With the Pixel 10 Pro, my love-hate relationship with Pixel UI continues

I have been using the Google Pixel 10 Pro for a few weeks now, and this is the first time since my Pixel 3 that I’ve enjoyed using a Google phone so much. I like the in-hand feel, Magic Cue seems great when it pops up, and themed icons are finally uniform. Plus, the Google Pixel 10 Pro looks fantastic in Moonstone.

However, some things continue to bother me more than expected. Like, why does my Pixel not use the telephoto camera for portraits? Why can’t I remove the Search bar from the bottom of my home screen, and why is the search in Settings as bad as it is?

There are a few things that I love too, and only Pixel can offer that experience. But overall, it continues to feel more rigid than Samsung’s One UI and the Nothing OS. Here’s how my love-hate relationship with Pixel UI continues after using the new Google Pixel 10 Pro.

I like Pixel UI for the most part, and it is only getting better with contextual AI features like Magic Cue. Here are some of the features that I really appreciate.

Material 3 Expressive gets more impressive

Material Design gave Android a new look in 2014, while Material You made it more lively overall. But it wasn’t till Material 3 Expressive on the Pixel 10 series that my home screen finally started looking uniform and the Pixel felt more fluid. “M3 Expressive is our most researched update to the design system since its launch in 2014,” says Google, and I agree.

This is the first time all icons and elements on my home screen (and throughout the UI) apply the desired customizations. The new UI also makes my Pixel 10 Pro feel more responsive. It adds an extra polish and slight playfulness to the user interface, which plays well with the quirky Pixel UI. Using the new Google phone feels like a more complete and thought-out experience this time around.

Contextual AI is nice to have

AI by itself isn’t as useful on phones as contextual AI. I first noticed it on my OnePlus 13s, where I loved having pop-ups for AI features that the phone thought might be useful based on the screen I was on. No swipe from the sidebar or going to another screen to enable something; tap on a pop-up and it works! I found a similarly useful use case on the new Google phone.

While using WhatsApp, my Pixel 10 Pro suggests Translate to English whenever it detects another language. It isn’t accurate 100% of the time, but this is a handy feature for when I have to text someone who isn’t very good with English and texts in their native language. Similarly, I’ve found Magic Cue suggestions to be useful (when they pull the right information).

I didn’t know I needed this until I started using it. With the latest version of Pixel UI, Google added the ability to take a screenshot or select text right from the overview screen. Swipe up and hold, slide to the app you need information from, and you can access it without needing to enter the app. You get two options: Screenshot and Select, which makes the required task quicker.

I’ve been using this feature a lot. Whether it be copying information from a WhatsApp text and Googling it or saving something from an email to Google Keep, everything is quicker with one tap less. I didn’t know I’d use and enjoy it as much as I do.

At a Glance remains unbeaten

I want every Android manufacturer to copy this feature. It isn’t a new addition or exclusive to the Pixel 10 series. And I’m not talking just about the At a Glance widget, but glanceable information on the lock screen.

From weather information to pulling details from the Calendar, it displays the important stuff right on the lock screen. I don’t need to unlock my phone to check glanceable information. I’m excited for the new layout, which is supposed to be released soon.

Apart from all the nice stuff, there are a couple of things that I dislike about Pixel UI. And there are also a few I just can’t wrap my head around.

Quick Settings toggle is not so quick

Pull down the Quick Settings panel and tap on Wi-Fi or Data to toggle them on or off. That’s how quick-setting toggles are supposed to work, right? Not on Pixel UI. It bundles Wi-Fi and Data in a single tile called Internet and adds an extra step in this process.

On Pixel UI, you need to pull down the Quick Settings panel, tap on Internet, and a new pop-up menu appears that lets you toggle Wi-Fi and Data. This might not seem like a big deal, but it is bothersome for me, especially when I’m traveling. While on the go, there are times when I need to switch off Wi-Fi to jump to mobile data (for banking apps), and that added step makes the process inconvenient. It adds up when I need to do those things frequently.

I don’t want pop-up notifications on my phone because I get distracted easily. I don’t want to see a random message pop up on my screen when I am reading through an email or browsing online. This is the first setting I turn off on every phone.

Oppo and OnePlus’ ColorOS offer a blanket setting for all apps but on a Pixel, you need to turn it off for every single app. I’m fine with per-app notification controls but Pixel UI needs to make it more searchable. As of now, if you search for  “pop,” “pop-up” or “popup” in the Settings menu, it won’t give you the desired results.

It should be easier to go to such settings and much more convenient to be able to search for them from inside the Settings app. I’d imagine a phone with AI capabilities like the Pixel 10 Pro to get this basic stuff right, but it doesn’t.

Pixel UI is still rigid

Despite the Material 3 Expressive makeover and new features, Pixel UI continues to feel more rigid, as compared to the competition.

For instance, Samsung lets me customize the transparency of widgets on One UI, but Pixel UI only gives me Semi-Transparent, Transparent, and Solid options to choose from. This is also limited to just a few widgets. Having One UI-like ability to customize widget transparency helps me design my home screen better to my liking.

Secondly, Google hasn’t updated the design and functionality of some of its widgets in a while. I love Nothing’s take on widgets, which lets me add more useful things. Like, I can add a Settings widget and select QR code scanner to scan and pay with one tap. By contrast, Google severely limits what one-tap settings you can access through its widgets.

While I’m talking about rigidity, the omnipresence of a Search bar at the bottom of my home screen isn’t something I’m fond of. It has always been like that and I wish it’d change, but this is part of the “Pixel experience,” I guess.

These are some of the things that hinder my otherwise enjoyable Pixel experience. I hope Google makes Pixel UI more customizable, but for now, I’ll focus on the positives with my Pixel 10 Pro and continue using it for its contextual AI and gorgeous design.