Pixel VIPs widget is here to help you stay connected to your most important people
The home screen widget displays key updates like last calls, WhatsApp messages, locations, and birthdays for up to eight chosen contacts.
VIP contacts can also bypass Do Not Disturb settings.
Google has been working on a new Pixel VIPs widget for the Google Contacts app for a while now. Last month, we got a good idea about how Pixel VIPs would work, and earlier this week, the Pixel VIPs app also appeared on the Play Store for some users. Finally, with the June Pixel Feature Drop, Pixel devices are now getting the Pixel VIPs feature.
The new Pixel VIPs widget from the Contacts app is a 4×1 home screen widget that helps you stay connected to the most important people in your life (up to eight of them).
Google suggests adding as much information as possible to their contact cards within the Contacts app, with details like birthdays, emails, home addresses, and even preferences with notes. While the press release doesn't specify what this will do, we know from our earlier coverage that this will give us a populated Google Contacts profile for those contacts, serving as a central store of various information about that person. Details like their address will help populate local weather and time information.
The widget surfaces key information from these VIPs, such as their last call and messages, including from WhatsApp, as we had spotted before. It also surfaces their location when shared and receives updates for important events like birthdays and anniversaries. Further, VIPs can also bypass Do Not Disturb settings.
The Pixel VIPs widget is available for Pixel 6 and newer devices with the June 2025 Pixel Feature Drop, so check for a pending software update. The feature's fine print notes that it supports Google Messages and WhatsApp services only. For the best experience, ensure that you are on the latest version of Google Contacts, Google Messages, and WhatsApp.
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