New Pixel feature drop brings several Gemini improvements

Google has announced the December 2024 Pixel Feature Drop for its lineup of Pixel phones which promises a handful of improvements to Gemini. Since the launch of the Pixel 8 series, Google has been expanding Gemini’s presence in phones and some of the newly announced features have already made their way to devices. These were official releases of these features but only by way of beta app access, and without any announcements from Google.

One such instance was the arrival of the Utilities Gemini extension, as well as Gemini’s ability to make phone calls and send text messages from the lock screen. These features are now official and will be available across several Pixel devices. But there’s more to look forward to. The update should be rolling out to supported Pixel devices starting today, however, it’s unclear how long it will take for all users to get these updates.

In terms of which devices will get these features, Google says it will be the Pixel 6 and newer Pixel devices. So that means the Pixel 6 and any Pixel device after it.

The December 2024 Pixel Feature Drop adds a new Spotify Gemini extension

Spotify is perhaps the most-used streaming music service on the planet. So you’d expect it to have some kind of integration with Gemini. To that end, a new Spotify Gemini extension has emerged for people to more easily interact with their favorite songs. Google says the extension will allow you to “play your favorite songs and podcasts and discover playlists for any mood.” To access the Gemini extensions and make use of them, you’ll need to have Gemini set as your default instead of Google Assistant.

You also need to make sure the Spotify extension toggle is enabled. It might be on by default though. So there’s a chance you won’t have to do much beyond waiting for the feature drop.

Gemini Advanced gets new Saved Info feature

If you’re a Gemini Advanced subscriber, then you’re getting some new stuff to play with too. Specifically, the Saved Info feature. Google started rolling this out in priority access back in November. With Saved Info, you can ask Gemini to remember certain interests and preferences. In doing this Gemini is supposed to be able to provide you with responses that are more relevant to you.

Say you really like Japanese food. You can tell Gemini to remember this. The next time you ask about a place to eat, you should end up with responses that are more personalized to you and tailored to this preference. Google’s example states you can tell Gemini that you’re a Vegetarian. It’ll remember this so that it can provide you with more Vegetarian-friendly recipes. All without needing to remind Gemini about this detail.

All of this will be easy to view and edit too, Google says. And for the security-conscious, Google provides transparency on when any shared information is used. It’s possible to delete it at any point. Saved Info will be available on all Android phones and desktops.