November Pixel Feature Drop Leaks

Many of us have been testing Android 16 QPR2 beta builds since August, expecting them to go stable within the next several weeks, likely as a Pixel Feature Drop with new goodies to play with. In previous years, the timing for this update has meant a release in December, but according to a fresh leak this morning, we may see the update arrive in November instead.

The crew behind the Mystic Leaks Telegram channel posted up a list of features expected to drop in a November Pixel update on the 4th of the month. They included imagery and short clips as well, giving this leak a bit of added weight.

According to a build they must have running on their own devices, Google will introduce Theme Packs, animations in Pixel Studio, and Pixel VIP Notifications.

According to the screenshots above, the first Theme Pack for Pixel phones will be called “Wicked: For Good” and it can be found within the Wallpaper & Style settings area. This Theme Pack is indeed from the Wicked movies, so the thought here is that Google could continue introducing theme packs with partners or in themes they choose. When applying a Theme Pack, you’ll see changes to your wallpaper, icons, GIFs, and sounds. It looks like it’ll update system colors too.

The next feature happens in Pixel Studio, where you can “easily transform any image or Pixel Studio creation into a GIF or animated sticker.” All you’ll do is create something in Pixel Studio and then tap an “Animate image” button to see the magic happen.

Finally, the Pixel VIP feature that was introduced in June will allow you to set them as a higher priority level for notifications. This may be currently limited to conversations in Google Messages and WhatsApp, but it’s at least something.

Here’s to hoping there’s more than just these three things. I guess we’ll find out next week.