How to Get Pixel 2 Features on Any Android Device

Google launched its latest flagship devices, the Pixel two and Pixel two 40 dorsum in early October and it is absolutely one of the more simplistic yet powerful phones of this year. It may have ditched the headphone jack and not adopted the dual-rear photographic camera setup but it does include some new sectional software features, just like every yr. You lot get a redesigned layout for the homescreen, an 'At a Glance' calendar widget, along with new ambience display features such as always listening song recognition and more than. So, if y'all're interested in bringing the simple and serene look of the stock Pixel launcher, along with the intuitiveness of Pixel 2 to your device, follow along with the pointers defined underneath:

Employ Pixel ii Features on Your Android Device

Note : I tried the following methods on my Nexus 5X running Android eight.1 Oreo Programmer Preview and Xiaomi Redmi Note iii running Android half-dozen.0 Marshmallow. Information technology worked perfectly without any hiccups.

With the step defined underneath, you will not simply be able to replicate the features of the Pixel ii devices but volition also get acquainted with some of the Oreo-exclusive features. Here are the steps yous need to follow to get most of the Pixel 2 software features on any of your Android devices:

1. Setting up Pixel ii's Stock-Android Homescreen

With the launch of the Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL, Google is now further refining the homescreen feel by updating the launcher to be more straight-frontwards and intuitive to use. It does not require you lot to remember whatever gestures or other futile info to make their official stock launcher one of the nigh amazing on the marketplace. Here'south how you can bring similar intuitiveness to your Android device:

• Using Modified Pixel Launcher Apk

Since the launch of the Pixel 2 devices, the developers over at XDA have kept themselves busy in porting software features of the stock Pixel launcher over to other Android devices. And they've been successful in porting two prominent highlights of Pixel launcher, the Google search bar in the bottom dock and "At A Glance" calendar & weather widget. They've made the modified package of the Pixel Launcher bachelor for y'all, users with devices running Android 5.0 and above.

Once you've installed this modified Pixel launcher, you will see that the Google search bar is already docked at the lesser, the 'At A Glance' widget is pinned to the tiptop, the folders and the app drawer resemble the stock UI of the Pixel ii & Pixel 2 Twoscore devices. You can as well long press the 'At A Glance' widget to change its preferences and tap on information technology to access the weather or calendar app.

• Using a Tertiary-political party Launcher App

If you're more than into customizing and building your ain homescreen layout, y'all should opt for third-party launchers instead. The well-known launchers, such as Nova or Action, take already integrated most of the Pixel 2 features into their apps. Nosotros'll useNova Launcher (Free, unlock Prime version for $four.99) to make our device resemble the Pixel two/Pixel 2 40 by activating the launcher, shifting Google search bar to the bottom dock and placing the 'At A Glance' widget at the height.

You can requite finishing touches to the homescreen by downloading an icon pack that looks very like to the Pixel 2 devices. My recommendation for you'll be thePixel Icon Pack-Nougat Gratuitous UI (Costless, in-app purchases start at $0.99). You lot can read more most how to setup Nova Launcher to look similar the Pixel 2 Launcher correct here.

The prime number version of the Nova Launcherunlocks additional customization options and makes adaptive launcher icons available to you. This makes it easier to streamline the user experience equally the icons can now adopt different shapes and styles, a feature that has been made bachelor in Android Oreo. Each hardware maker can define an icon mask that'll apply to each app on your device.

2. Mimicking the Pixel 2 Navigation Bar Animations

Now that you're done imitating the Pixel 2/Pixel two XL homescreen, you need to change the navigation bar icons of your Android device to friction match Google Pixel 2. Thenavigation bar, with an animated dwelling house push, was introduced back with the original Pixelsmerely has now been carried forward to this year's flagships. To activate the animated navigation home icon, yous need to download the Pixel Navigation bar app (Free, unlock Pro version for $1.99) from the Google Play Store.

This app neither requires you to root your Android device nor information technology needs any special permissions to fix the Pixel navigation bar. Information technology draws the navigation buttons, including the animated home push, equally an overlay on top of the current navigation icons. One time washed, it provides you options to alter the position, size and colour overlay of these icons. Y'all'll, however, demand to buy the Pro version to unlock the power to set custom home button animations and machine-start on boot. It also gets rids of pestering advertisements.

