These Pixel features are the reason people stay, survey reveals

Pixels are often touted as model Android phones. Even though the wider Android-using populace, apart from Pixel fans and Google itself, will not agree with that, it’s hard to deny that Pixels get some special, enviable features that others miss out on. These Pixel-exclusive features make users stick to these devices, despite their lackluster performance and battery life that may keep users yearning.

We recently recounted several such features that keep Pixel users coming back, despite their grievances, and asked people what their favorites are.

The most popular Pixel-exclusive features

In a survey we recently conducted, more than 1,900 Android Authority readers voted for the Pixel features they can’t live without. Pixel VPN, a free Pixel-exclusive VPN available on all phones starting with the Pixel 7 series, emerges as the most popular pick. As Rita pointed out in her article, having access to the free VPN allows users to connect to public Wi-Fi networks more freely, while also giving their ISPs fewer ways to track them.

The second most loved Pixel feature, as per the participants in our survey, is the automatic call and spam management features. Pixels offer Call Screen so you can let the phone take care of the wasteful moments during unwanted calls. Call Screen can automatically reject calls it deems spam, but if it fails to judge, you can use AI responses, where Gemini speaks on your behalf and even shares a transcript of what the person on the other end says. That’s also the best deterrent for spammers, who wouldn’t bother calling you again once they hit the AI wall.

Pixels also offers Hold for me, which lets you go about your own business rather than holding on for minutes before you can actually reach a human agent who doesn’t misinterpret what you mean to say.

Other features important to Pixel users include the Pixel Recorder, which not only records your voice, or that of those around you, but also transcribes and summarizes it using Gemini. It can detect different speakers and file words spoken by them under different headers. The best part is that notes in Pixel Recorder work fully offline because they’re powered by Gemini Nano.

Other features that received fewer votes in our survey include iPhone-like screensavers that Google introduced with the Pixel 10 last year. Other less favorable features include the exclusive safety features, including Crash Detection, Safety Check, and satellite SOS that let your loved ones know about your whereabouts in cases of mishaps.

Some of our commenters on the original article highlight their favorite features, including one named dxmurphy67, who says they love how the Pixel dialer automatically suggests calling a number they’ve copied.