Google rolls out Android 15 to Pixel phones

Android 15 update brings several new features including improvements in user privacy, performance boost, power usage efficiency, and more tools to enhance the photography experience on Pixel phones.

The long wait for the Android 15 has finally ended, as Google has begun rolling out the update to all eligible Pixel phones worldwide.

The latest Android update brings several new features including improvements in user privacy, performance boost, power usage efficiency, and more tools to enhance the photography experience on Pixel phones.

Audio Magic eraser which was exclusively launched with Pixel 9 (review), is now coming older devices - Pixel 8. With these new editing capabilities, users can turn specific sounds up or down, and separate voices to independently change the volumes, making the audio in the videos crystal clear.

In addition, Android 15 brings an underwater photography feature. Users can take their Pixel phones with water-proof cases to capture photos or record videos during snorkelling or swimming.

Android 15 update brings underwater photography (left), Magic Audio Eraser (centre) and easy access to Astrophotography mode (left) to Pixel phones.

The underwater photography feature ensures the colours look richer and more accurate. For now, this feature will be available for Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL.

Android 15 also brings an Astrophotography option within Night Sight mode. Earlier, the former used to be placed deep inside the camera app settings. This used to discourage people to not to use it and most often forget it existed.

Now, with the latest update, users have to just tap the Night Sight icon and can slide to Astro, and press the shutter button. The Pixel phone will have five seconds to set the phone down facing the sky, and then start capturing beautiful pictures of the night sky.

Once update to Android 15, Pixel phone users can capture colour accurate pictures during night-time and low-light pics without a flash — right within the Instagram app.

Also for the first time, users can capture colour-accurate pictures during night-time and low-light pics without a flash — right within the Instagram app.

Android 15 will offer support for SMS/ MMS applications as well as RCS (Rich Communication Service) applications to use satellite connectivity for sending and receiving messages on select Android smartphones.

With the Android 15 update, the tap-and-pay feature via Near Field Communication (NFC) will work smoothly on phones.

Google, earlier this month, rolled out new theft protection features to Android phones, but it wasn't made available to Pixel phones. Now, the former will be getting the security feature with the latest Android 15 update.

List of Pixel phones eligible for Android 15 update:

Google Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a, Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 7a, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8, 8 Pro, 8a, Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Here's how to install Android 15 on your Pixel phone:

Step 1: Open your device's Settings app.

Step 2: Tap System and then Software Update.

Step 3: You'll find your update status. Follow any steps on the screen.

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