3. Mesmerizing Live Wallpapers

Our homescreen already resembles the Pixel 2/Pixel 2 but this final component, which is extremely amazing, will further add together to the entreatment of your device. Nosotros may be familiar with Live Wallpapers on our smartphones but Google has now1-upped the experience by making satellite images from Google Earth available as live wallpapers. Here yous tin can see cars whizzing on the mountainous roads of Hawaii, the tidal waves at the coastline of Lagos, a shut-up shot of our moon and much more.

You wouldn't realize their wow factor until y'all apply them to the homescreen. Follow these steps to easily use the official Pixel live wallpapers on your device:

• First, you volition take to download and install the ported Pixel Wallpaper pack and the Google Wallpapers app (Gratis) from the Play Store.

• At present, open the Wallpapers app and scroll downward to see the Pixel wallpapers appear under the "Alive wallpapers" section. Select whatsoever one of them and apply to either the homescreen, lockscreen or both.

While this is the easiest manner to apply Pixel live wallpapers on any of your Android devices, y'all may detect the frames start to drib and the device lag due to the load of the moving images on low-end devices with older-generation processors. I noticed some delay in device animations on my Nexus 5X afterward applying the live wallpaper. It may also bear upon the battery life of your device due to the continuous motility in the live images.

4. Get Google Lens on Not-Pixel Devices

Google aims to make its astounding paradigm recognition feature, Google Lens, available to most Android users in the time to come but is currently limiting it to "Pixel ii devices" and older Pixels. The developer community, however, is not looking to expect this time out and wants to feel every new feature immediate.

If y'all take a rooted Android device, you can download the Google Lens flashable ZIP file and install it using TWRP later booting your phone into recovery mode. You tin turn over to Google to know the fundamental combination for opening recovery mode on your device. If y'all adopt a step-past-footstep guide to the procedure, yous tin read all about activating Google Lens on non-Pixel devices right here.

Once you've flashed the Google Lens Aught file, open up any picture in Google Photos to notice that a new Google Lens icon has now appeared among the options at the bottom. You lot'll have to tap on this icon to recognize the contents of the picture just it may not work sometimes as the feature is still under development.

While the Google Lens functionality has currently only made its way to Google Photos, it is expected to appear in Google Assistant very soon. It'll be bachelor at the bottom corner on the right since the left and center are occupied by the keyboard and microphone buttons respectively.

5. Always Listening "Now Playing" Mode

One of the most interesting features of the Pixel 2/ Pixel 2 XL is the "Now Playing" mode that uses the microphone to continually mind to music playing in the background to identify and surface the song on the ambient display. This means y'all don't even take to unlock your device to know the songs playing at your nearby Starbucks.

This feature is exclusive to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 Twoscore because Google is trying to build its own hardware presence to compete against the likes of Apple and Samsung. Hence, information technology is not handing out every feature it develops in the official Android release each yr. There is currently no info on whether it'll ever make information technology to other Android devices, hence, we can perform a similar activity with a little-known feature of the music recognition app Shazam (Free).

This feature is known equally Auto Shazam and it recognizes the songs playing nearby even when you exit the app. It was added to Android devices back in 2016 and is available under the Settings menu, where you need to toggle the "Auto Shazam" option to enable the aforementioned. It is as well possible to enable this characteristic by tapping "Plough on" after long pressing the Shazam push in the app. You can now get out the app, lock the screen and play music to come across the app automatically recognize information technology.

