This simple (and actually useful) AI tool is my favorite new Pixel feature (it's in iOS 18, too)

Have you ever been on a phone call while looking frantically for pen and paper to take notes? Or tried holding your phone to your ear while typing into a notes app? You could benefit from automated call summaries — and Google’s latest AI now delivers exactly that.

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On Tuesday at Made by Google, the company unveiled its newest Pixel phone lineup, which features new Pixel-exclusive AI experiences — including the new Call Notes feature. As the name implies, the feature provides users with private summaries of their conversations by “sitting in” on their calls.

The summaries include key points of what was discussed, including important details like a callback phone number or an address. A full conversation transcript is also accessible in the user’s call log. 

To address privacy concerns, Google shared that the AI tool — once activated — will announce itself on the call, informing all parties that it will listen in. The feature also runs entirely on the device, adding a layer of security by bypassing the need to send any information to a cloud. 

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Google did not mention whether this feature will come to older phone models, emphasizing instead its availability on the new Pixel 9 lineup. However, even if older headsets don’t aren’t included in this initial release, the company may roll out Call Notes to prior models eventually.  

If you’re an iOS user feeling some Android envy, do not fret. 

At Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference, the company unveiled an iOS 18 feature that allows users to record calls natively. That recording will then be sent to the Notes app, where you can play it and read a full transcription. There, users can also ask AI to summarize the call. iOS 18 is currently available to anyone as a developer’s beta, but the AI features, supported by Apple Intelligence, will be available in the fall. 

Other notable AI experiences include a new Pixel Weather app that uses AI to give users more accurate forecasts; Add me, which merges a group photo with a solo photo of the person behind the camera to create a new image; and a Pixel Screenshots app, which lets users use text prompts to browse their screenshots.