From what we know so far, the Google Pixel Tablet will support a Hub Mode that automatically activates when you attach it to its included base. It will make the upcoming device behave more like a Google Nest Hub when it’s not in use. Since the tablet offers a full-blown Android experience underneath that Hub Mode surface, there are a lot more customization options for you. Android expert Mishaal Rahman already uncovered a few of the individual settings in the Android 13 December Feature Drop, but in QPR2 Beta 3, he spotted the addition of a top-level menu for the Hub Mode in the settings app.

The menu will presumably only appear on the Pixel Tablet and other supported devices, and it lives prominently beneath the Network & internet options, taking the second spot in the Android settings. It lets you customize what to show on the display when the device is docked. You will be able to select which screen saver to use (with the clock set as the default option) and which reminders, alerts, and more you would like to receive from Google Assistant.

The new settings menu also lets you tweak your lock screen options, so it’s likely that the Hub Mode will also give you easy access to the regular Android lock screen. Additionally, there is a “What to use” section that lets you set up your Cast options. That makes sense as the Pixel Tablet is all but confirmed to also serve as a Casting target for media apps.

Mishaal Rahman’s screenshot also reveals a “Other” section that's empty right now. Given that the Android expert had to enable the menu via hidden flags, it’s likely that it's simply not finished in its current state. Mishaal Rahman further says that this Hub Mode code was already present in the first Android 13 Developer Preview from early last year, but that it subsequently disappeared. It has only now returned for Android 13 QPR2 Beta 3.

The Google Pixel Tablet is expected to be released in May 2023, likely alongside other announcements during Google I/O, the company’s annual developer conference. Until then, Google will have to get its software ready for the release, so it wouldn’t be surprising if a few more details slipped through the cracks. With Android 13 QPR2 slated for stable release in March, it’s likely that the Pixel Tablet will come with this software pre-installed — presuming that it will go on sale soon after Google I/O.