While plenty of Android users — and Pixel owners in particular —expected Android 14 to arrive this weekafter aprolonged series of beta releases, that didn’t happen. Fans hoping to finally try out Google’s latest OS upgrade, or to move off the beta channel for something a little more stable, had to make due with thelatest Android Quarterly Feature Drop, combining several app updates into one neat, tidy package. Out of everything included in the group, I think it’s pretty clear what garnered the most attention: the redesigned Assistant At a Glance widget.
Google’s description of its alternative At a Glance tool for non-Pixel phones is fairly brief in description, mentioning just a handful of activities it’s capable of highlighting. It’s a far cry from what the standard At a Glance widget can do, the one built directly into the Pixel’s launcher. There, At a Glance can send you earthquake alerts, fitness information, package delivery statuses, safety checks, and even reminders when your phone’s flashlight is left on.
Google’s redesigned Assistant At a Glance widget.
Assistant At a Glance — the name of the non-exclusive version — will never be nearly as capable as that, but it is getting a new style that, in my eyes, is leaps and bounds over what you’ll find on Google’s launcher. I imagine the overall design here is bound to be controversial, but I like it. It screams modern Material You design in a way that the current text-on-wallpaper-look just doesn’t. Honestly, my biggest hope is an extension of this design for thePixel 8 when it’s announced on October 4th.
That said, I feel like the overall reaction to Assistant At a Glance’s new design wasn’t good or bad — it was just confusing. Unsurprisingly for a widget that has gone effectively ignored for years, many Android fans across the web had completely forgotten this widget evenexisted, let alone was due for an upgrade.
So, I’m curious. Are you using At a Glance, or Assistant At a Glance, on your smartphone? They might seem like completely different tools, but it’s clear Google groups them in a similar product category. Considering it makes weather, calendar alerts, and so much more easily accessible — even on non-Pixel phones — it’s a great widget to keep around on your home screen.
