Google Might Remove Outdated At a Glance Widget on Pixel Phones

Pixel’s At a Glance: A Widget with Mixed Feelings

The At a Glance widget on Google Pixel phones has long been a source of annoyance. It’s not terrible, but it won’t disappear, and there aren’t many solid reasons to keep it around.

A Glimpse at a Possible Switch in the Canary Build

Android Authority spotted a small change in the latest Canary (beta) version of the Pixel launcher. A new toggle labeled “Show on home screen” shows up in the At a Glance settings. This hints that you might finally be able to turn off the persistent widget. The report notes the switch doesn’t work yet. Still, there’s hope you can switch it off by late 2025.

Why At a Glance So Often Feels Underwhelming

The widget could shine, but it mostly just shows the date and weather. That makes it feel dull and stale. Google tried to refresh things with Material You a few years back, adding fun widget ideas. Yet on the main home screen, At a Glance often blocks those newer designs or shows the same basic info. It’s hard for a smart widget to feel helpful when it won’t let other widgets shine or blend with the layout.

A Design Misstep That Sits Too Quietly

In a small way, At a Glance reveals some of Google’s design blind spots. It looks dated, and many may think the team forgot about it. That hasn’t happened; Google has quietly added more features over time. But not having a simple option to disable it or swap it for a different widget undercuts a user-friendly, customizable approach.

Clarity and Confusion on How It Shows Info

The newer versions can show extra details beyond date and weather, but they hide that info behind a second, almost hidden page. If a widget has something new to say, it should appear right away. People glance at their phone many times each hour. Seeing the extra info more often would make the widget feel genuinely useful.

A Second Page That Often Feels Hidden

Things get frustrating when that new data only appears after swiping to a secondary page. You might miss a calendar alert or a weather notice because it sits behind that extra swipe. Calendar events and severe weather alerts can pop up there, only to feel like late surprises after you already checked your lock screen or notification shade.

Two Looks, One Dated Problem

The old At a Glance used pink settings, while the newer design uses white. Material You arrived in 2021, bringing a fresh look that fits Pixel devices. The new At a Glance looks sharp on modern screens, yet many Pixel users don’t enable it. They worry that it would create two At a Glance widgets on the same screen. The newer version shows alerts for calendars more clearly, but it lacks some functions of the older, text-based widget. It’s odd that Google ships a better-looking option that you can’t fully use.

What This Says About Pixel and Its Focus

This situation hints at a broader issue: attention to small details can slip over time. Inside teams may move on to other tasks, leaving this widget in a half-done state. It’s striking that Google approved a second At a Glance while the original still sits there, needing a richer update or a clear path to replace it. Many users have voiced concerns since 2019, and the mix of two designs only fuels the confusion.

Where Google Might Improve Next

If Google wants At a Glance to live up to Material You’s promise, it needs a straightforward way to switch it off or replace it with an equally helpful option. A single, reliable widget that respects layouts and offers timely alerts would make the Pixel home screen feel more human and responsive. A clean, consistent experience matters more than a polished look alone.

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