- The Pixel 7 Pro is the first Google phone
worthy of being called a flagship.
- It's powerful and unlike previous models,
it's also easy to use.
I'd say the Pixel 7 Pro is the smartest
and friendliest Android I've ever tested.
- There's no better example of that
than the pain reliever Google built
right into the phone app, Hold for Me.
- Waiting on hold is no fun, Google knows that.
- That's why they created the Hold for Me feature.
When someone on the other end finally picks up,
your Pixel rings.
- Then you pick up and talk to them,
you're in control.
- To turn it on, open the phone app
and tap the three vertical dots
in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
Then tap Settings, then tap Hold for Me
and turn on the switch next to Hold for Me.
- Another example of Google making AI easy to use
is a feature called Automatic Call Screening.
- In phone settings,
tap back upper left hand corner of the screen.
Then tap Spam and Call Screen.
First we recommend turning on the switches
See caller and spam ID and Verified calls.
Then tap on Call Screen,
then tap Spam
and switch on Automatically screen, decline robocalls.
- Now your Pixel will check Google's spam database
to see if the number's in there and, if it is,
it'll block the call.
- We recommend doing the same
for possibly faked numbers.
Let's tap on that,
and then choose Automatically screen, decline robocalls.
- The truth is that caller ID isn't secure at all.
Scammers could use spoofing software
to make their phone number look like one
that you'd recognize.
- Keep in mind these settings aren't perfect.
You could miss a call that you actually wanted to receive.
- If you're expecting an important call from your boss
or your doctor's office, add their number to your contacts.
- And there's yet another really cool phone feature.
- When you call a business,
sometimes you'll hit their automated directory.
Navigating the tree of different menus can be a real drag.
- In our phone settings,
let's tap back upper left hand corner of the screen,
back one more time, then tap Direct My Call,
and make sure the switch next to Direct My Call is on.
- Like Hold for Me, you'll know Direct My Call is an option
as soon as you make the phone call.
It's like a time machine for the phone app.
Welcome to the future.
- Next time you interact with a phone directory,
your Pixel will display the options
the automated voice is reading you.
Sometimes you can tap on an option to navigate to the menu,
but sometimes you'll have to use your voice.
- Our next setting will help make Google Assistant
a lot more efficient.
- There are several quick phrases you can turn on
so you don't have to say, Hey Google, first.
- Huge time saver.
- Let's go to the settings app.
I'm gonna two-finger swipe down from the top of the screen
and tap on the settings gear.
Then tap apps, then tap assistant
and then tap quick phrases.
Turn on the switches next to alarms and timers
and incoming calls.
I think the stop and snooze quick phrases for alarms
is just extremely useful.
- That'll save you from saying unnecessary words.
This next setting is about unnecessary notifications.
- When you allow apps to send notifications,
they keep running in the background to notify you
in case something important happens.
- But some apps send you useless notifications.
- Particularly those freemium gaming apps
that want you to spend all your hard-earned cash
on useless in-game currency.
- Can I buy a loaf of bread with gems from Clash of Clans?
- Nope, choosing the apps that can send you notifications
and how often they can send you notifications
will save on battery life and be less distracting.
Let's tap back to the main page of settings,
then tap notifications, then tap app settings
and here's a list of apps that can send you notifications.
Let's pick on TikTok for example.
Do you need TikTok notifications
every time somebody likes one of your videos?
- Definitely not,
especially if your videos go viral like ours do.
- So I'm gonna turn off that switch.
Notifications are important for messaging apps, for example.
But for a lot of apps, you can really just get away with
turning notifications off entirely.
- There's a better way to check for notifications
that you've missed without having to switch apps.
It's called notification history.
- Let's tap back to the main notification settings page
and then tap on notification history.
Turn that switch on.
To view your notification history,
open the quick settings menu
by swiping down from the top of the screen.
We've got this history button.
We can tap on that and see our notification history.
- You can add a button to the lock screen
that lets your Pixel quickly identify a song.
- Let's head back to the main page of settings.
Tap display, then tap lock screen,
tap now playing, then scroll down and turn on the switch
next to show search button on lock screen.
A history of all the songs you've identified
will appear here under now playing history.
- The next setting
is one we've been asking for on iPhone forever.
It's called Flip to Shhh.
- Flip to Shhh puts your Pixel in do not disturb
when you lip it face down on a flat surface.
Let's head back to the main page of settings.
Scroll down and tap system,
then tap gestures
then tap Flip to Shhh and turn on that switch.
- There's 4G, there's 5G, 3G is dead.
Let's talk about choosing your preferred network type
- Every Pixel since the 5 and the 4A, 5G have been able
to connect to 5G networks.
And while carriers have been hyping it up for a while now,
they don't like to tell you this one secret,
and that's that 5G can really drain battery life.
- Today, there are more 4G towers than 5G towers,
so your phone has to use more power
to connect to and stay connected to 5G.
- Let's head back to the main page of settings.
Scroll up and tap on network and internet.
Then tap sims and then tap preferred network type.
By default, 5G is the preferred network,
but if you don't have reliable 5G where you live,
you might wanna switch this to LTE.
- Google isn't telling you the whole truth
about how this next setting affects battery life.
- Let's head back to the main page of the settings app.
Scroll down and tap privacy.
Then scroll down to Usage and Diagnostics, tap on that.
