Google has quietly launched a new display technology with the Pixel 9 series

A screen that’s easier to use

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You’ll see from our fullGoogle Pixel 9 reviewthat we’re mostly very impressed withGoogle’s flagship phone, but we’re still discovering new features that the handset has to offer – including Adaptive Touch technology on the display.

As spotted byAndroid Authority, if you dive into the Display section of Settings, there’s a new adaptive touch entry in the Touch sensitivity menu. When the feature is enabled, the touchscreen sensitivity “will automatically adjust to your environment, activities and screen protector” according to the official blurb.

And that pretty much sums it up: Adaptive Touch makes it easier to use the display if you’ve got wet fingers, or if there’s a screen protector on top, or if you’re wearing gloves for example. It looks like the feature is enabled by default on the Pixel 9, thePixel 9 Pro, and thePixel 9 Pro XL.

All the wayback in Marchthere was a rumor that Adaptive Touch was on the way for the Pixel 9 handsets, because of code hidden away in a beta version of Android 14. Now it appears that the code is live and enabled.

More to follow

Google hasn’t said anything officially about Adaptive Touch, but that’s perhaps not surprising: it had an awful lot of information to pack into itsMade by Google 2024 eventa couple of weeks ago, where the Pixel 9 range was unveiled.

It would seem that the feature requires hardware support of some kind, as there’s no sign of Adaptive Touch on the olderGoogle Pixel 8phones. If this is something you think you’re going to find useful, then you’ll have to consider upgrading to the 2024 phones – the Pixel 9 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,349.

This isn’t the first discovery of an unannounced feature on these devices either. We previously noticed that the Pixel 9 phones haveimproved the upgrade process(something Google hasnow commented on), and the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold also comes with an important upgradein terms of hardware security.

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While these improvements weren’t announced formally at the Pixel 9 launch, they add to the appeal of the phones – and of course Google has spent plenty of time talking about other new features,including a bunch of AI tricks.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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