Google has started rolling out a new feature for Android devices. Known as “Contextual suggestions”, these use your device’s onboard AI to analyze your behavior and suggest actions at the time you’ll need them.
It’s clear this is inching closer to a goal that Google has been aiming for, as this new feature is definitely reminiscent of the Magic Cue feature that does something similar.
Your device will predict what you do before you do it
Currently rolling out to Pixel 10 phones, Contextual Suggestions is turned on by default, and aims to make your life easier. Once it’s installed, it’ll start collecting data about your phone usage, what you use, when, and where. Once it has enough data, your device’s AI will then start using that data to suggest actions when it thinks they’ll be useful.
Confused? It’s simpler than it sounds. Google provides two examples of how it might trigger.
“Your music app might suggest a playlist at the gym that you often listen to during your evening workout”, and “if you often cast sports games to your living room TV on Saturdays, your device can suggest casting at the right time.”
The aim here is to assist those little habits we all have, turning on the right option at the right time, and making your life slightly easier. How well it works remains to be seen, as Google’s predictive AI has been a little wonky in the past.
As mentioned, the setting is turned by default. All the data it gathers is kept on an encrypted space on your phone, and the information within is not shared with anyone else or Google unless you expressly allow it to be.
Still, you might be worried about the data being gathered, and upset that it’s on by default. If you want to turn it off, you can do so by heading to Settings > [your name], and then scrolling down to find Contextual suggestions. In here you can turn the feature off entirely, and head into Manage your data to delete all the stored data.
At the moment, this feature is exclusive to the Pixel 10 range, including the Pixel 10a. It’s not currently available on older Pixel phones, or on devices running the latest Android 17 beta.
We expect it will expand to other devices eventually, but for the moment, Google has yet to officially announce the feature.
9/10
- SoC
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Google Tensor G5
- Display type
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Actua display
- Display dimensions
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6.3 inches
- Display resolution
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20:9
