Google’s “At a Glance” widget no longer tied to the Assistant in latest update،
Android users may have noticed a subtle change from a familiar home screen feature. The “At a Glance” widget, a staple on Android devices, is no longer explicitly linked to Google Assistant. This change signals a potential overhaul of Google Assistant's role in the Android experience.
The “At a Glance” widget has long been a useful tool, conveniently displaying essential information such as the current weather, upcoming calendar events, reminders, and more. On Google Pixel devices, this is actually a permanent feature (for now). On other Android devices, it is usually found in the list of Android widgets in the Google category and is aptly named “Assistant at a Glance”, clearly showing its connection to Google Assistant.
In October last year, the widget received an overhaul, giving it a more modern and material look. However, as noted 9to5GoogleThe most recent beta version of the Google app (v.15.11.42.28.x) quietly removed the word “assistant” from the title and descriptions of widget settings.
Description of the “At a glance” widget before and after updating the Google app
This change leaves room for speculation and suggests a deliberate move to move the “At a Glance” feature away from the Google Assistant brand. It is currently unclear what the reasoning behind this decision may be. However, we suspect it has something to do with the launch of the Gemini app on Android, which is rumored to eventually replace Google Assistant. As it stands, the Gemini app on Android devices doesn't offer the same features as Google Assistant. Google Assistant does it. It still lacks basic features like creating or changing a timer or alarm, reading web pages aloud, or even something as simple as recognizing a song that's playing .
Whatever Google's long-term plans, the change ultimately makes the widget name simpler and more descriptive. Hopefully this also means major improvements to be made to the Gemini app in the future to make it a true replacement for the tried and tested Assistant.
