ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Pixel 11 series has several useful features turned off by default.
- You can improve your phone’s display and its charging speed.
- Some settings require customization.
I’ve been a dedicated Pixel user since the beginning, so naturally I was excited to get my hands on Google’s latest iteration, the Pixel 11 Pro XL. I was generally impressed, but I noticed that, as Google has done before, the device doesn’t set up perfectly out of the box.
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After spending a few weeks with the device, I found that certain functions are either disabled by default or need optimization to work in the best way possible.
1.Pick a camera look style
The camera was the biggest reason I got hooked on the Pixel 2016 in the first place, so it’s one of the first places I looked at the Pixel 11 Pro XL. New this year is Camera Looks, a setting that changes how images are processed before you take them. You can change a number of settings, including contrast, shadows, tint, sharpness, and warmth.
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I’ve always loved the camera on every Pixel I’ve had, but I’ll admit that the images can sometimes look a bit over-processed. If image quality is at all important to you, it’s essential to enable this feature right out of the box, as it applies to every image you take from that point on. You can find Camera Look by opening the Camera app, tapping the settings icon in the lower right corner, and making your changes.
2. Customize your lock screen widgets
Pixel “at a glance” lock screen widgets are one of the most fun and useful features, and you’re missing out if you don’t use them. These widgets are off by default, but if you enable them, you can see real-time information without unlocking your phone. You can see weather information, sports updates, flight information, rideshare and food delivery updates, fitness information and more.
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To use these widgets, long press an open space on your home screen. To customize your widgets, go to Settings > Wallpaper & style > More lock screen settings > Lock screen widgets. To access your widgets, you just swipe to the left of your lock screen.
3. Enable Smooth Display
Out of the box, your Pixel 11’s display isn’t set to use its full capability. The Pixel 11 series comes with a fantastic low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) display, but it’s slightly throttled in the name of battery life. You’ll notice the increased resolution most in text and in fine details. It won’t make a big difference to your streaming or large display elements though. If you consistently read, either articles or e-books, you will want to make the change.
To change this, go to Settings > Display > Screen Resolution. Bump the setting from “High Resolution”, which is 1080 x 2404, to “Max Resolution”, which is 1344 x 2992.
4. Use Extreme Charging Mode
If you’re anything like me, your phone usually needs a quick couple of evenings. The Pixel 11 series introduced Extreme Charging Mode, which speeds up charging by pausing background activity and non-essential apps. Google says the mode should charge the Pixel 11 and 11 Pro to more than 50% in 30 minutes, and the Pixel 11 Pro XL to 75% in 30 minutes. From my testing, that estimate was pretty accurate.
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There are some caveats: this feature is only available when your phone is at or below 50% battery, and you have to do it every time you use it. But after the first time you do it, it will be available in your quick settings. Head to Settings > Battery & Charging > Extreme Charging to turn it on for the first time.
5. Customize HiLight
If you have the latest Pixel, you can also take advantage of one of its biggest selling points. I felt like this feature was gimmicky at first (and I’m still a little bummed that it replaced my beloved thermometer), but the more I use it, the more I like it. The multicolor LED on the phone’s rear camera bump can indicate who’s calling, serve as a status indicator for Gemini, and more — and it’s almost certain that more usability will arrive over time.
Where I found the most use was when I had my phone on silent. After assigning specific colors to contacts (you can do this from the contact information screen), I could easily see if a call was worth picking up without reaching for my phone.
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To make sure you get the most out of your new device, go in and change your Contact HiLight colors right away. It only takes a few seconds and makes deciding whether to answer a call much easier.
6. Enable Notification History & AI Summaries
We’ve all accidentally thrown away an important notification or missed a notification in a sea of updates. The Pixel 11 offers two notification features to help you stay on top of things.
Notification History is a feature that logs all alerts from the last 24 hours, including the ones you swipe away. This is turned off by default, which means if you dismiss a notification, it’s gone forever. With this on, you get a viewable, chronological backup.
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AI Notification Summaries, as the name suggests, takes long multi-notification threads and stacked notifications and turns them into bullet points. This feature is powered by on-device Gemini Intelligence, and you can choose which apps to summarize.
You can find both of these under Settings > Notifications > Notification History & Notification Totals.