You might be sick of hearing about all the AI features loaded on your phone. But if you have a Pixel 10, there’s one key capability that may be worth tapping into.

Magic Cue is one of Google’s latest AI flexes. It can surface information related to what’s on your phone’s screen, so you don’t have to dig for it yourself. For example, if you’re calling your airline, Magic Cue will automatically show your upcoming flight information on the call screen. Or if your friend texts to ask about what time dinner is, those details will appear within Messages without you having to look for them. 

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The Pixel 10 series is loaded with other impressive AI features, like a Voice Translate feature that can mimic the sound of a caller’s voice while translating what they’re saying. AI can also sharpen your zoomed-in photos and help you take better pictures with Camera Coach. And Circle to Search remains one of my favorite mobile tools. But Magic Cue is one of the few capabilities that succinctly delivers on the promise of AI to simplify tasks and act as a helpful mobile assistant. 

Like many AI features, Magic Cue can be hit-or-miss, and in many ways it’s still finding its footing. But it stands out as one of the more practical and helpful AI features you can use on the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL and 10 Pro Fold.  

Which devices can use Magic Cue?

Only Google Pixel 10 phones can tap into Magic Cue. It’s powered by the Google Tensor G5 chip and the latest version of the Gemini Nano AI model. So if you have an older Pixel phone or a different Android phone, this won’t be available to you.

How to use Magic Cue

To use Magic Cue, you’ll first need to allow access to the capability in your Pixel 10’s settings. 

When you open Settings, you’ll see Magic Cue listed near the bottom. Tap that and hit the toggles to allow suggestions and information to pop up based on what’s on your screen. 

You’ll also see an option to choose which specific apps you want Magic Cue to pull data from, like Gmail, Messages and Calendar. That way if you have a flight reservation in your email or a dinner blocked off in your calendar, Magic Cue can surface that information when it relates to a conversation on your screen. Google’s support page for Magic Cue also notes that suggestions can show up on «select third-party messaging apps,» though I personally haven’t seen it appear in WhatsApp just yet, for example.  

Within Magic Cue’s settings, you’ll also see whether an update is needed for the feature to work properly. Under the Magic Cue updates tab, it should say «Up to date.»

You’ll be able to use Magic Cue 24 hours after you set it up on your Pixel 10. It may take some time for it to process data across your apps and show relevant suggestions, but it’ll get better at providing information and actions as you continue to use your phone.

Magic Cue processes everything on-device, so you shouldn’t worry about your personal information being compromised.

How Magic Cue works

Once Magic Cue is enabled, it’ll suggest actions and surface information related to what you’re doing on your Pixel. 

For instance, if you’re calling an airline, your flight details, including departure and arrival time and confirmation number, will appear on the call screen. That way, when a customer service agent asks for those details, you’ll have them readily available.

Similarly, if a friend texts to ask when your flight lands, those details will pop up automatically within Messages, and you can just tap to send. Or if someone asks where you’re having dinner tonight, Magic Cue can find that information from your calendar so you don’t have to drop it in yourself. 

Magic Cue also works with Google Photos, so if someone asks for a picture of someone or something, you can tap the Share Photos button that pops up in Messages and select which suggested image is the right fit. 

In my experience, Magic Cue has been helpful but not perfect. It does a good job of showing flight or reservation information from my email or calendar. But there are also times it’ll just say «View calendar» when someone asks what time something is happening. In those instances, Magic Cue isn’t really saving me any time or effort, since I can easily swipe to my calendar myself. But I have hope it’ll get better with time and more consistently feel like a magic trick.