Pixel Search could soon get a Gemini-powered upgrade along with privacy improvements

The new Pixel Search app that comes preloaded on the Pixel 11 series makes the app drawer more useful than ever before. It lets users search for photos, emails, contacts, and more. Now, it seems Google is prepping to give the app a Gemini-powered upgrade while also giving users more control over their call logs and message data in Pixel Search.

The latest version of the app (1.0.983036833) introduces a new “Privacy & Permissions” section in its settings. It includes three toggles: “Help improve Pixel Search,” “Call Logs,” and “SMS.”

Users can disable the “Help improve Pixel Search” toggle if they don’t want their data to be aggregated and used for usage insights. Similarly, the “Call Logs” and “SMS” toggles can be turned off if you don’t want Google to use your call and SMS history to improve contact suggestions in Pixel Search.

It’s worth noting that disabling the “Call Logs” or “SMS” toggle doesn’t prevent Pixel Search from surfacing results from your call history or messages. Users can stop their call logs or messages from appearing in search results altogether by revoking the “Call logs” and “SMS” permissions on the app’s “App Permissions” page.

We also dug through the app’s code and found evidence of an upcoming feature called “Gemini-powered suggestions.” Based on the strings we found, this feature will proactively surface relevant information and actions to help users complete tasks faster.

Here are the strings that we found in the Pixel Search app’s code:

Gemini-powered suggestions don’t seem to be available yet, but they could roll out in a future update. However, the new “Privacy & Permissions” section is already available in the latest version of Pixel Search.

You can update the Pixel Search app on your Pixel 11 via the Play Store. If you’re using an older Pixel, you can sideload and use the app as long as your device is running Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5 or newer.