By @mikejsorrentino
Publication Date: 2026-09-15 21:14:00
Google is giving Pixel users faster ways to reach frequent contacts, a new scam alert to fend off fraudulent texts and two months of Audible access coinciding with the launch of new Harry Potter audiobooks.
The September feature drop comes a month after the release of Google’s Pixel 11 line, and these features will be available to anyone using the Pixel 6 or newer.
An update to Google’s Pixel VIP feature — which lets you designate up to eight contacts as close friends and family — lets you create home screen widgets that can tap to easily call or text your favorite people. If you call someone especially frequently, you won’t need to dig through your phone or text app first.
Google’s new Scam Detection alerts in the Gboard keyboard will work across chat apps, showing a warning pop-up when the phone detects a likely scam text message. This feature joins the existing Scam Detection alerts in notifications, which are getting a regional expansion…