A free app gives Google Pixel phones the tweaks Google left out

A free app called Essentials adds the kind of power user tweaks that Google Pixel phones have never offered. One writer at How-To Geek tried it after switching back to a Pixel and found it better than expected. One example: the phone can now start playing music on its own when it connects to the car.

What it is

Essentials is free and open source, which means its code is public. It is meant mainly for Pixel phones but runs on any Android phone, even a Samsung Galaxy. It is styled like a second Settings app, with sections such as Notifications and Alerts, Display, Input and Actions, Power and Battery, and Widgets. The idea mirrors Good Lock, an optional suite of tools Samsung makes for power users.

What it can do

The reviewer picked out a few favorites:

• An automation that plays the last media session when the phone joins the Bluetooth dongle in the car.
• Always on Display tweaks that show what is playing while the screen is off, only for chosen apps.
• An Island feature, similar to the iPhone's Dynamic Island, set up to copy the normal Android status bar.

The review says the car automation is not possible with the stock Pixel software, and that Google lacks automation features in general. The reviewer also hid the system bar completely after setting up the Island.

The catch

Essentials is not an official Google app, so it does not fit in as smoothly as Good Lock does on Samsung. It relies on several permissions. Some are easy, such as notification access or allowing the app to display over other apps. Others take more work, and the review notes these are also the most powerful.

The app comes from its official website and GitHub page. That means sideloading, which is installing an app from outside the usual app store. Some permissions may appear grayed out at first. The fix is in Settings, under Apps, then Essentials, then the three-dot menu, then Allow restricted settings.

Advanced features, such as hiding the status bar, need ADB commands. ADB is a developer tool for controlling a phone. A helper app called Shizuku-Next, a more frequently updated version of Shizuku, handles this from the phone itself. Essentials supplies the commands and walks through turning on Developer Options, wireless debugging and pairing. The setup is done once.

What to do

Pixel owners who want more control may find Essentials worth the time. Those who like the phone as it is can skip it. Since the app asks for many permissions, it is wise to read what each one allows before granting it.