Pixel Screenshots no longer exclusively uses on-device AI

Google's Pixel Screenshots app is expanding beyond on-device AI to include cloud processing, using the company's Private AI Compute technology to keep data secure. The change, rolling out in version 1.26.134.11, updates the setting from "Search your screenshots with on-device AI" to "Search your screenshots with AI," allowing processing in a secure isolated environment either on-device or in the cloud.

Like Magic Cue https://9to5google.com/2025/11/11/google-private-ai-compute-pixel/ late last year, Pixel Screenshots is moving beyond just using on-device AI to leverage cloud processing. Version 1.26.134.11 versus 1.25.367.13 of Pixel Screenshots is rolling out with a change in settings. The “Search your screenshots with on-device AI” preference becomes “Search your screenshots with AI.” The description has been updated with: “Data used by Screenshots is protected in a secure, isolated environment on your device or in the cloud.” All processing was previously performed on-device, but it can now also be done “in the cloud.” That “secure, isolated environment” is presumably a reference to Private AI Compute. In November, Google announced the technique as a way to “bring you intelligent AI experiences with the power of Gemini models in the cloud, while keeping your data private to you.” Google cannot access this information. Old vs. new Private AI Compute https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/private ai compute technical brief.pdf PDF makes use of an end-to-end Google stack from Tensor Processing Units to Titanium Intelligence Enclaves. Your phone connects to the hardware-secured sealed cloud environment through remote attestation and encryption. Magic Cue started using this last year to offer “more timely suggestions.” Recorder also leverages it to “summarize transcriptions across a wider range of languages.” Additional strings explain that this move will “help you get even more from your screenshots,” but there are no specifics. To help you get even more from your screenshots, Pixel Screenshots now processes your information in a secure, isolated environment on your device or in the cloud. That said, Pixel Screenshots still leverages on-device models as evidenced by the ability to manually process a screenshot when your phone is not connected to the internet. Pixel Screenshots 1.26.134.11 is not yet widely rolled out. The most recent update introduced NotebookLM integration, Read aloud https://9to5google.com/2025/09/02/pixel-screenshots-read-aloud/ for articles, and Material 3 Expressive tweaks https://9to5google.com/2025/08/27/google-clock-material-3-expressive-redesign/ . Speaking of Magic Cue, Google announced with the June 2026 Drop https://9to5google.com/2026/06/16/june-2026-pixel-feature-drop/ that Pixel 10 users will soon get “contextual, time-saving suggestions” in Snapchat conversations. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. https://9to5mac.com/about/ affiliate our homepage http://9to5google.com/ for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on exclusive stories https://9to5google.com/feature/exclusive/ , reviews https://9to5google.com/guides/reviews/ , how-tos https://9to5google.com/guides/how-to/ , and subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/9to5google