40+ Pixel 2 Tips & Tricks

Joe Fedewa
7 years ago

We started with the First Things You Should Do, now it’s time to get into the real meat of the Pixel 2. There’s a misconception about Pixel phones that they don’t have all the bells and whistles of a Samsung or LG phone. That’s true to a certain extent, but there’s still a ton of cool things you can do. Here are over 40 tips and tricks to get the most out of your Pixel 2.

How to take a screenshot

Taking a screenshot is one of the most basic tips to know. It’s a great tool for sharing your personalization or getting help with something on your screen. Whatever the case may be, you should know how to take a screenshot.

Press and hold the Power button
Press and hold the Volume Down button
Hold both until the screen flashes

The screenshot will appear in the notification shade. From there you can share or delete the screenshot.

For more, discuss screenshots at the Pixel 2 forum

Get content from old phone

The Pixel phones come with the handy ability to transfer content from an old device. It comes with an adapter in the box to make this process super easy. All you’ll need is your old phone and the cable that came with it. Depending on your previous phone, here’s what you can restore:

Android devices can transfer apps, app data, contacts, settings, Google accounts, music, photos, and SMS.
iOS devices can transfer iCloud events, contacts, iMessage/SMS, music, photos, and videos.

You’ll be prompted to restore data when you’re setting up the phone for the first time.

Plug the old USB cable into the adapter
Plug the adapter into the Pixel
Instructions will pop up on the screen
Follow the steps to move your stuff

For more, discuss transferring data at the Pixel 2 forum

How to Backup almost everything

Since this is a Google phone you would expect great Google integration. One area where that really shines is the Google Drive backup feature. It’s super easy to set up and you can backup almost everything on your Pixel 2.

Go to Settings > System > Backup
Toggle the switch on
If no account has been selected, you’ll see a notification pop up
Tap the notification
Select your Google account

Now go into the different content categories and choose what you’d like to backup.

For more, discuss backing up at the Pixel 2 forum

Unlock with your fingerprint

The Pixel 2 has a fingerprint scanner on the back (where it should be). It’s one of the fastest and most reliable fingerprint scanners on the market. You should definitely set it up and use it as your security method. It can also be used for mobile payments and Play Store purchases.

Go to Settings > Security & location > Pixel Imprint
If you haven’t already set up a lock screen pattern, PIN, or password, you’ll be asked to set one up
Tap +Add fingerprint
Choose which finger to use, touch the scanner until it vibrates, then lift your finger
Repeatedly touch the scanner until the fingerprint has been successfully recorded
After you’ve successfully recorded your fingerprint, tap Add Another or Done

For more, discuss fingerprint scanner at the Pixel 2 forum

Swipe fingerprint for notifications

A neat trick on the Pixel 2 is the ability to swipe the fingerprint sensor to open or close the notification shade. It works exactly like swiping your finger on the screen to pull down the notification shade. Swipe down on the sensor to pull it down, swipe up to put it away.

Go to Settings > System
Select Languages, input & gestures
Select Advanced (Gestures on newer versions)
Tap Swipe fingerprint for notifications
Toggle the switch on

For more, discuss fingerprint gestures at the Pixel 2 forum

Use Smart Lock to bypass the lock screen

The fingerprint scanner may be super fast and reliable, but there are certain situations where you shouldn’t need it. Like when you’re at home or you know the phone is with you. Smart Lock allows the Pixel 2 to not require secueity when you’re in a safe situation.

Go to Settings > Security & location > Smart Lock
You’ll have a few different options to choose from:

On-body detection – device will stay unlocked while it’s on you.
Trusted places – keep your phone unlocked when you arrive in specific places (home, work, etc.).
Trusted devices – keep your phone unlocked when connected to specific devices (speaker, car, smartwatch) via Bluetooth.
Trusted face – phone will automatically unlock when it recognizes your face after turning the screen on.
Trusted voice – unlock the phone using your voice.

Prepare for a lost or stolen phone

There’s nothing worse than paying good money for a new phone and having it get lost or stolen. There used to be hacky tools and 3rd-party apps that would help you find a phone, but nowadays it’s much simpler. The tools are already baked right into your Pixel 2.

Go to google.com/android/devicemanager
Select your phone from the drop-down menu
You’ll see the device on a map and a few options for finding it or erasing the contents

Read More: How to find a lost or stolen phone

Set up emergency info

Most people have emergency contacts listed on their phone. This is a great thing to do, but there’s one problem: lock screens. The first responders won’t be able to access the contacts if they can’t bypass your lock screen. You can add emergency information that can be accessed from the lock screen.

