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Mini PC and Docked Laptop Are Nearly Equivalent for Home Offices, Engadget SaysNetApp's Novus Targets Metadata Bottlenecks in AI Data InfrastructureTechRadar Publishes October 6 Answers for Quordle, NYT Strands and NYT ConnectionsGemini may soon call your mom for you, teardown suggestsFinland Drafts Grid Connection Overhaul, Pushing Large Data Centers Down Priority QueueCarPlay widgets put more iPhone apps on the dashboard, and drivers can add or remove them from Settings
Products & Applications

Google Prepares Gemini-Powered Pixel Search Upgrade, Privacy Controls and Possible Older Pixel Support

Android Authority reports that Google's Pixel Search app added privacy controls for call logs and SMS, while code points to Gemini-powered suggestions and possible official support on older Pixel phones.

AI News Feed · 2026-10-05 22:08

Android Authority said the latest Pixel Search app version, 1.0.983036833, introduces a “Privacy & Permissions” section in settings. It includes three toggles: “Help improve Pixel Search,” “Call Logs,” and “SMS.” Users can turn off “Help improve Pixel Search” to prevent their data from being aggregated and used for usage insights, the report said. The “Call Logs” and “SMS” toggles can be disabled to stop Google from using call and SMS history to improve contact suggestions in Pixel Search.

The report noted that disabling the Call Logs or SMS toggles does not stop Pixel Search from surfacing results from call history or messages. To keep call logs or messages from appearing in search results altogether, users must revoke the “Call logs” and “SMS” permissions on the app's “App Permissions” page, according to Android Authority.

Android Authority also found code strings for a feature called “Gemini-powered suggestions.” The strings say “Show Gemini-powered suggestions” and “See relevant info and Gemini-suggested actions to help you finish a task faster.” The feature does not appear to be available yet, but it could arrive in a future update. The new Privacy & Permissions section is already available in the latest version.

The Pixel Search app debuted preloaded on the Pixel 11 series and expands the app drawer search to photos, emails, contacts and other content, Android Authority reported. Pixel 11 users can update the app through the Play Store. Older Pixel users can sideload and use it if their device runs Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5 or newer, according to the report.

A separate Android Authority report said code in the latest Pixel Search release suggests the app could officially come to older Pixels. The code points to support for Pixel 6 and newer, but the app still requires Android 17 QPR2, Beta 5 or newer. Android 17 QPR2 is expected to reach its stable milestone in December 2026, which is when Pixel Search could expand to older Pixels.

Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro could miss out because they will not be updated to Android 17 QPR2, according to Android Authority. Last month, the publication found that the app could be sideloaded on older Pixels running a recent Android 17 QPR2 beta build, letting those users try the expanded search app that launched with the Pixel 11 series. The latest code offers more clues that Google plans an official expansion potentially back to the Pixel 6 series.