What you need to know
- A tipster on Telegram claims Google is preparing a November Pixel Drop, and it might hold the first Pixel Theme that’s all about Wicked: For Good.
- The drop may also bring an update for the Pixel Studio, alongside “Pixel VIPs” for special alerts from contacts you don’t want to miss.
- Google’s September Drop brought an expansion of M3 Expressive to older Pixel phones and highly customizable lock and call screens.
Every so often, Google releases a major Pixel drop for users, but its next one might have quite a bit in store, as new leaks surface.
This week, known Telegram tipster Mystic Leaks posted some alleged details regarding Google’s upcoming Pixel drop for November. The tipster cites an “exclusive preview,” before highlighting that the company is looking to roll out Pixel “Theme Packs” next month. Supposedly, the first-ever pack for Pixels will coincide with the upcoming Disney film, Wicked: For Good.
The leak suggests users can find this new Pixel Theme in the “Wallpapers & Styles” menu after long-pressing their home screen once this update arrives.
Elsewhere, another key highlight the post mentioned concerns “Pixel VIP notifications.”
Mystic Leaks claims this feature is getting a little QoL, which now brings “prioritized” alerts for your set VIP contacts. However, they state that the feature is seemingly going to be limited to texts sent through Google Messages and WhatsApp first when this arrives. In the provided screenshot, rumors allege that notifications from your “Pixel VIPs” will be highlighted in yellow, and you’ll also see their profile picture in your device’s status bar.
The idea is to, of course, draw more attention to any Pixel VIPs you may have.
Thankful for updates?
The final update that the tipster mentions is for the Pixel Studio. Supposedly, Google is preparing an update that Pixel users “breathe new life” into photos and GIFs. The alleged promotional material states that the Pixel Studio will give users the tools to turn their images into a GIF or an animated sticker. It seems the feature will gain an “animate image” button once inside.
The rumors conclude by stating Pixel users may see this major drop on November 4, which is just next week. Let’s see what happens first before we set these rumors in stone.
Google’s Pixels had a huge drop back in September, an update that brought a Material 3 Expressive expansion. After hitting the company’s more recent devices first, Android’s newest design overhaul started rolling out for the Pixel 6 and Pixel Tablet. More than that, users found better customization for lock and call screens, as well as a new, sleek revamp for Quick Settings. Even the Pixel Buds Pro 2 got in on the fun, grabbing an Adaptive Audio update that adjusts your audio depending on your surroundings.
Testing-wise, we’re wrapped up in Google’s Android 16 QPR2 beta, as v3.1 rolled out a week ago. That update was a rush order, as Google sought to correct a major bootloader looping issue that plagued Pixels trying to reach the original v3.0 update. Aside from the problems, QPR2 Beta 3 brought a few new features that testers can enjoy, alongside a host of Pixel fixes.