rewrite this title Google brings Material 3 Expressive to Pixel 6 and newer devices, along with other features | TechCrunch

Google announced on Wednesday that it’s bringing a slew of new features to the Android ecosystem and Pixel devices. The tech giant is introducing Material 3 Expressive to Pixel phones, Adaptive Audio for the Pixel Buds Pro 2, on-wrist navigation for the Pixel Watch, new AI writing tools in Gboard, enhanced audio sharing capabilities, the ability to create custom Android bots, and more.

Starting Wednesday, Material 3 Expressive is coming to Pixel 6 and newer devices, as well as Pixel Tablet. Google says Material 3 Expressive will make your Pixel feel even more personal, as you can use Live effects to add animations to your lock screen’s wallpaper and create customized calling cards for contacts.

Later this month, Google is bringing Adaptive Audio to the Pixel Buds Pro 2, allowing the buds to adjust to your surroundings so you can remain alert while listening to your music. Plus, you’ll be able to use your buds to have clear talks with Gemini when you’re in a loud environment. You can also accept or dismiss an incoming call by nodding or shaking your head.

Additionally, Pixel Watch users can now start walking or biking navigation on their phone in Google Maps and then have it automatically displayed on their smartwatch.

As for the new AI writing tools in Gboard, you can now revise your tone to be more formal, expressive, or concise. You can also quickly fix your spelling and grammar. Google says all proofreading and rewriting happens on your device, which means your data remains private.

Google also announced that you can now pair two LE Audio Bluetooth headphones to your Android phone so you and another person can listen at the same time. With audio sharing, you can listen to a song at the same time or watch a movie together using your own headphones. The tech giant says this feature could be helpful in several different instances, like when you’re in a busy cafe or commuting on a train.

Plus, you can create a QR code to share audio with a group by starting a private broadcast that other people can join. The feature lets multiple people listen to the same playlist on their own headphones, which Google says could be used to do things like host a silent disco.

Google highlighted that the redesigned Quick Share feature on Android makes it easier to share and receive content, allowing you to instantly switch between sending and receiving, preview photos before sharing, and open received files immediately. Plus, there’s a new progress indicator that shows you live updates about what percentage of the file has been transferred.

Last, Google announced that it’s introducing Androidify, which is a way to build your own Android bot by uploading a selfie or writing a prompt. Androidify uses Gemini 2.5 Flash to caption the photo and Imagen to generate your custom Android bot. In some cases, it uses Veo 3, Google’s latest video generation model, to animate your bot.