However, you should proceed 2 things in mind while using the Motorcar-Shazam feature. Firstly, information technology will only display the name of the currently playing song on the lockscreen and not on the ambient brandish. You tin can tap on the "Car Shazam" notification to see the consummate "recognized" songs list in the app. 2d, the Shazam app needs to continue running in the background to listen to music, so it'll accept a price on your battery and information services.

six. Capturing Movement Photo Is Piece of cake

Google is making a huge characteristic add-on to the Pixel 2/Pixel 2 40's camera in the form of "Move Photos" that is quite similar to Alive Photos feature popularized by Apple tree. This allows you lot to capture a few seconds of video when clicking a flick, making a photo move and act like GIFs. The Mountain View giant hasn't said when this feature will brand it to other Android devices, so here'due south you tin employ information technology right away:

• For Get-go-gen Pixel Devices

Though you may take already started receiving most of the Pixel 2 exclusive features, the Movement Photos feature is nevertheless missing from your Google Camera app. But, you lot don't have to wait any longer every bit the XDA developer community has fabricated the latest Google Camera APK with support for Motion Photograph and Confront Retouching bachelor for you. This volition add together a piddling more life to the photos you capture on the motility.

• For Other Android Devices

Even if yous're not using a smartphone device from Google's hardware lineup, you tin can however utilize the 'Movement Photos' characteristic using a third-party app called Photographic camera MX (Gratuitous, in-app buy starts at $0.99).

Once you have installed the app,tap on the second icon, i.e the three circles, on the top left and select "Live Shot". It is a premium feature but you can endeavour to capture 3 live shots right away. The alive shots come fastened with a 3-second video, which tin can be recognized by the hurricane tag attached to it. Click here to read a detailed overview of how to use this feature.

When y'all open a live shot's preview, you lot'll be prompted to "press and hold" to encounter the video playing in a loop, which is similar to the official Pixel feel. You tin can also tap on the pencil icon at the top to edit the live shot and create a GIF/video loop using the same. You lot can capture and save Motion Stills(Free) using an app of the same proper name, released officially by Google Inquiry.

7. E'er-On Display

The Pixel two devices are not heavy on (contemporary) exclusive features only it now includes the ambient brandish functionality seen on Samsung or Motorola devices. It just shows you fourth dimension, appointment and apps that may have notifications but information technology doesn't allow you open and tap on the same. We volition install an app called Always On AMOLED (Free, in-app purchases commencement at $0.99) that one-ups the functionality added to the Pixel two devices. The app works well with AMOLED displays just is non so swell with LCD ones. The app carries a "BETA" tag but you need not worry about the same considering it will work just fine.

In one case you've installed the app and granted information technology all necessary permissions, enabled Always On AMOLED to get the ambient brandish functionality of the Pixel 2 devices. It provides you the power to change watch faces, groundwork wallpapers, display notifications, and memos. Even all the widgets on the always-on display move around automatically to avoid screen fire-in issues.

eight. Have Fun With AR Stickers

Since virtual reality has taken a dorsum seat, the launch of the Pixel 2 devices was earmarked with the debut of augmented reality (AR) stickers that tin can easily be accessed using the phone's camera. It follows pursuit to Apple's AR-focused efforts, which seem to be a focus of attention for the Cupertino behemothic.

Google states Pixel ii'south cameras are highly optimized and calibrated for augmented reality experiences correct out of the box. You can open the Google Camera to add stickers to your photos/videos before capturing them. Since we cannot reproduce the AR stickers available on Pixel 2 devices, we'llinstall a third-party hologram app called Holo – Holograms for Videos in Augmented Reality (Free).

It provides you a collection of holographic images, be information technology celebrities, athletes or animals, to cull from and augment your surroundings. Holo's offering is expansive than Google'due south current offer and you'll be able to click a movie or record a video of the same to share with your friends.

In add-on, Google is taking on Apple's ARKit with its own slimmed down version of Tango engineering science dubbed as ARCore. These frameworks will make AR more approachable for the average human, who'll soon be able to add together stuff to their surroundings with ease. If y'all are looking for more than AR sticker apps, check out the alternatives correct hither.

nine. System-wide Theming via Substratum

If this is the showtime time you're hearing virtually Substratum, and so you should know that this is currently one of the most popular theming choice for Android users. The framework was developed by Sony, known as Runtime Resource Overlay (RRO), but was handed down to Google to merge it with the stock Android code via Layers. Developers accept now found a way to theme your Android experience with the use of this uncomplicated Layers managing director. Pixel 2 seems to make use of this framework as thearrangement UI changes its colors based on wallpapers applied to the homescreen. So, you can also learn how to modify the looks of your organisation UI via Substratum right here.

