Google Pixel 9 tips and tricks: Get the most out of your Pixel experience

The Google Pixel 9 series has arrived and has more features (AI-powered or otherwise) than ever before. That said, some of Google’s newest wrinkles aren’t immediately apparent — or at least they take some time to set up. Luckily, we’ve been using the latest Pixel devices since they launched, and we’ve found a few ways to make life easier. Here are some Google Pixel 9 tips and tricks to help you dive into the Gemini age.

Of course, we have one extra piece of advice before getting started — check for a software update. Google almost always has one waiting when you unbox your phone, and it’s a must if you want to start your experience with the latest features. Now, let’s get into our actual tips and tricks.

Google Pixel 9 tips & tricks

Have a chat with Gemini Live

Google emphasized Gemini during its Pixel 9 series launch so much that it feels like there’s no better place to start. Sure, you’ve already been able to choose between Google Assistant and Gemini as your go-to for a while now, but the Pixel 9 series kicks it up a notch with the introduction of Gemini Live. It’s essentially an updated, more conversational (and easier to interrupt) version of Gemini, and it’s worth trying once your Pixel 9 arrives. I tried it both at the Made by Google event and since I’ve returned home to Baltimore, and the results are impressive — if not a little scary.

Gemini Live lives inside the Gemini app, so here’s how you set it up:

1. Open the Gemini app.
2. Tap on the icon with three lines and a star in the bottom right corner.
3. Start talking to Gemini Live.
4. When you’re done, press the Finish button.

That’s… literally all there is to it. It really is that easy. Gemini Live also offers several different voices, including male and female options and a few different accents. None of them quite matches the Google Assistant, so you’ll probably want to listen to all of them before you decide. I’ve settled on Capella, at least for now.

Gemini Live also saves all your conversations in the form of a written transcript that you can reference at any point in case you need to check on an answer. The transcripts all live inside the Gemini app, though, so if you use Gemini a lot, you may have to dig to find what you need.

Generate, well, anything with Pixel Studio

Once you’ve had some fun chatting with Gemini Live, it’s time to let your imagination run a little bit wild. Image generation isn’t new to the world of AI, but Google has made it easier than ever on the Pixel 9 series. It introduced a new app, dubbed Pixel Studio, which lets you create almost anything you can think of — well, except for humans.

All you have to do is open Pixel Studio — which exists on its own rather than within Gemini — and get to typing. From there, the app will give you one result at a time (though you can scroll back through previous ones if you want), which you can then tweak. Pixel Studio is also packed with different art styles like a retro video game look or an anime style, both of which I’ve been enjoying. Personally, I prefer the styles that look less photo-like, as it makes some of the imperfections (it’s still early in the Gemini age, after all) easier to gloss over.

You can also create stickers from your Pixel Studio generations or use the app to edit your existing photos, similar to Magic Editor. Of course, it’s not a replacement for Magic Editor, but it’s nice to have Google’s powerful editing options without jumping between apps.

Organize your screenshots like never before

Also, if you’re anything like me, you use screenshots to keep yourself organized. However, they’re not actually very easy to organize and search through when they live in a folder inside of Google Photos. Thankfully, the Pixel 9 series now has a new app for keeping screenshots in order, wisely called Pixel Screenshots.

Honestly, Pixel Screenshots feels like a massive, searchable Pinterest board just for things you might need later — and it’s awesome. It’s indexed and organized by Gemini, meaning you don’t have to rely on screenshots with text to search for something. If you’ve been trying to find that perfect pair of soccer cleats for an upcoming fall season (it’s me; I’m doing that), you can screenshot them all while you shop and look up “cleats” once you circle back to Pixel Screenshots to get a quick look at everything you were interested in.

Of course, if you want to give Gemini a hand, you can also put your screenshots into smaller collections, where you hand-pick the correct images. You can search and see results either way, but searching within a small collection is probably the fastest way to get what you want. If you have a bunch of screenshots saved from a previous phone, you can add them to the new Pixel Screenshots app for indexing via the small plus-shaped icon in the bottom right corner, too.

Never miss out on being in a photo again

It wouldn’t be a Google Pixel guide without a few camera-focused tips and tricks. Up first is Add Me, a new wrinkle that Google showed off by bringing NBA player Jimmy Butler on stage during its Made by Google presentation. Essentially, the idea is that instead of grabbing a random bystander to take a picture of you and your friends or forcing someone to learn Photoshop, Add Me allows you to take two photos and combine them for one final result. Like most Google Pixel camera tricks, there’s some heavy Tensor lifting involved, but here’s how to give Add Me a shot:

1. Open your Pixel Camera app.
2. Tap on the Add Me tab.
3. Line up your shot in the preview.
4. Press the shutter button the first time.
5. Pass your phone to someone to take the second picture.
6. Press the shutter button the second time.

Now, give your Pixel 9 a moment to combine the shots for your final result.

By the way, Add Me may ask you to move your camera around to establish a bit more of the background for your photo. This is to make it easier to combine your two shots. If you take them against a blank background, the model may have trouble lining up the subjects, giving you one friend who’s too tall and another who isn’t tall enough.

