Google's 'Pixie' Assistant Evolution: From Pixel 9 Rumor to Pixel 10's Potential 'Pixel Sense'

Pixel 9's rumored 'Pixie' assistant became something else entirely

Earlier this month, Android Authority reported that Google is working on Pixel Sense for the Pixel 10. Pixel Sense is a new version of the rumored Pixie assistant that was meant to launch with the Pixel 9. If you've been wondering what happened to the original Pixie project, a new report sheds some light on what happened to the AI tool. Back in December 2023, news broke of a new AI assistant that was in the works over at Google. This digital assistant was called "Pixie" and it was being designed as a Pixel-exclusive feature. It was reported that Pixie would be capable of doing everything Google Assistant can do, while also having some new tricks that Assistant can't perform thanks to Gemini Nano. However, Pixie ended up never making its public debut and it was unclear why.

We might finally know what happened to the Pixel 9's missing 'Pixie' assistant

Summary Google was rumored to launch a new 'Pixie' assistant alongside the Pixel 9, but it never shipped. 'Pixie' may have been split into Pixel Screenshots and other Gemini features through extensions. The Pixel 10's rumored Pixel Sense is likely a continuation of this strategy, aligning with Google's focus on Gemini While the Pixel 9a continues to survive in a delayed state of limbo, we've got our attention turned towards what Google has planned for Pixel 10. A TSMC-manufactured upgrade to Tensor G5 seems like a given, as is Android 16 and plenty of AI tools. We've heard about "Pixel Sense," which, on paper, seemed pretty similar to "Pixie," a rumored Pixel-exclusive AI assistant initially planned to launch with the Pixel 9. Now, with some fresh context, it feels like we're finally getting a broader picture on what happened with Google's missing Pixie, and what it could mean for the Pixel 10. The folks at 9to5Google have drawn some previously unknown details surrounding Pixie out of a report from The Information first published last month. Pixie originally leaked back in December of 2023, eight months before the Pixel 9's eventual launch. Pixie would've outshined Assistant -- remember, this is a pre-Gemini landscape -- while relying on its Gemini Nano LLC to power a more personalized AI experience. But after months of leaks and rumors, the Pixel 9 series arrived without any sight or sign of what Pixie had become. That report from The Information fills in a few of the blanks. Pixie, unsurprisingly, was seen as an internal competitor for Gemini, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai personally ordered a change in direction to avoid that conflict. Pixie didn't die, as some might have assumed last summer. Rather, Google split the app into two user-facing tools: Pixel Screenshots and a collection of "features" for Gemini. Abner Li at 9to5Google points to Gemini's Utilities extension as what might have come from that latter change. Related The Pixel 9 puts my screenshots in too many places Screenshots and Photos and Files, oh my Posts 1 Google didn't keep its 'Pixie' around, but that might be good in the long run Fewer, more powerful features If you're scratching your head and wondering how a tool as impressive on paper as Pixie became something of a Pixel afterthought, well, you aren't alone. The Information's reporting specifically says that neither product -- Screenshots or Gemini's amped-up toolset -- were particularly close to what was initially envisioned for Pixie. I think that's fairly obvious for anyone who picks up a Pixel 9, but it's still telling that last year's Google flagship could've been an even larger jump into the AI era than it ended up being. So, what should we make of Pixel Sense? While some might see this as the obvious evolution of whatever Pixie was meant to become, I think the company's continued all-in push for Gemini means there's no way a Pixel-exclusive dedicated assistant could ever exist. Frankly, I think that's probably the right move -- how many times has Google been made fun of for its penchant for duplicating apps? All of the examples we've seen leak for Pixel Sense sound like advancements on what Google already started on Gemini with Utilities. That could pretty naturally lead to whatever this tool is building on that structure when the Pixel 10 launches later this year.

