I changed 10 settings on my Pixel phone to instantly improve the user experience

The Google Pixel 9a might be the best-value phone of 2025, especially now that it brings flagship-level AI tools, a bright 120Hz display, and a massive battery into a more affordable price tier. But, just like any Pixel phone, the best features often aren’t enabled by default.

Also: How to get Google’s new Pixel 9a for free

These tips are based on a Pixel 9a running Android 15. Depending on which Pixel model and Android version you’re using, the exact menu locations may vary slightly, but the settings themselves are widely available across recent Pixel generations.

1. Enable Smooth Display

Pixels continue to ship with a brilliant Actua 120Hz OLED screen set to a more conservative 60Hz by default. It’s fine for battery conservation, but if you want buttery-smooth scrolling and animations that show off the screen’s full potential, turn on Smooth Display.

Also: 7 Google Pixel phone settings you should change immediately (and how to do it)

Go to Settings > Display > Smooth Display and toggle it on. You’ll immediately notice a boost in responsiveness when scrolling through social feeds or navigating the UI.

2. Customize Quick Tap

The Pixel’s Quick Tap feature lets you double-tap anywhere on the back of the phone to trigger customizable actions — but it’s not enabled by default. You can set it to launch the camera, take a screenshot, pause music, or open your favorite app.

Also: I upgraded to Android 15 on my Pixel 9 Pro. Here are my 6 favorite features so far

Go to Settings > System > Gestures > Quick Tap, then turn it on and choose your preferred shortcut. I set mine to toggle the flashlight, which comes in very handy.

3. Maximize battery life with Adaptive Battery and Extreme Saver

Pixels already have solid battery life, but Google’s battery-saving tools take it even further. Adaptive Battery learns which apps you use most and cuts power to the rest. Extreme Battery Saver shuts down predetermined non-essential apps to stretch power for days.

Also: 12 Android phone settings you should change to dramatically increase battery life

Enable both in Settings > Battery > Battery Saver > Adaptive Battery and Battery Saver > Extreme Battery Saver. You can also set schedules for them to activate automatically when needed.

4. Personalize the lock screen with At a Glance

The Pixel’s lock screen can become a mini command center if you turn on its smarter widgets. At a Glance can show flight info, weather alerts, calendar events, and more.

Also: How to factory reset your Android phone without unlocking it first

All of this happens through the Pixel Launcher. On the home screen, tap and hold any open space and select Home settings, then tap the settings icon for At a Glance. There, you can manage what kinds of information will appear and what data sources it taps into (with your permission, of course).

As a bonus, your home screen will also showcase this info in the At a Glance widget, so you’re more likely to catch those reminders and updates.

5. Enhance Now Playing for even greater song identification

Now Playing is a cool feature that auto-detects songs playing around you. The phone displays that information on your lock screen passively. Even though the database is impressive and stored fully on-device, it can’t identify every song out there. That’s where Google Search comes in.

Also: Google’s Circle to Search can identify songs on Android now. Here’s how it works

Head to Settings > Display > Lock Screen > Now Playing and activate Identify songs playing nearby. Then, turn on Show search button on Lock Screen. The next time Now Playing comes up short, tap the lock screen icon to send that audio fingerprint to Google Search for a second opinion. It doesn’t always work, but when it does, you’ll be glad you did.

6. Enable app suggestions on the home screen

The Pixel Launcher can surface app suggestions based on personal context like location, time of day, and your usage habits.

Also: 6 Android home screen launchers that are better than your default

Tap and hold an open space on the home screen and go to Home settings > Suggestions. Enable Suggestions on Home Screen, then remove at least one static icon from the bottom row on your Home Screen. That spot will turn yellow and begin to dynamically shift depending on usage patterns. You can even apply this to the whole row if you want.

7. Set up Live Translate and Interpreter Mode

Tensor-powered Pixels support offline translation tools. Live Translate lets you automatically translate text messages in real time.

Also: 6 hidden Android features every user should know – and how they make life easier

Go to Settings > System > Live Translate and Add a language. Depending on your selections, you’ll unlock different features like in-message translation, camera view translation, and Live Caption translation for videos. Interpreter mode still requires Google Assistant, which is becoming less central now that Gemini is taking over.

8. Change your lock screen privacy settings

By default, notifications appear on your lock screen, which means others might see your messages. I always adjust this setting on my new Pixel devices.

Also: 7 simple things I always do on Android to protect my privacy – and why you should too

Go to Settings > Notifications and set Sensitive notifications to Off. This keeps the sender and app visible but hides the message contents. For maximum privacy, go to Notifications on lock screen and select Don’t show any notifications.

9. Use caller ID and spam ID to save time and sanity

Pixel phones actively filter spam and unknown numbers. With Caller ID and Spam, Google flags robocalls and other junk before you even answer.

Also: 4 Pixel phone tricks every user should know – including my favorite

Open the Phone app > Settings > Caller ID and Spam. Enable See caller and spam ID, and those incoming calls will be given a bright red warning that’s impossible to ignore. If your Pixel shows the option to turn on Filter spam calls, I recommend activating that, which prevents those calls from ringing your phone, instead sending them directly to voicemail.

10. Dismiss notifications across Pixel devices

This one is for the Pixel superfans out there. If you own multiple Pixel devices signed in with the same Google account, you can sync notification dismissals across them.

Go to Settings > Notifications > Dismiss notifications across Pixel devices. Toggle on Dismiss on this device, grant notification access, and choose the apps you want synced. Make sure to repeat the process on your other Pixel devices, and you’ll never see the same notification twice between them.

Also: Sick of ads on Android? Change these 5 settings for more privacy – fast

A few small tweaks can go a long way toward making your new Pixel feel faster, smarter, and more personal. Whether it’s your first Pixel or, like me, you’ve lost count at this point, taking a moment to dig into these settings helps unlock some of the best of what Google offers.

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