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Google’s March Pixel Drop Adds Live Location Sharing in Messages, AI Outfit Try-Ons

Google’s March Pixel Drop upgrades Circle to Search, expands Gemini features and introduces live location sharing across Android devices.

Google is rolling out a fresh batch of Android features alongside its latest Pixel Drop, bringing real-time location sharing to Google Messages, AI-powered shopping tools and new safety updates to Pixel phones and watches.

This update, like previous ones, continues Google’s steady push to bake Gemini deeper into Android, following recent additions like Circle to Search, Magic Compose in Messages and expanded AI-powered editing tools in Google Photos. 

Now Google is combining its messaging, search, wearables and safety features into a broader ecosystem update that touches nearly every part of the Pixel lineup.

With Tuesday’s announcement, Google is introducing new Android-wide features — from app discovery in Google Play to kid-friendly games in cars — while also delivering a sizable March Pixel Drop with upgrades to Circle to Search, At a Glance and Pixel Watch safety tools.

Here’s everything that’s new.

Android updates: Live location sharing, lost luggage and more

Real-time location sharing in Google Messages

Google is adding live location sharing directly inside Google Messages, powered by its Find Hub network. Instead of switching between apps, you can now share your real-time location within a conversation and view each other on a live map, similar to features long available in other messaging platforms, but now fully integrated into Google’s default Android messaging app. Location sharing can run for a set duration or be stopped at any time, giving you control over when and how long they’re visible.

Lost luggage sharing with airlines

Google is also expanding Find Hub with a new “share item location” feature designed for lost luggage.

If you’ve attached a compatible tracker tag to your suitcase, you can now generate a secure, expiring link directly in the Find Hub app and share it with participating airlines, such as Lufthansa Group airlines, Turkish Airlines and Air India, with additional partners rolling out soon.

Google says location data is encrypted, sharing can be revoked at any time, and links automatically expire after seven days. The company has also integrated the feature into industry-standard baggage systems such as WorldTracer and NetTracer, which are used by hundreds of airlines worldwide, potentially giving the tool broader reach.

Google Play Shorts

Discovering apps on Google Play is getting a TikTok-style twist. Google Play Shorts introduces a vertical feed of short-form videos created by app developers. Instead of relying on screenshots and descriptions, you can now scroll through quick clips that show how an app works, without resorting to YouTube videos.

Calling Card in Phone by Google

The Phone by Google app is adding a customizable “Calling Card” feature. You can choose a photo, font and color theme that appears when you call friends, effectively personalizing their caller ID. Cards can be shared broadly or limited to saved contacts and edited or removed at any time.

Teacher-approved games on Android Auto

When parked, Android Auto will now offer a lineup of teacher-approved, kid-friendly games designed for ages 3 to 12. Titles range from educational writing apps to Disney and Marvel-themed games, giving families something to do while waiting in the car.

New Emoji Kitchen sticker combos

New Emoji Kitchen combinations are rolling out in Gboard, letting you mash up emoji into sticker-style graphics to share across apps.

March Pixel Drop: AI shopping, smarter widgets and deeper Gemini integration

Alongside the broader Android updates, Google’s March Pixel Drop brings a wave of new features to Pixel phones, many of them centered on AI-powered search, personalization and productivity.

Circle to Search gets fashion-focused upgrades

Google is expanding Circle to Search with two new tools aimed at shopping and visual discovery.

Find the Look can now break down an entire outfit in an image, identifying individual clothing items so you can search for each piece separately. Meanwhile, Try It On lets you preview how clothing might look on you after circling an item in a photo, video or even an image received in Messages.

The features are rolling out to the Pixel 10 lineup, including the Pixel 10 Pro models and Pixel 10a.

Gemini gets more proactive

Google is also deepening Gemini’s role across Pixel devices.

With Magic Cue, Gemini can proactively suggest restaurant searches when it detects relevant context in a conversation, making tailored recommendations without forcing you to leave the chat. On newer Pixel 10 devices, you can also offload certain tasks to Gemini, like booking services or placing routine orders, across supported apps.

Call Notes is expanding to India, using on-device Gemini Nano to transcribe calls, summarize conversations and suggest follow-up actions. Notification summaries are also expanding to Japanese on supported devices.

At a Glance becomes more dynamic

The At a Glance widget is getting several practical upgrades:

  • My Commute adds real-time transit departures, delays and alternate routes directly to the home and lock screen.
  • Sports scores now show live updates for the teams you follow.
  • Finance updates provide end-of-day summaries from top movers in a Google Finance watchlist.

Personalization and accessibility updates

Pixel users are also getting new customization tools, including AI-generated custom app icons that apply a consistent visual style across the home screen.

Other additions include:

  • Expanded Scam Detection in Phone by Google to additional countries, using on-device AI to analyze calls in real time.
  • A refined Comfort View display mode designed to reduce visual overstimulation.
  • Expanded language support for Guided Frame, the AI-powered camera feature that assists blind and low-vision users by describing scenes in real time.
  • New connected camera support, including external DSLR compatibility via USB-C on supported models.

Google is also introducing a desktop-style experience on supported Pixel phones, allowing you to connect to an external monitor via USB-C for a multiwindow interface when paired with a mouse and keyboard.

