Google Assistant Updates feed adds YouTube Music/Spotify and weather cards

Abner Li | Jul 31 2019 - 8:45 am PT

Earlier this month, we spotted a “Resume your podcast” card in the Google Assistant Updates feed. This visual snapshot of your day is testing a full weather card, while there’s now a suggestions carousel dedicated to Spotify or YouTube Music.

At the moment, weather is the first thing displayed under the fun greeting. It includes an icon for the condition and text description, as well as the temperature. It’s quite basic, with a tap opening the Google Weather experience that’s part of the Search app.

Google is now testing a full card that’s more reminiscent of what you’d find in Search or when asking Assistant. Added metrics include precipitation chance, high/low for the day, and location. Larger in size, visibility and glanceability notably improve.

We’ve so far only encountered this full weather card on one device, and it’s since disappeared. It could replace the current weather status, or just be contextual and appear when appropriate.

: Current

: Upcoming

Meanwhile, one addition that’s more widely rolled out is “Recommended music” in Google Assistant Updates that features a carousel from Spotify or YouTube Music. The app is noted in the upper-left corner, while “This phone” is marked at the bottom of the card.

The device icon can be tapped to switch between other Assistant speakers or Smart Displays. You can then swipe through playlist suggestions from the streaming service to quickly find something to listen to.

When Assistant Updates launched last July, Google said that more features and integrations would be coming over time. Music and podcasts were promised, along with notes and nearby event discovery.