Unlock Instant Performance: 10 Must-Change Settings for Your Pixel Phone

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The Google Pixel 9a has quickly become a top contender in the budget smartphone market for 2025. With features usually found in high-end models, like advanced AI tools, a stunning 120Hz display, and a robust battery, it’s a strong choice for anyone looking to get the most bang for their buck. However, many of its best features aren’t activated out of the box. Let’s explore how to unlock the full potential of your Pixel 9a and make it truly yours.

1. Turn on Smooth Display

Did you know that your Pixel 9a has a gorgeous 120Hz OLED screen? It’s set to a calmer 60Hz by default, which helps save battery life but doesn’t showcase the display’s brilliance. To enjoy smoother scrolling and animations, you can easily enable Smooth Display.

Just head to: Settings > Display > Smooth Display. After enabling it, you’ll notice a significant improvement when browsing apps or scrolling through social media.

2. Customize Quick Tap

The Quick Tap feature is like having a shortcut at your fingertips. This handy tool lets you double-tap the back of your phone to perform various actions, such as launching the camera or taking a screenshot. It’s not activated by default, so you’ll need to turn it on.

Navigate to: Settings > System > Gestures > Quick Tap. Choose your preferred action, like toggling the flashlight—it’s a small touch that makes a big difference!

3. Maximize Battery Life with Adaptive Battery and Extreme Saver

While the Pixel already offers good battery life, you can enhance it with Google’s intelligent tools. Adaptive Battery learns which apps you frequently use and conserves power on the rest. Meanwhile, Extreme Battery Saver shuts down non-essential apps to stretch your power for longer.

To activate these features, go to: Settings > Battery > Battery Saver. It’s a great way to ensure your phone lasts all day.

4. Personalize the Lock Screen with At a Glance

Your lock screen can do more than just show the time—it can become your go-to information hub. With the At a Glance feature, you can quickly view flight updates, weather alerts, and calendar events without unlocking your phone.

To set this up, press and hold the home screen, select Home settings, and customize the At a Glance widget. You’ll always be in the know without extra taps.

5. Enhance Now Playing

Now Playing is a feature that identifies songs around you automatically. While it works well with a large database, it might not recognize every track. You can help it by linking it with Google Search.

Enable this by going to: Settings > Display > Lock Screen > Now Playing. Activate both "Identify songs" and "Show search button." This way, if a song doesn’t show up, you can quickly search for it.

6. Enable Home Screen App Suggestions

Your Pixel intelligently suggests apps based on your habits, location, and the time of day. To access this feature, go to: Home settings > Suggestions, and make sure to remove at least one static icon on your home screen for dynamic app recommendations.

7. Set Up Live Translate

With the Tensor chip, the Pixel can translate messages in real-time. Live Translate makes communication across languages effortless.

To enable it, go to: Settings > System > Live Translate and add your desired languages. This feature can help break down language barriers and make travel more enjoyable.

8. Adjust Lock Screen Privacy Settings

To keep your messages private, change your notification settings. By default, notifications show content on the lock screen. Navigate to: Settings > Notifications, and adjust the Sensitive notifications to “Off.” For more privacy, toggle off “Show notifications” altogether.

9. Use Caller ID and Spam ID

The Pixel offers advanced caller identification, helping you filter out spam calls and unknown numbers.

Go to: Phone app > Settings > Caller ID and Spam. Activate "See caller and spam ID" to receive alerts for potentially unwanted calls.

10. Dismiss Notifications on Multiple Devices

If you own more than one Pixel device, you can sync notifications between them. This feature helps you manage alerts seamlessly across your devices.

Simply head to: Settings > Notifications > Dismiss notifications across Pixel devices. Toggle the options on each of your devices, and you’ll avoid seeing the same notification multiple times.

Conclusion

By making these small adjustments, you can enhance the performance and usability of your Google Pixel 9a. Whether you’re a long-time user or new to the Pixel family, these settings reveal the hidden capabilities of your device, allowing you to enjoy a more personalized experience.

For more technical insights, check out ZDNet for expert reviews and analyses on the latest gadgets.

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