Once you connect your Pixelbook with your Android phone, you can use it to seamlessly do things such as:
- Sign in to or unlock your Pixelbook when your Android phone is nearby (called Smart Lock). Find out more.
- Automatically connect your Pixelbook to the Internet using your Pixel phone's mobile data (called Instant Tethering). Find out more.
- Send text messages on your Pixelbook, get message notifications and reply inline, even when the Messages app is closed. Find out more.
If you have a compatible Android phone, you'll have the option to connect it when you first set up your device or when it's completed an automatic system update. You can also connect your compatible phone at any time in your device settings.
Note: If you're using your device through a work or EDU account, your admin determines the availability of these features.
Requirements
For your Chrome OS device, you'll need:
- Chrome OS version 70 and up.
- An Internet connection.
- To be signed in to the same Google account as your phone.
To find out how to update your Chrome OS software and sign in with a different Google account, see Related articles.
- Android version L-MR1 and up. Find out how to check your Android version.
- To be signed in to the same Google account as your Chrome OS device.
- Bluetooth turned on.
To find out about additional requirements for Smart Lock, Instant Tethering and text messaging, see Related articles.
Connect your phone during setup
When first setting up your device, you'll be prompted to connect your Android phone. You'll also be prompted if your device had a recent system update and you haven't enabled the feature yet.
- When prompted, select Accept & continue. (To skip this step, select 'Cancel'. You can opt in at any time with these steps.)
- Select Done.
- This will enable Smart Lock and Instant Tethering on compatible devices. Once completed, you'll get a confirmation on your phone. If there are issues with your Internet connection, there might be a delay in verifying your connected device. We'll continue to attempt verification, but these features won't be available until this step is completed.
- To find out how to turn on Messages for your device, see Related articles.
Connect your phone at any time
If you didn't connect your phone during setup, you can do so at any time with these steps:
- Select the clock in the bottom corner of your screen to open the status area.
- Select Settings
.
- Go to the 'Connected devices' section. Next to 'Android phone', select Set up.
- Enter your password and follow the steps.
- Once completed, you'll get a confirmation on your phone.
- To find out how to turn on Messages for your device, see Related articles.
.Disconnect your phone
You can disable all connected phone features at once, or turn off individual features as needed.
- Select the clock in the bottom corner of your screen to open the status area.
- Select Settings
- Under 'Connected devices' you'll see your connected Android device labelled as 'Enabled'.
- To turn off all connected phone features on a specific Chrome OS device, select the toggle next to your Android device in 'Connected devices'.
- To turn off individual connected phone features on a specific Chrome OS device, select the arrow
next to your Android device in 'Connected devices' and select the toggle next to the individual feature that you want to disable to turn it off.
- To remove your connected phone entirely, select
next to 'Forget device', then Confirm. This will completely remove the phone from all of your Chrome OS devices. You'll need to set it up again if you want to add it back.
next to your Android device in 'Connected devices' and select the toggle next to the individual feature that you want to disable to turn it off.
next to 'Forget device', then Confirm. This will completely remove the phone from all of your Chrome OS devices. You'll need to set it up again if you want to add it back.