Google has announced a batch of new features rolling out this month across its Pixel phones, Pixel Watch and Wear OS 7, aimed largely at helping users stay in touch with priority contacts and avoid scams. The update expands the "VIPs" feature with new home-screen widgets and notification badges, while broadening Scam Detection to cover more apps, languages and countries, reflecting Google's ongoing push to build safety and connectivity tools directly into its hardware ecosystem.

Pixel 6 and later devices gain expanded widgets for quickly texting or calling VIP and favourite contacts, plus badges flagging urgent or unread messages. Scam Detection now scans notifications across chat apps in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore, India, Germany, Mexico, Japan and France, with US users also getting warnings built into Gboard. Pixel Watch 5 owners receive a Wear OS 7 update bringing offline Gemini access, more accurate GPS tracking and extended double-pinch gesture controls, while eligible Pixel users in ten countries can download free Harry Potter-themed customisation packs alongside two free months of Audible.