Google announced a series of new features for the Android ecosystem and Pixel devices on Wednesday. The update includes Material 3 Expressive for Pixel phones, Adaptive Audio for the Pixel Buds Pro 2, on-wrist navigation for the Pixel Watch, new AI writing tools in Gboard, enhanced audio sharing, and the ability to create custom Android bots.
Material 3 Expressive is now available for Pixel 6 and newer devices, as well as the Pixel Tablet. This feature is designed to make your Pixel feel more personal by letting you use Live effects to add animations to your lock screen wallpaper and create customized calling cards for your contacts.
Later this month, Adaptive Audio is coming to the Pixel Buds Pro 2. This allows the earbuds to automatically adjust to your environment so you can stay aware of your surroundings while listening to music. The buds also enable clear conversations with Gemini in loud settings. You can accept or dismiss incoming calls with a simple nod or shake of your head.
Pixel Watch users can now start walking or biking navigation on their phone in Google Maps and have the directions automatically appear on their smartwatch.
New AI writing tools are now available in Gboard. You can revise your message’s tone to be more formal, expressive, or concise. The tool also helps you quickly fix spelling and grammar. All proofreading and rewriting happens directly on your device, ensuring your data remains private.
Google also announced that you can now pair two LE Audio Bluetooth headphones to a single Android phone. This allows two people to listen to the same audio simultaneously, which is useful for sharing a song or watching a movie together in a busy cafe or on a train. You can also create a QR code to start a private audio broadcast that multiple people can join with their own headphones, enabling activities like a silent disco.
The redesigned Quick Share feature on Android makes it easier to share and receive content. You can instantly switch between sending and receiving modes, preview photos before sharing, and open received files immediately. A new progress indicator provides live updates on the file transfer status.
Finally, Google introduced Androidify, a new way to build your own Android bot. You can create a bot by uploading a selfie or writing a text prompt. The feature uses Gemini 2.5 Flash to caption the photo and Imagen to generate the custom bot. In some cases, it uses Veo 3, Google’s latest video generation model, to animate your creation.