Pixel Watch updates

Pixel Watch devices are also getting updates in this drop, including expanded one-handed gesture controls on Pixel Watch 3, left-behind phone reminders and automatic phone locking when the watch moves out of range. Google is also expanding Satellite SOS to more regions, including parts of Europe and Canada, and adding standalone earthquake alerts to supported watches to provide earlier warnings in affected areas.

Technologies

Iranian President Pezeshkian to head to New York for UN meeting as Trump warns of no-deal consequences

Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s economy or eliminate its leadership if Tehran doesn’t strike a deal, complicating efforts at diplomacy.

President Masoud Pezeshkian will lead an Iranian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, amid renewed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the Middle East conflict.

Pezeshkian will address the assembly and present Iran’s positions on “international developments,” according to the country’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, with a particular focus on its war with the U.S. and Israel.

He will also hold talks with the leaders of several countries on the sidelines of the event, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 22 to 26, and 28.

The Iranian delegation’s attendance at the UN has renewed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the war, lifting market sentiment on Monday, with stocks rising, oil prices easing and global bond yields falling sharply.

But U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he would be open to meeting Pezeshkian during the assembly, has threatened to destroy Iran’s economy or eliminate its leadership if Tehran doesn’t strike a deal.

Trump told Fox News on Sunday that the only options on the table were “wiping Iran out,” or letting its economy “rot,” unless both sides reach a deal.

Separately, Iran’s military said that its intelligence suggested a new, large-scale strike being prepared by the U.S. and its allies, warning of “painful” retaliation across the Middle East. Regional countries backing such a strike would be treated as parties to the conflict, it said.

“If the U.S. makes any mistake against the Islamic Republic of Iran, all its positions and interests in the region will be targeted by sustained, effective and painful attacks,” the Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters of Iran said, according to Tasnim.

Houthi-Saudi conflict complicates diplomacy hopes

The U.S. State Department this weekend issued a security alert citing risks of unforeseen escalation in the Middle East, telling Americans to exercise more vigilance and be aware of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures.

The warnings came after Iran-backed Houthi militants claimed missile and drone attacks on Riyadh on Saturday, triggering the first air-raid alert in the Saudi capital since fighting escalated in July.

Saudi authorities said they intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and reported no casualties or damage. The Houthis also attempted to target civilians and infrastructure in several parts of the kingdom, Saudi-led coalition forces spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki said on X on Saturday, though those attacks were thwarted by the country’s air defenses.

Oil prices have pulled back in recent days despite widening hostilities, as traders hope for a recovery in energy shipments from oil-rich Saudi Arabia.

Oil prices will remain high despite U.S. progress in moving oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a team of analysts at Eurasia Group said in a Saturday note. Any rebound in oil flows would not be enough to address the overall market deficit, they said, forecasting Brent prices to trade in a higher band of $90-110 per barrel through the rest of this year.

“Iran’s leadership will stick with resistance, even as they quarrel internally,” according to the consultancy firm, as Tehran seeks to use military proxies and tanker attacks to keep a chokehold on shipping flows, to pressure Washington into concessions.

Tehran has insisted that it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until Washington fulfills its commitment under the June memorandum, which called for lifting the naval blockade of Iranian ports, easing sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets and ending U.S. military threats.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Sunday that Iran must keep on fighting and negotiating, to push back its enemies, and only work on diplomacy when it has the upper hand on the battlefield.

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Technologies

U.S. crude oil drops below $100 a barrel as Trump signals willingness to negotiate with Iran

U.S. crude oil prices slipped back below $100 a barrel after President Trump signaled openness to talks with Iran and halted plans to bomb Yemen, while Middle East supply flows remained robust despite pipeline disruptions.

Crude oil prices declined for the fourth straight session on Monday after President Donald Trump reportedly decided against bombing Yemen for the time being and indicated he was open to diplomatic engagement with Iran.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures fell 2.7% to $97.59 per barrel by 7:48 a.m. ET, while Brent crude, the global benchmark, slipped 2.8% to $101 a barrel. The market has risen more than 11% so far this month.

Trump told Fox News he would likely be receptive to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the United Nations General Assembly later this week.

According to The New York Times, the president has decided not to target the Iran‑aligned Houthi militants for now, despite requests from Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, crude shipments from the Middle East appear resilient after Saudi Arabia shut down its East‑West pipeline following attacks. JPMorgan analysts noted in a September 18 report that oil flows from the region remain surprisingly strong, averaging 17.1 million barrels per day over the past 10 days—about 6.1 million bpd below the 2025 average.

Potential supply disruptions persist. Trump told Fox that he is in a “deciding mode” and that “very big things” are expected soon regarding the U.S.–Iran conflict.

Prices are likely to stay closely linked to the pace of export normalization and diplomatic progress, said Daniel Takieddine, co‑founder and CEO of Sky Links Capital Group.

Any setback or renewed deterioration in shipping conditions would tighten the physical market and restore upward pressure on prices, Takieddine added.

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Technologies

White House TV press pool won’t cover Trump after CNN ban

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Politics & Policy
White House TV press pool won’t cover Trump after CNN ban
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Politics & Policy

White House TV press pool won’t cover Trump after CNN ban

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