Google releases comprehensive software updates for its Pixel smartphones every few months, called “Pixel Drops.” These updates bring new and exclusive features to the devices. The last update, released in September, introduced users to the Material 3 Expressive design language. The tech world expected the next update to arrive in December. However, a new leak claims that the next Pixel Drop update will be released much earlier than expected, in November.
Google pushes the date forward: November Pixel update leak reveals new features
According to a detailed report shared on Telegram by a source named “Mystic Leaks,” this new update is called the “November Pixel Drop.” The leak indicates a release date of November 4th. If this claim proves true, Pixel users will get the new features in just a week. This early update has also surprised those following the Android 16 QPR2 beta releases.
The most striking detail of the leak is that the first theme pack will be included with this update. Google has been known for some time to be working on a new “Theme Manager.” This tool will allow users to completely customize their phone’s appearance by quickly changing wallpapers, color palettes, and icons with a single tap. The first theme pack will reportedly be inspired by the upcoming film “Wicked: For Good.” The film’s international release date of November 4th also explains why the update may have been delayed.
Another key update expected to include “Pixel Studio animations.” With the launch of the Pixel 10 series, the Pixel Studio app became much more powerful. With this new tool, users will first enter a text command and AI will generate an image. Then, by tapping the “Animate image” button, they will describe exactly what they want the image to do. The source states that Gemini AI (likely using the Veo 3 or Veo 3.1 engine) will be behind this process, creating a shareable animated clip in seconds.
Finally, the “Pixel VIPs” feature is also becoming more useful. With this update, notifications from contacts marked as VIP will be displayed as “priority notifications.” This will make it easier for users to identify messages from important contacts. Exactly how this feature will work is not yet clear. However, the leak suggests that priority notifications will only support select apps like Google Messages and WhatsApp for now.
All these leaks seem quite exciting for Pixel phone owners. Now, everyone is eagerly awaiting whether the update will be released next week, as claimed. So, what are your thoughts on these special software features offered by Google?
