration strength based on environment and usage. You can enable it under Settings > Sound & vibration > Vibration & haptics > Adaptive Vibration.

Clear Calling

For phone calls in noisy surroundings, Clear Calling can reduce background noise using on-device processing. Android Police lists this as another useful setting, available on supported Pixel models under Settings > Sound & vibration > Clear Calling.

Notification Snoozing

Finally, notification snoozing lets you temporarily hide notifications, which can be handy when you're busy but don't want to dismiss an alert permanently. Android Police notes this can be enabled via Settings > Notification > Allow notification snoozing.

Additional Features Worth Enabling

Beyond the six listed above, SlashGear's guide covers several other features that may be off by default on newer Pixel models.

Smooth Display on Pixel 10

According to SlashGear, all smartphones in Google's Pixel 10 lineup, including the Pixel 10a, feature a 120Hz OLED display. The Pixel 11 series also carries 120Hz panels. While the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL have LTPO panels that can dynamically adjust from 1Hz to 120Hz, the regular Pixel 10 and Pixel 10a ship with the higher refresh rate disabled by default. Owners can enable it via Settings > Display & touch > Smooth display.

Now Playing

Now Playing, introduced with the Pixel 2 in 2017, automatically detects music playing around the phone and shows song details on the lock screen. As SlashGear explains, it works by matching audio against a local database of song fingerprints stored on the device, so it can function offline. Google has also rolled out a standalone Now Playing app on the Play Store for a better way to view history and manually identify songs.

Call Screen

Call Screen, which debuted as an experimental feature with the Pixel 3 in 2018, allows Google Assistant to handle calls from unknown numbers. Automatic Call Screening is available in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and select other countries; elsewhere, manual screening may be required. The feature can be enabled via the Phone app > Settings > Spam and Call Screen > Call Screen.

Private Space

Available on Android 15 and newer, Private Space lets you hide apps behind an extra layer of authentication. It isn't exclusive to Pixel. The space can be unlocked with the device's existing screen lock or a separate PIN, password, pattern, or fingerprint. Apps in Private Space are stopped when it's locked and cannot perform background activities or access device sensors.

Face Detection

SlashGear also mentions Face Detection under Settings > Display & touch > Auto-rotate screen, which uses the front-facing camera to check face orientation. Processing is done on-device.

Conclusion

Both guides agree that while the Pixel experience is intentionally simple, a few manual tweaks can significantly improve daily use. Whether it's smoother scrolling, fewer missed notifications, or quieter calls, these features are worth digging into the Settings menu to enable.