Here's a look at the unreleased Pixel Tablet Pen's hidden note-taking trick

Android Authority

2 days ago

Charlie Callow
TL;DR An unreleased Pixel Tablet Pen has surfaced, and its tail button can be configured to launch Android's default notes app in a floating bubble.
Getting the button to function requires pairing the stylus via Bluetooth and then enabling a specific developer option and setting a default notes app.
The pen currently doesn't work with Google Keep, and despite the accessory's appearance, there is still no official news about a Pixel Tablet successor.
When Google released the Pixel Tablet in 2023, evidence suggested the company had stylus and keyboard accessories in the works, but neither product ever made it to market. Last week, however, the tablet's unreleased stylus — the aptly named Pixel Tablet Pen — mysteriously appeared on several online retailers. One of our readers got their hands on the device and confirmed that it works with Android's built-in note-taking feature.
For context, Android 15 introduced a feature that lets you launch a note-taking app in a floating bubble. You can activate it from a shortcut on the lock screen or by pressing the tail button on a compatible USI stylus.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
The unreleased Pixel Tablet Pen has this tail button, but according to early reports, it doesn't work out of the box. It turns out the stylus must first be paired with the Pixel Tablet via Bluetooth for the button to function. To pair the stylus, you have to press and hold the button until the pen starts pulsing. Then, open Bluetooth settings and look for the Pixel Tablet Pen in the list of available devices to pair to.
After pairing, you then have to enable two settings: First, toggle the ' force enable Notes role ' option in Settings > System > Developer options . Reboot your device after doing so.
' option in . Reboot your device after doing so. Then, select a 'default notes app' under Settings > Apps > Default apps. Google Keep isn't supported, so you'll have to use an app like Open Note or Notein.
Once this is done, the Pixel Tablet Pen's tail button will actually work as intended. Here's a video sent in by reader Charlie Callow demonstrating the button's functionality. As you can see, when he presses the button, it launches his default notes app (Open Note) in a floating bubble.
Since the Pixel Tablet Pen isn't readily available anyway, its inability to launch Google Keep isn't a major issue. What's more disappointing is that there's still no word on a Pixel Tablet successor. A refreshed model would be well-suited to take advantage of new Android capabilities, such as the extended desktop windowing capabilities of Android 16 QPR1 and the new Linux Terminal app.
Follow