At a Glance widget Archives

AppWizard

June 20, 2025

Google might give At a Glance a Gemini makeover with extra smarts

Google is planning to develop its own version of Samsung’s Now Bar to enhance the At a Glance experience on Pixel devices. The upcoming Pixel 10 may feature a significant upgrade, potentially rebranded as Gemini Space, which could include live sports scores and financial market summaries on the lock screen. Initial hints of this feature were found in the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, with a system configuration file labeled "Ambient Data" discovered in the firmware for the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro. References to an "Ambience Hub" have also been found, suggesting a new way to present information on the lock screen. The Android System Intelligence app, which supports the At a Glance widget, has revealed mentions of Gemini Space and features like finance recaps and sports updates. These upgrades are expected to be incorporated into the Pixel Launcher’s At a Glance widget, although they remain speculative.

AppWizard

May 20, 2025

Google tweaks the Pixel Launcher in Android 16 QPR1 to leave more space for your apps

Google has released the first beta build of Android 16 QPR 1 for Pixel devices, introducing Material 3 Expressive design changes. The At a Glance widget has been resized, allowing for an additional row on the home screen for app icons and widgets. Users receive a notification about the new layout upon installation. The lock screen has also seen a similar reduction in the widget size to support new lock screen widget features.

AppWizard

February 23, 2025

These apps aren’t on the Play Store, but I always sideload them on my Pixel

Google Pixel users are increasingly sideloading applications from third-party repositories, enhancing their devices' functionality. The Smartspacer app improves the At a Glance widget by integrating with third-party apps and Google services, offering advanced control and enhancing the Always-On Display. Smartspacer is available on GitHub, along with various plugins. Obtanium helps users manage and update sideloaded apps, providing a centralized hub for tracking updates, and is accessible on GitHub and F-Droid. Breezy Weather is a highly regarded weather app that offers customizable features and integrates well with Pixel's design, available on F-Droid and GitHub, and can also be updated using Obtanium.

AppWizard

December 3, 2024

How to use Google Wallet to make custom digital passes

Google Wallet allows users to manage various passes, including boarding passes, transit tickets, and loyalty cards, all in one application. It can scan Gmail for existing passes and allows manual addition of passes if needed. Users can create custom passes by uploading images of physical passes, which the app converts into digital cards. The Wallet app supports secure storage of debit and credit cards and has added numerous banking partners in 2024. It can also store digital car keys, corporate office passes, and hotel room keys. The Google Pay app has been discontinued in the U.S. as of June 2024, but Google Wallet continues to serve various financial and organizational needs.

AppWizard

June 12, 2024

Google’s Weather app on Android, Pixel widgets are down right now

The Google Weather app on Android devices is currently down, affecting all Android devices including Pixel and Samsung phones running on Android 14 and 15.

AppWizard

May 29, 2024

Your new Android home screen command center

The Android home screen command center now includes the At a Glance widget and the Notification Widget, providing real-time updates on important information and consolidating all notifications into one accessible location.