March Pixel Drop boosts Circle to Search and Magic Cue, adds Express Pay to Pixel Watch

Google’s Pixel Drops remain a regular highlight for owners of Google’s homegrown Pixel range and March’s offering is no different. The updates, which will roll out over the next few weeks, make Pixel devices “even more intuitive, personal and helpful” and include offerings for smartphones and Pixel Watch devices.

The headliner is another improvement to the Circle to Search feature (see above), which can now detail individual elements of an image. Google calls it ‘Find The Look.’

Google explains in a blog post: “See an outfit that you love while scrolling? You can use Circle to Search on your Pixel 10 device to find every piece of the look. Simply circle the entire outfit, and Google will help you find all of the items you see — from the warm wool maxi coat to the oxford shoes — all in one search.”

Google is also enabling users to perform a virtual try on of the item they’ve spied thanks to a new “Try It On” button within the image result. All you’ll need to do is upload a photo to see it on yourself, or you can choose to see it on a model.

Google is also keen on a Gemini feature that will help users complete tasks like booking your Uber or handling your regular Doordash order. We covered this last week and it’s now rolling out in beta in the Gemini app for Pixel.

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Google’s Magic Cue feature can now help users find Restaurant recommendations based on the conversation you’re having with pals in the Google Messages app.

“Finding the right place to eat just got a lot easier,” Google adds. “When you’re texting with friends about restaurant ideas, Magic Cue prompts you to use Gemini to find the perfect spot. With just a tap, Gemini opens a new window within the chat with restaurant options based on your conversation, without you having to switch apps. You never have to leave the chat, so you can stay in the moment with your friends.”

Furthermore, Google is giving the Now Playing tool a standalone application. The Shazam-like recognition service will now store all of your previously searched discoveries. They can be tapped and played in the Music app.

Moving on, the at-a-glance feature (the equivalent to Apple’s Live Activities) is offering more useful real time information from your favourite apps directly on the home screen. Right now it’ll help with the latest transit routes, latest scores from your favourite sports teams, as well as the market movements from Google Finance.

The new Pixel Watch features include alerts if you leave your phone behind. And, when the Pixel Watch goes out of range, the phone will automatically lock.

The one-handed gestures that debuted on Pixel Watch 4 are trickling down to the third-generation model. They work without touching the screen. Finally, there’s a new Express Pay feature that enables users to use pay terminals without opening the Google Wallet app.