10 Tricks to Make You a Pixel 4 or Pixel 4a Pro

If you recently buy Google ’s flagshipPixel 4or choose for the more note value - orientedPixel 4a , you should eff that both handsets have a few tricks to show off . These are the feature , tools , setting , and tip you need to sleep with about if you want to get the most out of your Pixel 4 or Pixel 4a smartphone .

1. Try out Night Sight

The Pixel phones ’ cameras and their connect image - process package place upright out more than any other feature film . Both the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4a have a sinewy low-spirited - light Night Sight mode built into the camera app . This utilize a diversity of bright algorithmic rule to clear up up darker areas in a photo and retain an impressive amount of detail in down light shots .

Because the feature trust largely on software trickery , Night Sight photos look similarly shot on both the Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4a . In the Camera app , swipe across to the Night Sight mode to employ it — for very dark scenes you ’ll be offered the astrophotography mode , which can nibble out the star in the nighttime sky , if you may keep the earphone steady for several minute .

2. Use the Recorder app

The Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4a comewith a sort - of - exclusivebuilt - in Recorder app , which we’vewritten about before . The app essentially leverage Google ’s AI to recognise and transliterate audio in genuine time , give you a very helpful tool for recording interviews , lectures , podcasts , or whatever else you take to get down in write and audio form .

The app could n’t be any easier to apply , either . There ’s a big red recording button to get you started , and as the audio is being record ( or played back ) , you could either view it in reasoned waving variety or see the text transcription . you’re able to attach a title and a location to your transcription , and search through them for particular moment of textual matter once they ’ve been saved .

3. Enable Motion Sense

Motion Sense got cut from the Pixel 4a to make it chinchy , but it ’s on the Pixel 4 , let you keep in line certain functions using gestures in front of your speech sound . It sounds gimmicky , but it ’s more useful than you might think : Alarms quieten down as you move your hand towards your phone , for model , and you may pass over though medicine playlist with a wave .

To make certain Motion Sense is switched on , open up preferences on your Pixel 4 and tap on System then Motion Sense . you’re able to enable or stop the feature as a whole , or turn it on and off for specific routine — pausing music , vamoose song , and silencing break ( and perhaps more to come ? ) . You get education on how each feature film work , as well .

4. Find out what’s playing

Since the Pixel 2 launch , Google ’s smartphone range has offered a very handy Now Playing feature that work softly in the ground , mind out for music being played and then working to identify it . It ’s like an always - on Shazam , and if Google can figure out what birdsong is play , you ’ll see the title and artist name come out on the lock chamber screen .

To check that Now play is enable and to customize the elbow room that it put to work , head to Sound from configurations , then opt Now playing . you’re able to pick out whether or not the feature show notice and record resolution on the lock screen , as well as turn over into the history of Song that have been identified by pink on Now Playing History .

5. Live caption your videos and calls

Live Caption is a new accessibility feature of speech in Android , displaying textbook alongside videos and now phone vociferation so you’re able to read what ’s being say as well as ( or instead of ) take heed . The video subtitling isavailable on all Pixel phones(except the original 2016 Pixel ) and other “ selected ” Android telephone , but at the moment call caption are a Pixel exclusive .

you may configure the feature by going to fathom then Live Caption in options on your Pixel 4 or Pixel 4a : you could turn subsist captioning on or off , and change the way that you get at it . By default , tapping the up or down volume button to show the volume controls also record a Live Caption push that you may use to show or hide caption on screen .

6. Make the most of Face Unlock

Sorry Pixel 4a owners , this one is a Pixel 4 sole : If you enable Face Unlock , it has the potential to radically change the means you employ your phone . merely put , you never see the lock screen — as shortly as you lift up your phone , you ’re back using whatever app you had exposed last ( and there ’s no need for an supererogatory swipe , as there is on the iPhone ) .

you could enable and customise Face Unlock by buy the farm to Security and then confront unlock . Since the Pixel 4 launched , Google has rolled out an update so you may specify that your eyes have to be open for it to work , and more and more apps are add support for the technology , as well , including eBay , Signal , OneDrive , Venmo , and 1Password .

7. Change the live wallpaper

The Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4a come with their own customized wallpaper changer and a choice of live wallpapers that bring subtle movement effects to your menage screen backdrop . To view them , tenacious press on a blank surface area of the dwelling house screen , then choose Styles & wallpaper ( you may use your own images as well as those already provided ) .

The Eclipse wallpaper useable in the Come Alive category on the Pixel 4a is particularly interesting : As your phone ’s barrage fire floor runs down , the color fades out of the wallpaper and is replace by Black person . If you ’ve got a Pixel 4a , verify you seem at the For fun category too , as it includes wallpapers that make employment of the phone ’s hole - punch snick .

8. Customize the home screen

The Pixels get with a few home screen supernumerary that are n’t part of stock Android , admit the default home screen widget that shows the current engagement and weather shape , as well as upcoming calendar events and dealings alerts . To configure the widget , long press on a blank arena of the home projection screen , then choose base preferences followed by At A Glance .

From the same Home configurations bill of fare , you may also set whether or not notification dots are allow on the domicile screen , sprain the Google app screenland ( one swipe by from the home screen ) on or off , ready whether or not icons for young apps are mechanically add together to the habitation filmdom , and enable or disable domicile screen rotation ( when your phone is circumvolve ) .

9. Activate the always-on display

Both the Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4a come with an always - on display option , so you may see the time and date , an icon depicting the current weather conditions , ikon showing unread notifications , and more from the lock cover . spread out up configurations on your phone , then tap Display , Advanced , and curl screen video display to configure the various available option .

The Pixel 4a has a simple Always on toggle electric switch that you could use . On the Pixel 4 , thanks to that extra Motion Sense capability , you could have the always - on display only seem when you ’re near your telephone set ( or have it fully on or fully off ) . Tap Idle lock screen to make your pick . Remember that the always - on presentation will use up a trivial bit of extra assault and battery life .

10. Customize your phone’s gestures

you’re able to customize a mixture of ready to hand gestures on the Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4a , though the available option are slimly different depending on which handset you ’re using . From options , tap System then gesture — on the Pixel 4a , for example , you get the option to utilize the fingermark sensor on the rear as a trackpad - like scroller for incoming presentment .

Over on the Pixel 4 , you could turn on the Active Edge lineament that let you launch the Google Assistant with a squeeze play on the sides of your phone , as well as customize a number of Motion Sense - concern gestures . On both phones you could set up button crosscut for the camera , and enable Flip to Shhh ( which mutes your phone once you twist it over ) .

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