Go to Settings > Users & accounts
Scroll down to Emergency information
Enter your Medical information and Emergency contacts

Get started with Android Pay

Whether you hate pulling out your wallet or you simply want a backup if you leave your wallet at home, Android Pay makes it easy to make purchases using nothing but your smartphone. The Pixel 2 is capable of using Android Pay, but you have to set it up first.

Open the Android Pay app on your phone
Tap Get Started
Allow location access
Touch Add a credit or debit card
If you already have linked cards, choose one or touch Add another card
Use the camera to capture your card info or enter it manually

Keep in mind that Android Pay also works anywhere tap-to-pay or Apple Pay is accepted. You can find a full list of Android Pay supported banks here.

Set up Google Assistant

The Pixel 2 is a Google phone, which means Google apps should work beautifully. One such app is Google Assistant. You can do a lot of really cool things with Google’s virtual all-knowing helper. You should set it up and get acquainted.

Long-press the home button or say “Ok Google”
Tap Turn on when Assistant pops up
You will be guided through the setup

To use Assistant, you can long-press the home button, say “Ok Google,” or squeeze the phone. When Assistant pops up, simply speak a command or tap the keyboard icon to type. You can choose talk or type to be the default method.

Long-press the home button.
Tap the blue menu icon in the top corner
Select Settings > Phone > Preferred input
Choose “Voice” or “Keyboard”

For more, discuss Google Assistant at the Pixel 2 forum

Squeeze for Google Assistant

One of the unique features of the Pixel 2 is the ability to literally squeeze the phone to launch Assistant. The sides of the phone are sensitive to pressure. It’s a very quick and easy way to talk to Google Assistant.

Go to Settings > System
The go to Language, input & gestures > Advanced
Select Active Edge
Adjust the squeeze sensitivity to your liking
Toggle on/off Squeeze for Assistant
Toggle on/off Allow when screen is off
Toggle on/off Squeeze for silence

For more, discuss Active Edge at the Pixel 2 forum

Take advantage of unlimited Photos backup

A big benefit of owning a Pixel phone is the free unlimited Google Photos backup you get. All owners of the Pixel phones, including the Pixel 2 of course, can enjoy the exclusive benefit of unlimited original quality photos and 4K video backups. All completely free. All you have to do is open the Google Photos app and opt-in. Seriously, this is an awesome feature. Don’t miss out.

Enable Battery Saver mode

The Pixel 2 gets pretty phenomenal battery life, but there are always situations where you need a little more. You can use Battery Saver to automatically squeeze a little extra juice out when you really need it.

Go to Settings > Battery
Select Battery saver
Toggle the switch on
Tap Turn on automatically and choose 5% or 15%

Show battery percentage in the status bar

Want to keep an even closer eye on battery life? You can put the exact battery percentage in the status bar. This way you’ll know exactly how much battery is left and how fast it’s draining.

Go to Settings > Battery
Toggle on Battery percentage
That’s it!

For more, discuss Battery Life at the Pixel 2 forum

Magically detect all music playing around you

The Pixel 2 has a very neat feature called “Now Playing.” This feature will automatically scan for music playing in your surroundings and display the song info on your lock screen and notifications. It’s basically like Shazam, but working all the time so you don’t have to think about it.

Go to Settings > Sound
Tap Advanced (skip this step on newer versions)
Select Now Playing
Toggle the switch on/off

Put the Search Bar at the top of the screen

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Pixel 2 is the search bar placement on the home screen. After many years of the bar being at the top of the screen, Google moved it below the dock. Unfortunately, you can’t change this in the default Pixel launcher.

You’ll need to install a 3rd-party launcher, such as Nova Launcher. If you do install a 3rd-party launcher, look in the home screen settings for the persistent search bar, or just use the search bar widget and put it anywhere you want.

For more, discuss the search bar at the Pixel 2 forum

Change the home screen

Not a fan of the default Pixel Launcher? Android allows you to download and use whatever launcher you want. Install a launcher from the Play Store, such as Nova Launcher. After installing the launcher, press the home button and you’ll be asked to Select a Home app. Choose the new launcher and select Always if you want it to be the default home screen.

