Android's latest AI feature can guess what you'll do next
What's the story
Google is rolling out a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature called "contextual suggestions" for Android users. The innovative tool learns from user habits and offers timely recommendations based on location and activity. For instance, it can suggest your favorite playlist when you reach the gym for a workout session. The feature was earlier available in the Play Services beta but has now been extended to stable channel users.
Feature insight
Understanding contextual suggestions feature
The contextual suggestions feature first debuted with the Pixel 10 series running Android 16. It uses AI to analyze device activity and location data, predicting what might be useful at a given time. These recommendations aim to make everyday smartphone use more intuitive and personalized. The feature is currently available on Pixel 10 and Pixel 10a devices with Android 16 and Google Play services version 26.18, but not on older models or Android 17 Beta releases yet.
Data security
Suggestions are based on device data, not shared externally
Google has assured users that contextual suggestions work in an encrypted space on their device. The data is not shared with apps or Google unless the user gives explicit permission. While apps can act on predictions to offer suggestions, they can't access the underlying data. Users have full control over this feature and can disable location tracking for suggestions, delete stored data anytime, or manage preferences under Settings > [Your name] > All services > Other > Contextual suggestions.
User control
How to manage contextual suggestions
To manage contextual suggestions, users need to open the Settings app on their Android device. From there, they can navigate through various options such as Apps, All apps, Google Play services, All services and Developer features to find Contextual Suggestions. Here, they can turn the feature on or off and manage data used for suggestions. If location data is not required for recommendations, users can disable Use device location option here.