It’s no secret that software is Google’s bread and butter. The Google Pixel 11 isn’t the thinnest, lightest, or fastest smartphone on the market, but it has exclusive software tricks that help it shine against its Android competitors. This year, the Pixel 11 launches with Android 17, and it’s full of features you’ll want to try. I’ve spent about a month using various Pixel 11 models, and these are the features that stood out, from HiLight to the Creator Suite.
Extreme charging
Get the fastest charging speeds when you need them most
When we need to charge our phones quickly, we’ll do anything to get faster speeds. You’ve probably turned on low power mode, battery saver, or power saving mode in an attempt to improve charging speeds. You may have gone as far as to enable airplane mode to try to squeeze even faster speeds out of your phone and charger. But what if your phone had a feature specifically designed for when you need fast charging above all else? That’s exactly what Google made Extreme charging for on the Pixel 11 series.
Extreme charging can be enabled when your phone has less than 50% battery. It works by temporarily turning off background app activity, like updates. It doesn’t impact your phone’s usability — calls and notifications still arrive as usual. However, you do enjoy faster speeds while Extreme charging is active. To turn it on, navigate through Settings → Battery and charging → Extreme Charging Mode and select Turn on now. After you enable it for the first time, Extreme charging will appear as a toggle in your Quick settings panel.
You do have to enable Extreme charging whenever you want to use it. That’s easier after you turn it on manually, because it’s a simple button in the Quick settings panel. Extreme charging automatically turns off when your phone reaches a high state of charge or is disconnected from a charger. For the best results, you should use a power adapter capable of at least 30W speeds. I’ve been using Extreme charging on my Pixel 11 for weeks, and it’s quite convenient for times when you really need that extra juice.
HiLight
Know who’s calling without flipping your phone over
If you have a Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, or Pixel 11 Pro Fold, there’s now a glowing dot on the back of your smartphone. It’s called HiLight, and this colorful orb is designed to let you know who’s calling and make it clear when Gemini is active. The idea is that you can leave your phone face-down on a table and live in the moment, but still know if there’s an urgent call from one of your favorite contacts coming through. HiLight is surprisingly tricky to find, though. It has a page in the Settings app, but that’s not where you can select colors for individual contacts.
Instead, you need to open the Contacts app and open a favorite contact. You can also set any contact as a favorite by opening it and tapping the star icon. Once you’ve opened a favorite contact, scroll down until you see the HiLight section of the contact card. Here, you can assign a color to that specific contact, and demo how it’ll look on the back of your phone. After you finish setup, the dot on the back of your phone will glow in that color when this contact calls. It’s not the most exciting use of LEDs on a phone, but it is a neat Pixel 11 feature worth setting up.
If you want to make the most of HiLight, an open-source app called HiLight Studio helps you do just that.
Proactive Assistance
Get help from Gemini before you realize you need it
Proactive Assistance is one of many helpful Gemini Intelligence features available on your Pixel 11. It reminds me of Magic Cue from the Pixel 10 series, but better. I used a Pixel 10 Pro at length, and never saw Magic Cue reveal itself in the real world. Proactive Assistance has been a completely different story. I’ve seen suggestion chips appear that prompt me to use Gemini, Calendar, and other apps, specifically in Google Messages. It uses your data to surface the information you need, before you know you need it.
To use it, you need to turn on Gemini Personal Intelligence. Then, go to Settings → Proactive Assistance and flip the toggle beside Use Proactive Assistance on. You can tap Connected apps to choose which apps will inform Proactive Assistance. You can tell Proactive Assistance to pull directly from Google Messages and Pixel Screenshots, as well as any app or service connected to Personal Intelligence. The more services you give Proactive Assistance access to, the better it will be. Of course, consider the privacy implications before sharing your data.
Creator Suite
Turn your Pixel 11 into a content creator’s dream
My favorite set of Pixel 11 features is the Creator Suite. It’s a selection of camera tools that makes it easier to create videos, whether you’re recording them for your friends and family or thousands of followers. To use them, open the Pixel Camera app and switch to the Video tab. Then, tap the settings gear in the bottom-left corner. This reveals a selection of advanced video settings, and the new Creator tab.
Here, you can save videos directly to a particular project, which makes storyboarding and timeline management easier. There’s also a new teleprompter feature that makes it easy to follow your script without leaving the Camera app. An audio visualizer lets you know at a glance whether your voice is being picked up, and it works with wireless microphones. This works great with the Speech Enhancement mode, which reduces background noise and isolates your voice. Finally, you can show social media grid lines that reveal the optimal aspect ratio for each platform.
In other words, Creator Suite is enough to turn your Pixel 11 into a beastly content creation device. You should take them for a spin, even if you’re not a professional influencer.
Screen saver
Enjoy widgets, charging stats, and more from the lock screen
Another underrated Pixel feature is the Screen saver mode. If you’ve used the StandBy feature on iOS, you know exactly what to expect here. This tool lets you create a custom screen saver that appears when your phone is charging, displaying glanceable information like the time, weather, and charging status. You can customize it for yourself by navigating to Settings → Battery and charging → Screen saver.
Build multiple screen savers for different use cases, and swipe between them from the edge of your Pixel 11 screen. You can also long press on the display to reveal all the screen savers you’ve built while charging, selecting the one you want to use. I find that screen savers work best for wireless charging stands, and you can ensure they only appear while connected to a stand. In the Screen saver menu, tap When to show, and select While upright and charging. Flip the Restrict to wireless charging toggle for good measure.
There are helpful widgets that can be added to screen savers, including Clock, Charge, Home Controls, Photos, and Weather. It’s a neat way to get more utility out of your Pixel 11 while it’s docked and charging at your desk or nightstand.
The Pixel 11 series has Gemini Intelligence built-in
Google’s Pixel 11 series is one of the few Android phones with Gemini Intelligence built-in, unlocking new features. Your Pixel also supports AirDrop/Quick Share interoperability, which is a nice touch. In other words, there’s a long list of helpful tools on your new Pixel ready for you to try.
- SoC
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Google Tensor G6
- Display
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6.3-inch Actua display
- RAM
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12GB
- Storage
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256 or 512GB
- Battery
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4985 mAh
- Brand
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Google
The starter Google Pixel 11 isn’t the flashiest Android phone of the bunch, but it’s the one that resonated with me the most. The slimmer camera bar makes the Pixel 11 feel modern and sleek, and it’s powered by the same Tensor G6 processor as the rest of the series. For $900, this is a solid Android flagship.
