Missing Android 16's Pixel VIPs widget? You're not alone
TL;DR Google's new Pixel VIPs widget launched with the release of Android 16.
However, some Pixel owners report that the widget is missing.
An update to the Contacts app is likely needed before the widget becomes available.
We've known for a while that Google has been working on a Pixel VIPs widget. This widget is one of the many features included in June's Pixel Drop, which was released yesterday. Although the update is out, the Pixel VIPs widget is nowhere to be seen for some Pixel owners.
As a refresher, the Pixel VIPs widget is a Contacts app feature that allows you to put a 4×1 widget on your homescreen. You can insert up to eight of your contacts into this widget to stay connected to the most important people in your life. What makes this feature special is that it serves as a central store of various information about those people, populating details like birthday reminders, local weather, time information, and even their location if shared. VIPs can also bypass Do Not Disturb settings.
Once you update to Android 16, you should get a note from Pixel Tips explaining how the feature works. Although the explainer is there, the actual feature appears to be missing for some users. One poster on Reddit states that they updated their Pixel 9 Pro to Android 16, but can't find the widget anywhere. Another Redditor claims the same thing happened to their phone after updating to Android 16. I can also confirm that the widget is missing for my Pixel 6 Pro after the update.
It's important to keep in mind that this isn't the first time something like this has happened with Google's feature drops. Occasionally, some features that are supposed to be part of the main update show up later. For example, Video Boost was a promised feature for December's Pixel Drop, but it wasn't immediately available after the update was released.
It's very likely that the Contacts app needs an update before the widget becomes available. You'll also need to have the Pixel VIPs app. So we're really just waiting for Google to flip the switch.
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