Report: 'Pixie' was a canceled Pixel assistant that became Pixel Screenshots, more

Ahead of the Pixel 9, Google was rumored to be working on a "Pixie" assistant. That never launched, but a recent report reveals what happened. In a December 2023 report about Google's broader AI efforts, The Information revealed the existence of "Pixie" as an "AI assistant" that aims to perform "complex and multimodal tasks, such as suggesting directions to the closest store where someone can buy a product they have photographed." It would be powered by Gemini and use Gmail, Maps, and other "data from Google products" on your Pixel. A February 2025 article from The Information provides more information about what Pixie was. This report calls it an "AI agent" that "could complete tasks across different apps." However, the original vision for Pixie was "scaled back to avoid competing with Gemini": ...after a leadership review, employees working on the product were told Pichai had ordered a change of direction to ensure the new product didn't compete with the Gemini assistant, which operates across all of Google's Android devices, according to a person with direct knowledge of the instructions. Instead, Pixie was "split in two" to become the Pixel Screenshots app we have today and "features for the Gemini assistant." The latter could be referring to how Gemini's Utilities Extension/App can be used to search Pixel Screenshots. Neither product offers as many useful functions as what was initially envisioned for the Pixel assistant, according to the person. Notably, the package name for Pixel Screenshots is: com.google.android.apps.pixel.agent. Besides having a better idea of what Pixie is, this new information is relevant in the context of this month's "Pixel Sense" rumor. Looking at that again in the context of Google presumably still not wanting a second product that competes with Gemini, Pixel Sense does not seem to be a smart assistant in the traditional sense. Pixel Sense looks to provide assistance -- in the form of "predictive suggestions" and "notes to [suggest] personal data like places, products, and names, right when you need them," according to leaked screenshots -- but it's not another assistant that you speak commands to. There are clearly assistive and proactive elements of Pixie in Pixel Sense, but not a whole smart assistant UI that you use instead of Gemini.

Pixel 10 could include a repurposed 'Pixie' assistant -- but what actually happened?

Google's Pixie assistant could still happen -- but in a slightly different form Back in 2023 we heard rumors of a new Pixel-exclusive AI assistant from Google, dubbed Pixie at the time. This didn't appear on Pixel 9, as speculated, but a report earlier month suggested that Pixie could be repacked for Pixel 10. Now, a report from 9to5Google, could shed more light on what's been going on. According to a report from The Information, Pixie was supposed to be an AI Agent that was able to "complete tasks across different apps". Sadly, though, the software was inevitably scaled back to stop it from competing with Google's flagship AI, Gemini. That directive apparently came straight from Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and this meant Pixie was essentially split in half. The first half is the AI-powered Pixel Screenshots app, and the other a generic "features for the Gemini assistant." However, it goes without saying that none of these things are close to what was originally rumored for Pixie. This could be the reason why the idea may be getting repurposed as "Pixel Sense" on Pixel 10. Knowing the reasons why Pixie failed to materialize is important because it means the rumored "Pixel Sense" feature isn't just going to be a repackaged version of the exact same AI. Instead, Google is likely to be offering something AI-related for Pixel owners without necessarily getting in the way of what the cross-device Gemini can do. Leaks suggest Pixel Sense is a feature that can offer assistance and "predictive suggestions." But it seemingly isn't something you can speak to, or give commands. Instead, it sounds more like Samsung Galaxy S25's Now Brief, which learns from your behavior and interests to offer personalized notifications and recommendations throughout the day. This will apparently involve grabbing data from different apps, including the likes of Chrome, Calendar, Maps, Screenshots, YouTube, and so on. All the Google-made apps, essentially, though this won't discount the possibility of new apps linking in with Pixel Sense at some point in the future. There's also been some mention of an app called Aurelius, though it isn't clear what this new app might offer. Here's hoping that we find out more at Google I/O, which is happening in late May. In the meantime, you can read all the latest news and rumors about Google's upcoming phone in our Google Pixel 10 hub.