Note : You tin apply Substratum themes to any Android device if it's rooted and running Android 6.0 and in a higher place. Users have said that one may not crave rooting their devices if they're running Android 8.0 Oreo.

If y'all're bored with the skinned or light version of your Android theme, you tin can install a hoard of themes that adjust your gustation. I'one thousand a dark theme-lover, then my favorite Substratum theme is "Default Dark", which adds a grey-ish colour to the consummate arrangement UI while maintaining the stock fonts and icons. Hither'southward a list of fifteen cool themes you can try on your Android device.

ten. Use the Redesigned Pixel Dialer

Google has not only spruced up the homescreen layout of the Pixel 2/Pixel 2 Twoscore, it has also upgraded one of the most used apps on the devices besides. We're talking virtually thedialer app, which has got a facelift to go more than intuitive and responsive for the terminate user. The caller ID screen now introduces a translucent blue gradient that yet shows off your background wallpaper.

You tin can download the latest version of Google Phone from apkmirror, using your device'south browser. The new dialer app is as well improving on the functionality of the caller display, as y'all now need to swipe up to reply the call and swipe down to refuse information technology. Earlier, you had to swipe correct and left respectively to perform these tasks.

The Pixel 2 dialer app gains Google Duo integration, making it super handy for video calls on the go. It adds a shortcut for creating a new contact, usable via launchers that support information technology, correct from the homescreen. There is no fashion to confirm whether it will piece of work on your device or not, except for installing it from the link above. Users have reported that it is compatible with older Google phones such as Nexus 5X and 6P but it may not work with non-Google phones. It worked mighty fine for me.

xi. Check Bluetooth Device Battery Level

As we're moving away from traditional ports, such equally the headphone jack, it has become extremely necessary to go along track of the battery levels of our Bluetooth devices. Though many hardware makers accept modded their Android offerings to bear witness the battery level of Bluetooth devices in the notification shade, it has only made its mode to stock Android with the latest viii.1 Oreo developer preview.

To run across battery levels of your wireless device on any Android device, you need to download the BatON app (Free) from the Google Play Store. In one case you open the app, you'll already run across the bombardment level of your Bluetooth devices, if they're continued to the smartphone. By default, it refreshes the battery levels every iii hours but you tin can head to Settings > Automobile Measure to alter the rechecking fourth dimension frame.

Notation : This method only works with devices that have a Easily-Gratuitous profile (accept, pass up phone calls) or a GATT contour (usually 4.0+ Low Energy devices). Yous can read more on this subject area matter right here.

If yous don't desire BatON to regularly check for your Bluetooth device's battery level, you'll have to alter the auto-measure settings and tap the battery notification to recheck for a change in the bombardment level. Y'all can also flash your device with Android eight.1 Oreo once information technology is available widely to all.

12. Automatically Enable Wi-Fi on Oreo Devices

Another Pixel exclusive feature, which is just limited to Android Oreo users, is the ability to connect to turn on Wi-Fi services automatically. In one case you've enabled this feature, wireless services on the device will automatically be turned on when it's nearly high-quality saved networks.

Yous can enable this characteristic on your device past connecting your device to the calculator and altering the global settings of your device. You can read more than on how to activate "Plough on Wi-Fi Automatically" for your device running Oreo right here.

SEE ALSO: Summit seven Google Pixel 2 Alternatives Yous Can Buy

Pixel 2 Features Ported: Non Too Far-reaching?

With the Pixel 2 devices, Google has decided to tread with caution and provide you the certain shot features you demand in a smartphone. It is not running afterward gimmicks to provide you an upgraded feel, as promised by many hardware makers, but is looking to provide y'all a much cleaner, responsive and intuitive experience. Users desire the simple things on their smartphone to be up-to-the-marking is a far-reaching supposition to make simply the Pixels have however managed to provide a superior accommodating experience.

Ultimately, information technology boils down to the fact whether one tin overlook the hardware glitches of the Pixel 2 devices and nevertheless adopt the same but for the stock Android feel. If non, yous can customize your device to match the pure and serene await of the Pixel ii. Let us know in the comments down beneath if we could've customized the experience any meliorate.

Source: https://beebom.com/how-get-pixel-2-features-any-android/

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