15 new Android 15 features to find on your Google Pixel phone

Oh, hello Android 15. How’s that for an all-around excellent October surprise?

Yes, indeedly: Google’s latest and greatest Android version is officially on its way to Pixel devices near and far this week, just over a month after Google dropped the source code in an unusually detached move.

That means if you’ve got any still-supported Pixel phone or tablet — which includes, at this point, everything from the Pixel 6 series onward — you should be able to download the fresh ‘n’ zesty software any day now, if not immediately.

You can check to see if the software is available for your device by going into the System section of your Pixel settings, then tapping “Software updates” followed by “System update.” Be sure to hit the button within that section to check for any pending update — and, if it doesn’t show up as being available yet, check back in another day or two.

Google sometimes sends Android updates like these out in waves, reaching a subset of Pixel owners each day over the course of several days to a few weeks. That way, if any unexpected issues arise, the company can catch and correct ’em before they’ve affected every Pixel owner in the world. But the update should be available for you very soon, if it isn’t already.

And once that happens, my goodness, are you in for some splendid new treats.

Here are 15 new Android 15 Pixel features that are all too easy to overlook but well worth your while to find. Check ’em out for yourself — then come check out my completely free Pixel Academy e-course to discover even more advanced intelligence lurking within your favorite Googley gizmo.

Android 15 Pixel feature #1: A private space

The highest-profile Android 15 addition on its way to Pixels is something Google’s calling Private Space. In short, it’s a way to hide sensitive apps or apps with especially important info out of sight completely — so any average person who gets their paws on your device couldn’t even see that they’re installed, let alone get at any info within ’em.

Once hidden, any apps placed into the new Private Space on your Pixel won’t show up in your app drawer, recent apps view, notifications, or even settings, and they’ll always require authentication — a pattern, PIN, password, or biometric verification — to be opened.

Any apps you add into a Private Space in Android 15 show up in a special secured — and optionally hidden — area of your Pixel app drawer.JR Raphael, IDG