- When Usage and Diagnostics is on, your Pixel collects
information about how you use your phone.
They claim this helps battery life.
- The way this theoretically saves battery life
is that Google collects information
from all the the Pixels in the world,
puts it together and then optimizes their existing features.
- But this setting will drain your Pixel's battery life.
- Some of you may die,
but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make.
- If it's not, turn off the usage and diagnostic switch.
Let Google improve their own products.
- Next up, an additional setting
that will cut down on the number of ads you see.
- Let's tap back upper left hand corner of the screen,
one above Usage and Diagnostics is Ads,
tap on that and then tap Delete advertising ID,
Delete advertising ID.
- Whenever we say to turn this off,
we get angry comments that say one of two things.
- Number one: I don't wanna see low quality spam ads.
- You won't.
Google owns the biggest ad network in the world.
It's how they make most of their money.
Google isn't going to risk the golden goose
by feeding it garbage.
- And number two: it won't reduce the number of ads I see.
- The truth is, it might.
When advertisers know less about you,
they won't pay as much to show you an ad.
If they don't know you're interested in their product,
they won't pay to get your attention.
If nobody bids, you don't see an ad.
- Next up, we're gonna make your Pixel more secure.
- Which apps do you want to give access to your photos,
your camera, your microphone and other features?
- We're gonna tap back in the upper left hand corner
of the screen to the main privacy page of settings.
Scroll up and tap on permission manager.
Let's use camera as our example.
- Turning everything off is not necessary.
Apps like Snapchat or Instagram need to have access
to the camera if you take pictures using the app.
- Pay close attention to Allowed all the time.
These are apps that have access to things
like your camera all the time
even when you're not using the app.
- If you do see an app here, we recommend switching it
to while using the app or ask next time.
- Similar to permissions, it's important to be careful
about which apps can access your location
and how often they can access it.
Let's tap back upper left hand corner of the screen
to permission manager.
Scroll down and tap Location.
It's very important for battery life to limit the number
of apps that have accessed your location all the time,
even when you aren't using those apps.
- For example, does Snapchat need access to your location
all the time?
No.
- Let's tap on Snapchat
and then choose allow only while using the app.
Also take a look at this precise location switch.
How accurate does that location need to be?
- Unless it's a maps app, it doesn't need to be precise.
Your Pixel uses more battery
when it accesses your precise location
than it does when it accesses your general location.
- Yep, so let's turn off that switch
next to use precise location.
Let's talk about another location-related setting,
this one is a bit creepy.
Let's tap back to the main privacy page in settings.
Scroll down and tap on Google location history.
- Google location history saves a record
of the places you go most often with your Pixel.
- It's a double-edged sword.
When it's on,
you'll see personalized maps and real-time traffic updates.
- The price you pay is that the ads you see
will be more useful.
Advertisers will pay more to get your attention
if they know you work right next to their store.
That's how Google uses this location history
to make more money
- We recommend turning this off.
So in Google location history, tap the turnoff button,
scroll down and tap pause,
'cause you're not turning it off, you're just pausing it.
You'll be back.
- The thing I get concerned about
with Google location history is what happens
if your Pixel falls into the wrong hands?
- This next tip will help you save a lot of battery life.
Let's step back to the main page of settings.
Scroll up and tap battery,
then tap adaptive preferences
and turn on the switch next to adaptive battery.
- It's a no-brainer.
Some apps keep running in the background of your phone
even when you're not using them.
Adaptive battery learns which apps you use the least often
and shuts 'em down
- And this next tip is going to help you
fine tune adaptive battery.
Go back to the main page of settings,
tap on apps,
then tap see all 88 apps,
we're gonna pick on Facebook for this example.
- Battery optimization gives you even more control
over what happens in the background
when you aren't using an app.
- Let's scroll down and tap battery.
Let's say you use Facebook a lot.
Adaptive battery is going to see that
and let Facebook keep running in the background.
- But Facebook is notorious for draining your battery
because it does so much in the background of your phone.
- This is an example where you might wanna pick restricted.
Next up, the biggest security issue on Androids.
- Like Jeff Goldblum taunting a T-Rex with a fiery twig,
it sounds too bad to be true, but it's real.
- Do you want apps on your Google Pixel
to be allowed to install other apps on your Pixel
without your permission?
- No, you don't.
- Let's head back to the main apps page in settings.
Scroll down and tap Special app access.
Then tap install unknown apps.
- Here you'll see a list of apps.
Any app that says allowed can download other apps
without your permission.
- For Example, let's tap on Gmail.
Do you want Gmail to be able install other apps
on your Android?
- With how much spam we all receive nowadays,
this sounds like cooking directions for a catastrophe.
- I think he means a recipe for disaster, but let's turn
off the switch next to allow from this source.
Really you shouldn't be giving any apps this power.
- This next setting won't protect your Pixel
from security threats,
but it will make it look a whole lot cooler.
- Let's head back to the main page of the settings app.
Scroll down and tap display.
Then turn on the switch next to dark theme.
- When dark mode or dark theme is on,
the display uses less power and that saves battery life.
- I think it looks a lot better too.
- Way to go Google.
You finally made a powerful phone that's easy to use.
But can the Google Pixel 7 Pro really go punch to punch
with the iPhone 14 Pro?
- Watch our next video to find out.
Spoiler alert,
we were shocked by the results of our camera test.