Manage Hub Mode settings on your Pixel Tablet

If you have a Charging Speaker Dock, you can dock your Pixel Tablet to put it into Hub Mode. You can customize Hub Mode settings for the screen saver, Google Assistant, the types of notifications you get on your lock screen, and more.

To choose your Hub Mode settings:

• Open your device's Settings app tap Hub Mode.
• Tap the setting you want to change.

Important:

• Some of these steps work only on Android 15 and up. Learn how to update your Android version.
• Some features aren't available in all countries or languages. 

• To dock your Pixel Tablet and use Hub Mode, you need a Charging Speaker Dock.
• You might need to unlock the tablet before you can use Google Assistant voice commands to play news, radio, podcasts, or other media from certain apps and services.
• When you download the Gemini mobile app and set up Gemini as your primary assistant, it will replace Google Assistant when your tablet is unlocked. Your Pixel Tablet will continue to use Google Assistant when locked, including in Hub Mode.
• If a feature you rely on isn’t supported in your Gemini mobile app, you can switch back to Google Assistant. Learn how to switch back to Google Assistant.

How to change your Hub Mode settings

In the Hub Mode menu, tap a setting to change it.

Set up and customize your screen saver

When your Pixel Tablet is locked and docked, it can display a screen saver of your choice. You can display your favorite Google Photos, run an art slideshow, choose a variety of traditional and abstract clocks, or use the Home Controls screensaver for easy access to smart home controls. Learn how to set up and customize your screen saver and photo frame.

At a Glance

Get important information and shortcuts with At a Glance features on your lock and Home screens. For example, get local weather alerts and timers. To go to your At a Glance settings:

 Turn At a Glance on or off:

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Hub Mode At a glance.
3. Tap At a Glance Turn on or Turn off.

Customize your Home Settings:

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Hub Mode At a Glance.
3. Next to "At a Glance", tap Settings .
4. Tap the setting you want to change:
   • Sensitive content on lockscreen: Choose whether sensitive content is displayed when your device is locked.
   • Personalize using app data: Allows apps to send information to At a Glance.
   • More features: You can toggle more features like whether or not you get doorbell or package delivery notifications, timer notifications, home device status on your lock screen, and more.

Customize your lock screen

Change what appears on your lock screen when you're in Hub Mode:

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Display & touch Lock screen.
3. Choose a setting:
   • Privacy: Change what notifications appear on the lock screen.
   • Show widgets on lock screen: Add widgets to use without unlocking your device.
   • Add users from lock screen: Add more user profiles directly from the lock screen.
   • Add text on lock screen: Add a line of text to your lock screen.
   • Show device controls: Show controls for external devices on the lock screen. Learn how to use the home panel.
   • Use device controls: Control external devices without unlocking your tablet, if allowed by the device controls app.
   • Dynamic clock: Choose whether a double-line or single-line clock is displayed on the lock screen.
   • Now Playing: Quickly identify songs that play near the tablet.
   • Tap to check tablet: View certain info when you tap your screen.
   • Lift to check tablet: View notifications when you pick up the tablet.
   • Wake screen for notifications: Your tablet’s screen wakes up when new notifications arrive.
   • When work profile is locked: If you have a managed device, show or hide sensitive work content.

Change who can use Google Assistant in Hub Mode

When your tablet is locked and docked, you can let Assistant respond to anyone, including guests and children, when they say "Hey Google." They can ask Assistant questions, play music, control smart home devices, and more.

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Hub Mode Assistant Let anyone talk to Assistant in Hub Mode.
3. To turn this setting off, tap it again.

Important: Google Assistant might respond to "Hey Google" even when this setting is turned off. If you enable power button control of Assistant, anyone can activate it by pressing and holding the power button.

Learn how to use Google Assistant in Hub Mode.

Stream movies, music and more in Hub Mode

 

To use Google Assistant to stream movies and music in Hub Mode, you need to turn on this setting:

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Hub Mode Assistant turn on Use Assistant to play music, movies, and more when your tablet is locked.

Tip: To play music when your tablet is in Hub Mode, try saying, "Hey Google, play some music."

If you turn on this setting and Let anyone talk to Assistant in Hub Mode, anyone can say "Hey Google" when the tablet is locked to play media services that you link to your Pixel Tablet. Not all media services allow media playback in Hub Mode.

Share media and cast to or from your tablet

 In Hub Mode, you can transfer and share media to a device you set up in the Google Home app or cast media to another Google Cast device from your Pixel Tablet. The Pixel Tablet also works with Google Cast, so you can cast media to your docked tablet’s screen from another device.

Change your dock settings

If you have a Charging Speaker Dock, you can check its status, version number, and whether to enable dock software updates:

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Hub Mode Dock settings.
3. Check or tap a setting.

Change your Hub Mode display settings

You can turn on automatic brightness and color features so your Hub Mode display is easier to check in different lighting conditions and at different times.

Turn on Adaptive brightness

Adaptive brightness changes your screen's brightness automatically based on ambient lighting.

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Display & touch turn on Adaptive brightness.

Turn on Adaptive tone

Adaptive tone dynamically adapts your screen's display to warmer or cooler tones based on ambient lighting.

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Display &touch  turn on Adaptive tone.

Turn on Night Light

Night Light turns your screen to an amber color to help your eyes adjust to night vision more smoothly. You can also schedule when Night Light turns on.

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Display & touch Night Light turn on Use Night Light.
3. To schedule when Night Light turns on and off, tap Schedule.