January 2024 Pixel Feature Drop lands for Google Pixel 5a and Pixel 6 smartphones onwards with changes for Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 smartwatches too

Google has delivered its first Pixel Feature Drop of 2024. Appearing alongside the company's 'Minty Fresh' Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro (curr. $999.99 on Amazon) refresh, the January 2024 Pixel Feature Drop arrives somewhat out of alignment with Google's typical update schedule. On the one hand, Pixel Feature Drops tend to occur by the middle of the month. On the other hand, Google tends to avoid issuing Pixel Feature Drops monthly.

By contrast, the January 2024 Pixel Feature Drop follows on from its December 2023 counterpart and a week before the start of February. In a blog post, Google highlights six major changes, including Circle to Search and body temperature monitoring using the Pixel 8 Pro's temperature sensor. However, Google will wait until January 31 before enabling Circle to Search, which it will limit to the 'Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and other compatible non-Pixel devices'.

Additionally, the company's generative AI technology has made its way into Google Messages through Magic Compose. Mirroring Samsung's Chat Assist, Magic Compose allows you to rewrite a drafted message in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian or Korean on a Pixel 6 or newer. Moreover, the January 2024 Pixel Feature Drop enables Photomoji reactions within Google Messages; previously, it was only possible to send Photomojis.

Furthermore, Pixel owners will soon a new Quick Share icon with an updated sharing menu. Please note that Google had already announced this change though, which it acknowledges in its blog post. Finally, Audio Switch functionality has been ported to the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2, which Google describes as follows:

Pixel Buds Pro automatically connect when you move between paired devices — so there's no need to switch them manually. Now, you can switch your Pixel Buds Pro from your Pixel Watch to any number of Pixel 5a and newer phones or Pixel Tablet, and get helpful notifications about where your audio is switching to. That makes your switching experience even smoother and allows you to seamlessly transition between devices and activities