I can't believe Google is making such a big deal out of Pixel VIPs — it's the most disappointing new feature in years
Pixel VIPs is a new feature that's part of Android 16, and if you paid attention to Google's marketing and release notes,you'll know that it's being treated like a flagship addition — something that's to be desired, and that'll make owning a Pixel phone worthwhile.
Now that Android 16 is here, I can tell you that this absolutely isn't the case. In fact, Pixel VIPs seems pretty darn pointless in the grand scheme of things.
Of all the new features that have landed in Android 16, I don't know why Google is making such a big deal out of something that doesn't really offer anything of value.
Pixel VIPs is a new feature in the Contacts app on Android 16. As the name suggests, it's exclusive to Pixel phones. You can preselect up to 8 VIPs, each of whom have their own special pages.
Those pages have icons for the phone app, Google Messages, Google Meet, the Contacts app and (if you give Pixel VIPs permission) other third party apps like WhatsApp.The VIP pages also features a location option for "local updates," details on when you last spoke to each VIP, and notes and suggestions on "things to do together." It'll also remind you about their birthday, assuming you've told the app when it is.
The Pixel VIPs can be accessed through Contacts, or with a special new Pixel VIPs widget — which is also technically part of the Contacts app.
Really, it's kind of like the MySpace top friends list from back in the pre-Facebook era. Any readers born after 1995 should go and ask their parents or older siblings what I'm talking about.
I can see what Google is trying to do here. It's a way of resurrecting that idea of having your favorite or most important people in a list and adding some practical value to it. But every time I look at, or tinker with the Pixel VIPs feature, all I can think of is "Why?"
Do I need Google to suggest things I can watch with my girlfriend? Even after disclosing the kind of things she likes, those recommendations aren't particularly good. I also don't need another app to remind me when her birthday is — that's already in Google Calendar with all the other birthdays that don't belong to VIPs. She also has an iPhone, so conversing on Google Meet is never going to happen
I also don't need to know what the weather is like wherever my VIPs are. I'm English. Discussing the weather is half of what we all talk about, and without it, there would be little reason to speak to anyone.
I could maybe see some use in adding specific group chats to a list like this, but the fact Pixel VIPs is tied to the Contacts app means that isn't possible.
The only real benefit is that these contacts are supposed to be able to bypass the Do Not Disturb setting on your phone — though as far as I can tell, there's no way to toggle this particular feature on or off for individual contacts. So if you actually want to get the benefits of Pixel VIPs for certain people, you apparently need to be willing to give them unfiltered access to your phone as well.
Having a feature that lets key people contact you regardless of whether Do Not Disturb is on or not could be useful. But it feels like something that should be its own feature.
Frankly, it would have been better if Google had quietly added this feature in the background, and let more important apps and updates take the center stage. Because Pixel VIPs just doesn't have headliner potential.
Unfortunately, as it stands, Android 16 doesn't actually have a whole lot going for it. Maybe it's the fact the software was released so early, but it seems like all the actual upgrades are few and far between.
Take the Material Expressive 3 redesign, as one example. Google announced this at I/O 2025, but confirmed that it wouldn't be arriving until much later in the year. When that might be is anyone's guess. The same is true for the Desktop windowing feature, which is set to hit "large screen devices" toward the end of the year.
Similarly Live Updates, which seem to be Google's closest thing to Apple's Live Activities in the Dynamic Island doesn't seem to have a home on my Pixel 9 Pro. There's no settings menu for the feature, and I can't seem to find evidence that it's actually been added to my phone.
But, assuming it has, Google said that it would be restricted to ride share and food delivery notifications at first. And that's not a particularly large number of use-cases, so it feels rather disappointing even if I know these features can't include all apps right away.
So when you think about it, Google didn't have much chance not to try and hype up Pixel VIPs. Because it's not like anything more exciting was available.
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Android Authority
an hour ago
- Android Authority
8 things I want to see on the Pixel 10 series
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Pixels 1 through 5 had fast and convenient rear-mounted fingerprint sensors, with the notable exception of the Pixel 4 (more on that in a moment). Since the big redesign that came with the Pixel 6, Google has gone all in with under-display fingerprint scanners (with mixed results) and, more recently, face unlocking. Unlike the Pixel 4, which had a full 3D face unlocking system, recent Pixels determine your identity using a single, 2D selfie camera. While this is now deemed secure enough for phone unlocking and even banking apps, it's still not a patch on the iPhone's Face ID and is useless in low-light situations. The Pixel 4 is the only Google phone that has come close to the speed and convenience of Apple's solution, and it was arguably even better at the time, since it also used the Soli radar chip to proactively fire up face unlocking for a rapid response. The Pixel 4 is the only Google phone that has come close to the speed and convenience of Apple's Face ID. 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What would you most like to see on Pixel 10? 0 votes Faster/more efficient processor NaN % IR face unlocking NaN % Slimmer bezels NaN % Longer battery life NaN % Qi2 magnetic wireless charging NaN % Minimum 256GB storage NaN % Even smaller phone NaN % Action button NaN %
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"I was talking with some other former classmates and people graduating in the same year," said Jonathan, who asked to withhold his last name due to company policies on speaking with the press. "Most of us were in the same boat. We just graduated, never found anything, and had just gotten laid off from another position. We were all weighing our options. Should we go back and get our master's? It didn't seem like anyone was hiring early-level positions." Tyler Creach, a 26-year-old senior business development manager at software company Freshworks, also said she found the job market difficult before landing her role, which took about four to five months. The tech industry can be "hard to predict" for young people, and it's tough to "see yourself in it for a long time, she said. "Young people are struggling to find stable, relatively well-paying jobs," Creach said. "That's creating a lot of resentment or frustration, possibly from young people. 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Massive 16 billion password data breach LIVE — latest updates, find out if you're affected and how to stay safe
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