You can also use this method:

Go to Settings > Apps & notifications
Select Advanced > Default apps
Tap Home app and choose your launcher

For more, discuss the home screen at the Pixel 2 forum

Change the keyboard

The Pixel 2 comes with the Gboard keyboard by default. This is one of the best Android keyboards out there, but it’s not for everyone. If you want to try something new you can install a new keyboard, such as SwiftKey, from the Play Store.

Go to Settings > System
Select Languages, input & gestures
Tap Virtual keyboard
Tap Manage keyboards
Toggle the one you wish to use
Bring up the keyboard by tapping in a text box
Ta the keyboard icon in the nav bar
Select your keyboard from the list

For more, discuss the keyboard at the Pixel 2 forum

How to delete unwanted apps

One of the benefits of buying a Pixel phone is it doesn’t come with a bunch of carrier crapware and pre-loaded bloat. However, it does come with a lot of Google apps installed. You may want to get rid of some of them or get rid of apps you installed yourself.

Swipe up on the home screen to open the app drawer
Long press on the app you want to remove
Tap App Info
On the App Info page, select Uninstall or Disable

For more, discuss deleting apps at the Pixel 2 forum

Change theme with wallpaper

The Pixel 2 doesn’t support themes in the traditional sense, but you can change the “theme” with different wallpapers. A dark wallpaper will make the notification shade, app drawer, and other elements black, whereas a light wallpaper will make them white. There’s not an exact science to this. You’ll just have to test some different wallpapers to get the color you want.

Long-press on the home screen
Select Wallpaper
Choose a wallpaper and apply it

Get a new wallpaper every day

The Pixel 2 comes with a lot of pre-loaded wallpapers that are organized into “collections.” These collections contain beautiful, newly-designed wallpapers. You might have a hard time choosing just one. A new feature allows you to choose a collection and rotate through the wallpapers daily.

Long-press the home screen
Tap Wallpapers
Choose a collection
Tap Daily wallpaper to turn on

Get info when the display is off

The Pixel 2 has an always-on display that Google calls “Ambient Display.” It shows the time, date, and notifications when the display is off. This is handy for getting a quick look at what’s happening on your phone without unlocking the screen. It can be on all the time or only when notifications arrive.

Go to Settings > Display
Select Advanced > Ambient display
Toggle it Always on, enabled Double-tap to check phone, and New notifications

For more, discuss Ambient Display at the Pixel 2 forum

Adjust the display size

Do you find the items on the display to be too big or too small? Do you wish you could fit more info on the display? You can adjust the (virtual) display size to make items appear larger or smaller. This works by adjusting the display DPI.

Go to Settings > Display > Advanced
Select Display size
Move the dot between small and large to get the right size

Speed up animations with secret settings

The Pixel 2 has some secret settings you should know about. These settings are primarily for developers, but there’s one thing that is useful for everyone. If you’ve ever felt like animations are too slow and apps don’t move as fast as you’d like, this simple trick could speed up the Pixel dramatically.

Go to Settings > System > About phone
Tap on Build number until a message says you are now a developer
Go to Settings > System > Developer options
Tweak the animation scale for Window, Transition, and Animator duration. (We recommend .5x)

Enable the secret System UI tuner

The Pixel 2 has another secret setting called “System UI Tuner.” When unlocked, the System UI Tuner gives you the ability to tweak the status bar, do not disturb options, and notifications controls.

Swipe down from the top of the screen twice to open the Quick Settings
Long-press on the Settings gear icon until it spins and vibrates
If successful, you will see a tiny wrench next to the gear
Now there should be System UI Tuner listed in the Settings > System

Customize the Quick Settings Toggles

When you pull down the notification shade you’ll see a bunch of toggles for things like WiFi, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, and more. These are called Quick Settings “tiles,” and they can be reorganized to your liking.

Swipe down from the top twice to see the full Quick Settings panel
Tap the pencil icon on the bottom bar
Drag and drop the tiles to wherever you want

Force all apps to use multi-window mode

The Pixel 2 has a multi-window split-screen mode. You can use it by opening the multitasking screen and long-press on the title bar of an app. Not all apps are compatible with this yet. You’ll see a message that says “App doesn’t support split screen.” We can fix that.

Go to Settings > System > Developer options
Scroll all the way down to Force activities to be resizable
Toggle it on and reboot the phone

Use the Night Light to save your eyes

The blue light from displays can interrupt our natural circadian rhythms and make it hard to fall asleep. The Pixel 2 has an AMOLED display, so the blue light isn’t as harsh as LCD, but it’s still noticeable. Night Light can make it easier on your eyes at night.