Pick up a compatible charger

Of course, a few of our Pixel 9 tips are ones that we recommend for almost every device throughout the year. The first is that you should make sure that you have a compatible charger for your new device. This year, Google finally boosted its charging capabilities, bumping the base Pixel 9 and smaller Pixel 9 Pro up to 27W wired charging and making its Pixel 9 Pro XL even faster at 37W — at least with Google’s in-house 45W charger.

Thankfully, though, all you really need is a USB-C charger that supports the Power Delivery PPS standard, of which there are many to choose from. We’ve already collected a few of our favorite chargers, which should make your choice easier.

If you prefer to charge your phone wirelessly overnight (or while you work), the Pixel 9 series offers several different speeds. Specifically, the Pixel 9 charges at 15W, the Pixel 9 Pro at 21W, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL at 23W, at least as long as you have Google’s second-generation charging stand ($79 at Best Buy). Otherwise, the entire lineup charges at 12W with a standard Qi-certified pad.

Get AI-powered weather updates

If you’ve been around the Pixel ecosystem for a while, you’ve probably experienced a version or two of Google’s weather app. And if that’s the case, you probably already know it’s one of the cleanest, most straightforward weather interfaces out there — for better or worse. It was always easy to check the daily and hourly forecasts, but there wasn’t much personality outside of a cartoon frog dressed for the conditions.

Now, Pixel Weather feels distinctly Google, and its organizable set of widgets makes a world of difference. They sit below the normal forecasts and weather map and allow you to drag and drop things like the expected precipitation, wind, and current visibility so that you can see the information you care about first. Google also added an AI Weather Report to the very top of its Pixel Weather app, which has essentially taken over for what the cartoon frog used to do. It acts as a one-sentence breakdown of the day’s conditions, reminding you to grab an umbrella or sunscreen before heading out.

Perhaps the real tip is that if you buy a Pixel 9, don’t head to the Play Store to install Accuweather or another weather app too quickly — give Google’s new customizations a chance.

Buy a Pixel 9 case

Another thing that we recommend, no matter what phone you buy, is that you pick up a protective case to go with it. And yes, Google’s Pixel 9 series is as durable as they come, with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back, but it’s still not invincible. Give it enough bumps and drops, and you could still wind up with an expensive repair bill. Oh, and if you go for the massive Pixel 9 Pro XL, you might realize that it’s hard to hold with smaller hands, making a protective case that much more important.

The good news is that we’ve already picked out a few of our favorite options across the entire series. Our lists for the Pixel 9 and smaller Pixel 9 Pro are about the same thanks to their matching 6.3-inch displays, but we also have a list for the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and we’ll soon have one for the extremely expensive Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

If you’re not interested in Google’s first-party cases, like the one seen above, there are probably more third-party options this year than ever before, so don’t be afraid to try a new one on for size.

Capture simplified panoramas

Adding yourself to photos isn’t the only new camera trick on the Pixel 9 series (even if it’s the most ambitious). Google also decided to refresh an often-overlooked feature and completely revamp how you shoot a panorama. Previously, you’d have to hold up your Pixel and shift it slowly across the horizon, carefully keeping it between the lines to minimize distortion. Now, you get to play connect the dots.

Alright, that might be slightly oversimplifying the process, but it’s not far off. All you have to do to grab an ultrawide view of your surroundings now is follow these short steps:

1. Open your Pixel Camera app.
2. Tap on the Panorama tab.
3. Line up the center circle with the start of your panorama.
4. Press the shutter to take your first picture.
5. Shift your camera sideways, pausing on each yellow circle as it appears.

Once you’ve captured your scene, simply press the Stop button. Then, you just have to give the Tensor G4 a minute to process your photo and stitch it together, and it’s ready to share. Don’t get me wrong—you still have to keep your Pixel 9 pretty level—but it’s much easier to line up a circle than to keep the entire frame within two tight lines.

Create a new wallpaper (or bring an old one to life)

Last year, we suggested you give Google’s AI-generated wallpapers a try on the Pixel 8 series. Now, we’re telling you to do the same — only you have more options to choose from this time. We previously focused on the AI Wallpaper feature, which worked like a Mad Lib, but it’s worth trying the Emoji Workshop and Cinematic Wallpaper modes, too. I’ll run through what each of the Emoji Workshop and Cinematic Wallpaper features add in a second, but here’s how to activate them in the first place:

1. Long-press on your home screen to open the customization menu.
2. Tap Wallpaper & Style.
3. Select More Wallpapers.
4. Press Emoji Workshop or My Photos (for Cinematic Wallpaper).

If you pick Emoji Workshop, you can select your combination of emojis, arrange them into a pattern, and choose a color profile for your wallpaper. Once set, the emojis will react when you tap or press on your screen, and they’ll briefly turn into lightning bolts when you plug in your Pixel 9.

Cinematic Wallpaper, on the other hand, adds a 3D depth effect to an existing image from your library, kind of like an enhanced version of portrait mode. It, of course, works best when your subject is in focus, but is an easy way to make some of your favorite photos feel a little bit more alive.

From there, you can customize the clock on your Pixel 9’s lock screen, change the color of your app icons to match your background, and toss some widgets on your home screen to make your Pixel feel a bit more like your own. If you really want to make your Pixel 9 feel more personal, you can check out the current prices for the entire Pixel 9 lineup below.