Pixel 9 Adaptive Touch sounds perfect when you don’t have a towel

Google has quietly launched new a display option which will enable Pixel 9 owners to have an easier time using their displays while it’s raining or when your fingers are wet.

Pixel 9 onwers are noticing a new software option called Adaptive Touch within the display settings.

Users will need to head to the Settings > Display > Touch sensitivity portion of the operating system and they’ll see an Adaptive Touch option alongside the existing Screen Protector mode.

“Touch sensitivity will automatically adjust to your environment, activities, and screen protector,” the toggle switch for Adaptive Touch says. That means it’ll automatically adjust depending on how you’re using your phone.

The specialist website Android Authority has tested out the new feature and found the tech has significantly improved the performance of the display when exposed to moisture. You can see the evidence in the video below.

The site reports the Pixel 9 with Adaptive Touch turned on works “much better” with wet fingers than a Pixel 8 Pro that doesn’t have access to the feature. The site says scrolling with wet fingers feels “pretty normal” on the Pixel 9, whereas the Pixel 8 Pro is subject to “random jumps and pans.”

It’s a good sign that Google has addressed this because, as well as good and as durable as smartphone displays are getting, they’re still not that useful when exposed to the wet stuff.

Adaptive Touch came to light in Android betas back in March. There’s a good chance it may roll out to older Pixel devices and other Android phones through forthcoming software updates and Pixel Feature Drops.