The Google Pixel phones are the current go-to if you want the closest thing to a vanilla Android experience possible. As such, they are probably the last place you’d expect to see ads. Unfortunately, that which you least expect may have come to pass, as Android Authority reports that the older entries in the series have started showing promotions for the latest Pixel 11 series as notifications. Or more specifically, these promos have shown up as part of the My Pixel app.
For context, the report notes that the My Pixel app used to be called simply Pixel Tips. As the name suggests, the app provided quick, easy access to tutorials on the way the Pixel phones worked, as well as notifications about new Android features. Following the rebrand, the My Pixel app still does all that, with the extra Store tab to sell you more Google hardware. According to the report, it’s through this that the older Pixel phones are advertising the new ones.
On one hand, there’s the whole argument of whether this should have been an opt-in feature, and the “if it was opt-in, nobody would opt in” can of worms that Twitch opened. But on the other, there’s a silver lining to this, or two, depending on your degree of generosity. One is that it is possible to turn off these promotions without losing out on all the other benefits of the My Pixel app. This can be done by long-pressing the app icon, then tapping “App info”, then “Notifications”, and turning off the notifications for “New products and offers”.
The other silver lining, for what it’s worth, is that it’s not as egregious as other ads one may see on phones made by other brands. There would probably be a much larger uproar if, for instance, an ad for a product or service completely unrelated to Google appeared in the Files by Google file manager app.
(Source: Android Authority)