Go to Settings > Display
Select Night Light
Tap Schedule to create a custom time or use the sunset and sunrise
Toggle the switch on to adjust the intensity

Enable Do Not Disturb to keep the phone quiet

Everyone has certain times when they don’t want to be disturbed by phone notifications. Do Not Disturb mode allows you to create a weekly schedule for these situations. The common example is to mute the phone every night.

Go to Settings > Sound
Tap Do not disturb preferences
Tap Add Rule
Choose an event or time rule
Name the rule
Select the days, start time, and end time
Adjust the Do not disturb preferences to choose the notifications that can get through
Choose whether alarms can override schedule

Save data with Data Saver Mode

Data Saver mode allows people with limited data plans to get the most out of their device. When enabled, the system will block background apps from using data and signal foreground apps to use less data. You can even choose specific apps to always be able to use data in the background.

Go to Settings > Network & internet > Data usage
Tap Data saver
Toggle the switch on
Tap Unrestricted data and choose apps from the list

Snap photos and record videos at the highest quality

It’s no mystery that the Pixel 2 has the best camera on a smartphone right now. For the most part, you don’t have to do anything to take great photos and videos. One thing you should double check is that you’re using the full megapixels and the highest quality settings.

Open the Camera
Swipe from the left to open the menu
Tap Settings
Under Photo, make sure back camera is set to 12.2 megapixels
Under Video, make sure back camera is set to UHD 4K

Take beautiful photos with Portrait Mode

One of the new features on the Pixel 2 camera is called Portrait Mode. Basically, it applies a heavy blur to the background and makes the foreground object pop. This create a very cool effect that makes the photo look like it was taken with a high-end camera. You can use it with the front and rear camera.

Open the Camera app
Tap the menu icon in the top left
Select Portrait
Tap on the subject to focus
Tap the shutter button
The photo will process quickly and be ready to view

For more, discuss Portrait Mode at the Pixel 2 forum

Get the perfect shot with camera gestures

Timing is very important when it comes to getting the perfect shot. The Pixel 2 camera has two gestures that will make it easier to open the camera quickly and take a photo. The weird thing is that these gestures aren’t mentioned in the camera app. You have to go to Settings > System > Gestures.

Jump to camera – Press the power button twice to jump straight to the camera app.
Flip camera – With the camera open, double twist the phone to switch between front and back cameras.

You can also use the volume down button to snap photos while in the camera app.

Pin apps to keep nosy people out of your phone

Your phone is full of personal information and sensitive content. Screen pinning allows you to lock the Pixel 2 to use just one app. When you hand it to someone else they won’t be able to navigate out of the app you pinned.

Go to Settings > Security & location
Scroll down to Screen pinning
Toggle it on
Toggle on Ask for unlock pattern before unpinning

To use:

Open the Recent apps
Pull up the most recent app and tap the pushpin icon in the bottom right corner of the preview
To unpin the app, touch and hold the Back button

How to Factory Reset the Pixel 2

A factory reset is like putting your Pixel 2 in a time machine and going back to the day you unboxed it. Everything will be removed and it will revert to factory settings. You should do this if you’re selling your phone or it has been running poorly.

Go to Settings > System
Select Reset
Select Factory data reset
Tap RESET PHONE
Enter password
Tap Erase everything

For more, discuss factory reset at the Pixel 2 forum

Protect the phone with a case

The only thing worse than losing a phone is breaking it. The Pixel 2 is a gorgeous piece of technology with glass on the front and back. The last thing you want to do is crack the glass or get a nasty scratch. One of the first things you should do is buy a case for it. Here are a few to choose from:

For more, discuss accessories at the Pixel 2 forum

Get the best Apps & Games

The best phone in the world is pretty boring if you don’t have great apps and games to use. We’ve compiled tons of helpful guides for finding the best apps and games in the Play Store. Before you dive in and rummage around, you’ll want to check out these lists first.

Download the Forums for Android app!

This list is a great starting point for Pixel 2 users, but there’s a lot more you should know. You can download the Forums forAndroid app and you’ll automatically be added to the Pixel 2 forum. There you will find more helpful tips and other users like you. It’s easy to ask for help and get answers. Here are a few threads to get you started: