Still not using Pixel VIPs? Here's how to set it up on your Pixel phone right now

It’s not every day that we get a genuinely useful new widget on Android. Sure, Google is bringing the ability for users to create their own widgets on Android very soon, but it’s been a while since we saw a great new widget from Google itself.

With the September 2026 Pixel Feature Drop, Google updated its Pixel VIPs widget. Pixel VIPs has been around for a while, but the latest update makes the widget much more useful than before.

I’ve had the VIPs widget on my Pixel’s home screen with the people I talk to most, and, surprisingly, I’ve started using it almost every day. So, if you have a Google Pixel phone and haven’t given Pixel VIPs a shot yet, here’s how you can easily set it up, because I think you’re missing out if you aren’t already using it.

Pixel VIPs 2.0 is a huge improvement

If you think you’ve heard the name Pixel VIPs before, you’re not wrong. Google first debuted the Pixel VIPs widget last summer. At the time, we tried the feature and didn’t find it particularly useful. The widget scaling felt awkward, the built-in notes lacked things like search, and communication support was limited to Phone, Messages, and WhatsApp.

While some of those drawbacks remain, Google has launched what is essentially Pixel VIPs 2.0 with the September Pixel Drop, bringing several changes that, in my opinion, make it much more useful than before.

For example, previously you had to open a contact’s profile card before you could reach out to them and then select the dedicated call or message button. Now, Pixel VIPs shows dedicated call and message buttons directly above each contact, so you can reach them with a single tap.

And this is probably the part I use the most. I’ve added the people I regularly call to the widget, so instead of opening the Phone app, searching through Recents or Contacts, and then calling them, I can do it directly from my home screen.

The design itself has been revamped. Tapping a contact card now opens a full-screen layout with Google’s Material 3 Expressive design. The redesigned page shows local updates for that person near the top, including the current time and weather in their city, which is particularly useful if they live in another time zone.

You can also request access to their location, which can then appear directly inside Pixel VIPs. There’s even a “last connection” section that reminds you when you last connected with that person and what your previous conversation was about. And of course, you can still keep notes about them, such as what you might want to gift them for an upcoming birthday.

Additionally, there are glanceable notification badges for your VIPs directly inside the widget; this feature has come in quite handy for me because I’m guilty of clearing my notification panel without properly checking everything. Thankfully, with this widget, even if I accidentally clear all notifications, the badge on their VIP card remains, so I still have a reminder waiting on my home screen.

When setting up a VIP, Google also lets you save important dates, such as birthdays and anniversaries. You can even add things like their dietary preferences and musical and literary tastes to their contact card. Then, when you’re making plans with that person, Magic Cue can use those preferences to suggest relevant places and other information.

On the whole, Google has made Pixel VIPs much more powerful if you’re constantly in touch with a handful of people. I’ve started treating it almost like a tiny dashboard for my closest contacts rather than just another contacts widget. And thankfully, setting it up is pretty easy as well.

How to set up Pixel VIPs on your phone

If you have a Pixel 6 or newer running the latest version of Android, you should already have access to Pixel VIPs. The feature arrived with the Android 17 QPR1 update, so if you haven’t updated your phone yet, you’ll need to do that first. Once you’re on the latest version, here’s how you can set up Pixel VIPs on your phone:

1. Tap and hold an empty area on your Pixel’s home screen, then select Widgets.
2. In the search bar, type VIP and select the VIPs widget under the Contacts section.
3. Add the widget to your home screen.
4. If you’re setting it up for the first time, you’ll see the Add your VIPs option.
5. Tap it, and you’ll be taken to a page that shows your contacts alongside suggested people.
6. Select the contacts you want to add to Pixel VIPs, and you’re good to go.

Once you’ve selected the contacts you want to add, they’ll start showing up directly in the Pixel VIPs widget. From there, you’ll have quick buttons to call or message each person without opening the Contacts app first. Tapping on someone’s profile also opens their dedicated Pixel VIP page, where you’ll see more information about them.

My suggestion here is to add the same three or four people you contact most, rather than filling the widget with many people. That’s how I’ve found it most useful. It keeps the widget glanceable and means practically everyone on there is someone I’m likely to call or message regularly.

Pixel VIPs shouldn’t be a Pixel exclusive

All in all, using Pixel VIPs has made me realize that this shouldn’t really be a Pixel-exclusive feature in the first place. I’d love to see something similar built into Android itself so other manufacturers can bring it to their phones as well. Having the same kind of widget on the Galaxy S26 Ultra that I daily drive would be incredibly useful.

And while there’s still a lot Google can do with Pixel VIPs, for example, I’d love to see deeper integration with apps like Gmail and Google Calendar, so I could see recent emails or upcoming meetings for a contact alongside their calls and messages.

But even in its current form, Pixel VIPs has become much more useful after the latest update. I’ve started using it a lot more than I did when it first launched, and for now, the widget is staying on my home screen.