Google’s Pixel phones may soon borrow a trick from Samsung’s Now Bar
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Google’s Pixel phones may soon borrow a trick from Samsung’s Now Bar
Google might be working on its own version of Samsung’s Now Bar, according to new details spotted in the latest Android 16 beta. The feature, called “Gemini Space,” could be a major step forward for Google’s At a Glance widget, offering more real-time information on the lock screen. Other clues point to an “Ambience Hub,” though it’s not clear how it will work. Whether this will be aexclusive or come to older models remains to be seen.
Google might be working on its own version of Samsung’s Now Bar, according to new details spotted in the latest Android 16 beta. The feature, called “Gemini Space,” could be a major step forward for Google’s At a Glance widget, offering more real-time information on the lock screen.
Other clues point to an “Ambience Hub,” though it’s not clear how it will work. The name suggests a new interface for showing useful data on the lock screen or always-on display. This would align with other Google features that use “ambient” in their name, such as ambient display or ambient AOD.
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More interestingly, the Android System Intelligence app — which powers the current At a Glance widget — now includes hints about sports scores and finance updates. A toggle for finance recaps was even found in the At a Glance settings, further supporting the idea that these updates could appear as part of Gemini Space.
All signs point to Google preparing a rebranded and upgraded version of At a Glance. If true, Gemini Space would serve a similar purpose to Samsung’s Now Bar and Now Brief — the former being a live info chip on the lock screen, and the latter offering a full-page summary of your day.
While some may say that At a Glance already covers this, Pixel phones don’t have anything quite like the Now Brief: a dedicated, rich feed of contextual updates accessible right from the lock screen. That could change if Gemini Space and the rumored Ambience Hub roll out as expected.
Pixel 10 exclusive or come to older models remains to be seen, but the feature looks like a natural evolution of At a Glance — and perhaps a strategic way to keep Whether this will be aexclusive or come to older models remains to be seen, but the feature looks like a natural evolution of At a Glance — and perhaps a strategic way to keep Gemini AI front and center.