One of my favourite features of the Pixel experience, even since the early days, is Google’s At a Glance widget.
It sits quietly at the top of your home screen, letting you know important information like the weather, your next calendar event, commute information and more, without actually needing to open an app. It’s not the flashiest or sexiest feature – in fact, I’d argue it’s massively underrated – but it’s the kind of feature that actually makes your phone feel smart without AI.
Well, it looks like that last part is about to change, with Google rumoured to be working on a ‘Gemini makeover’ for At a Glance, with added AI smarts and more personalised suggestions.
Now, that could either be a brilliant addition to one of the Pixel’s unsung heroes, or it could ruin what made it so good in the first place.
‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’
The main appeal of At a Glance has always been in the name; it gives you quick, glanceable information without any distractions or any input required.
If you’re running late, it’ll check your Google Calendar, show you your next event and how long it’ll take to get there. If your flight has been delayed, it’ll tell you without having to go through your emails or convoluted airline websites. It’s just there, working in the background to serve the information you need, just at the right time.
It’s the one feature I really miss when I’m not using a Pixel phone; other Android phones offer support for the widget, but the true smarts are exclusive to Google’s phones.
The risk with slapping Gemini smarts on top is that it tries to do too much. If it becomes another overly sycophantic AI assistant, full of generic suggestions and cutesy summaries, it could lose the simplicity that makes it so valuable.
Smarter could be better
That said, I’m not entirely against using AI to improve systems; it’s just how it’s implemented, and how much value it adds to the experience, rather than simply being a new AI feature that Google can advertise.
If Gemini could make At a Glance more useful without getting in the way, it could become a proper selling point for the Pixel.
Imagine it spotting patterns in your routine and surfacing information as you need it; not just your next meeting, but whether you might have time to stop at your favourite place for lunch on the way, or whether you’ll need an umbrella once the meeting is over.
I think the key here is subtlety; the moment that At a Glance starts pushing unnecessary prompts or spamming you with information you don’t want or need, people will simply remove the widget from their home screens. But if it can stay true to its name while getting genuinely smarter, that’d be a huge win.
It’s time for it to get the recognition it deserves
Google has spent a lot of time, effort and money trying to prove that Pixels are more than just stock Android phones with a nice camera setup. At a Glance has always been one of the best examples of what that difference actually looks like in daily use – quiet, clever and genuinely helpful.
With Gemini on board, it might finally get the spotlight it deserves. I just hope it doesn’t get lost in the glare…
