Google’s Pixel 10 sequence of smartphones has formally arrived on retailer cabinets, and every gadget within the lineup is shaping as much as be a solid-if-iterative improve over its direct predecessor. Whereas I have not gotten the possibility to play with the Professional, Professional XL, and Professional Fold fashions fairly but, I have been fortunately poking and prodding on the base Pixel 10’s display screen for the higher a part of a number of hours.
The Pixel 10 builds upon the Pixel 9 with a sooner processor, a devoted rear-facing telephoto zoom digicam, and new colorways, all whereas retaining its signature design language, intuitive consumer interface, and AI prowess.
Apparently, not each helpful characteristic is enabled by default when establishing the Pixel 10 for the primary time. Listed here are seven settings particularly that I instantly adjusted as quickly as I had completed unboxing my unit and syncing my information and consumer credentials.
- Model
-
Google
- SoC
-
Tensor G5
- Show
-
6.3-inch Actua Show 1080 x 2424 pixel decision OLED (60-120Hz)
- RAM
-
12GB
- Storage
-
128GB/256GB
- Battery
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4,970mAh
Google’s Pixel 10 options the tech big’s new Tensor G5 chip and a three-camera setup for the primary time that features a 10.8-megapixel telephoto digicam.
1
Activate Easy show
The Pixel 10’s excessive refresh price is disabled out of the field
Like most high-end Android telephones in 2025 (and, in contrast to the base-level Apple iPhone 16), the Google Pixel 10 ships with a show able to refreshing at as much as a 120Hz refresh price. Google calls this functionality Easy show, and for good cause: when lively, the 120Hz show refresh makes all the system really feel extra fluid, responsive, and premium.
For one cause or one other, Google and plenty of different Android cellphone makers ship their gadgets with 120Hz disabled by default. I might extremely recommend turning the characteristic on, because it means that you can reap the true advantages of the Pixel 10’s show panel. To allow 120Hz, navigate to Settings > Show & contact > Easy show and toggle the entry on.
2
Enroll each your fingerprint and your face
The Pixel 10 provides a killer biometric authentication combo
Throughout the context of Android smartphones, the Pixel 10 bests its contemporaries within the biometric authentication class. Along with transport with a performant under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, the handset contains facial recognition that achieves a “class 3” rating. In different phrases, it is thought-about safe sufficient for use for banking apps, cell funds, and different delicate information locking, even when it would not work notably effectively in darkish environments.
For an extra layer of safety, I recommend choosing an unlock PIN with six digits versus 4 digits. This may be configured throughout the Pixel 10’s System unlock web page inside Settings > Safety & privateness.
If you happen to occurred to skip previous the biometrics part of the Pixel 10’s startup expertise, then I might extremely suggest enrolling each your fingerprint and your face. In truth, I might recommend enrolling each thumbs as separate fingerprints, to make sure handy entry into your cellphone no matter which hand you are holding it in at any given second. To take action, navigate to Settings > Safety & privateness > System unlock > Arrange Fingerprint & Face Unlock.
3
Activate charging optimization
Shield the long-term well being of your Pixel 10’s battery pack
To finest defend the long-term well being of any smartphone, it is advisable to scale back chemical stress by avoiding a completely charged or totally discharged battery pack for prolonged durations of time. Fortunately, Google offers a toggle to restrict charging to eighty p.c, which sacrifices some usable battery life all through the day in trade for probably longer battery life over the dimensions of many months or years.
To allow charging optimization on the Pixel 10, observe these steps:
- Launch Settings.
- Navigate to Battery > Battery well being > Charging optimization.
- Toggle on Use charging optimization, after which choose Restrict to 80% from the out there choices on display screen.
4
Activate Adaptive vibration
A intelligent software that is value leveraging
Adaptive vibration is a great tool that deserves extra credit score than it has obtained. When enabled, it permits the Pixel to detect its surroundings (i.e. audio ranges, motion, placement on a floor), with the intention to decide the power of haptic suggestions. For instance, if you happen to’re in a loud room and your Pixel is in your pocket, the cellphone will vibrate at full blast when receiving a textual content message or cellphone name. In contrast, if you happen to’ve set your Pixel face-down on the desk, and also you’re in a library, incoming alerts will vibrate extra subtly to keep away from distraction.
To activate Adaptive vibration, observe these steps:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Navigate to Sound & vibration > Vibration & haptics > Adaptive vibration.
- From right here, toggle on Use adaptive vibration.
5
Activate spatial audio
Even when assist is restricted, you would possibly as effectively toggle it on
Spatial audio refers to a 3D sound expertise that may simulate a encompass sound impact with out the necessity for a big bodily speaker setup. When applied accurately, appropriate audio tracks can sound extra immersive with a soundscape that seems to come back from a number of instructions that dynamically modify to your motion.
With the Pixel 10, Google provides native assist for spatial audio, regardless of its considerably area of interest reputation in the mean time. By default, spatial audio is enabled for wired headphones, however disabled for the cellphone’s inner audio system. You won’t encounter loads of audio tracks which are coded with spatial audio in thoughts, however it’s value toggling on the characteristic for the sake of future-proofing your expertise. To take action, navigate to Settings > Sound & vibration > Spatial audio > Telephone audio system > toggle on.
6
Activate Superior Safety
Safeguard your new Pixel from a wide range of threats
Various highly effective safety features are optionally out there out of the field for all Pixel 10 customers, although they’re opt-in fairly than opt-out. Positioned inside Settings > Safety & privateness > Superior Safety > System safety, toggling the characteristic on will end result within the following measures being launched into the combination:
- Theft detection lock, offline gadget lock, inactivity reboot
- Google Play Shield scanning, block set up of unknown apps from unknown sources, reminiscence tagging extension for defense in opposition to reminiscence corruption
- 2G community safety for stopping entry to unsecured networks
- Android Protected Shopping reside risk safety, Chrome HTTPS website warnings whereas looking, and Javascript protections
As a disclaimer, Google notes that when gadget safety is turned on, apps will be capable to see that the characteristic is enabled, 2G networks might be blocked besides throughout emergencies, and a few web sites won’t load as anticipated. Turning on gadget safety additionally requires a reboot to take full impact.
7
Miscellaneous odds and ends
I all the time tweak these miscellaneous settings on each new Android
Along with the aforementioned settings I tweaked proper from the get-go on my Pixel 10, I additionally went forward and configured a couple of further issues to make the cellphone my very own. I make these modifications on each Android cellphone I arrange, and I promptly did so on my Pixel 10.
Listed here are a couple of of the miscellaneous settings I all the time modify every time I arrange a brand new Android cellphone or pill:
- Swap display screen timeout from 30 seconds to 1 minute, and allow adaptive timeout + display screen consideration through Settings > Show & contact > Display timeout.
- Allow scheduled (sundown to dawn) darkish theming through Settings > Show & contact > Darkish theme.
- Allow scheduled (sundown to dawn) Evening Mild filter through Settings > Show & contact > Evening Mild.
- Activate display screen saver through Settings > Show & contact > Display saver > Use display screen saver.
- Activate All the time-on Show through Settings > Show & contact > All the time-on show.
- Activate the standing bar battery share through Settings > Battery > Battery share.
- Activate One-handed mode through Settings > System > Gestures > One-handed mode.
- Enroll the cellphone in Google’s Discover Hub for straightforward gadget monitoring always through the pre-installed Discover Hub app.
