Google Assistant Snapshot feed disappears again for some on Android [U]

Abner Li | Nov 29 2021 - 9:34 am PT

Assistant Snapshot carries forward the legacy of Google Now, though its prominence is diminished compared to the previous feed. Its standing might be further de-prioritized following a pair of worrisome changes to Snapshot in the Google app and Assistant.

Update 11/29: This bug has reappeared for some with the Google app 12.46 beta. For those impacted, the “Snapshot” tab is gone from the Google app’s bottom bar, while the shortcut is no longer present at the top of the homescreen Discover feed.

It affects both Pixel and non-Pixel devices, but does not appear to be widespread. In August, the Assistant feed was restored with the next Google app update.

Thanks Jondan!

Original 8/27: Over the past week, some Google app users have noticed that the “Snapshot” tab between “Discover” and “Search” has disappeared on Android. People are left with three or four tabs depending on whether they’ve gotten a separate redesign that moves the “More” page to the account menu in the top-right corner.

Meanwhile, the latest Google Assistant design on Pixel phones that rolled out at the start of August also removed the “Snapshot” corner shortcut that appears after activation.

As such, these users are left with one primary way to access Snapshot. They have to visit the Discover feed to the left of the Pixel Launcher and tap the top-left button. It’s not a straightforward, or even visible, way to access this feed, while the “Hey Google, show me my day” voice command is even worse and harder to discover. You were able to add a homescreen shortcut early on, but once removed, there is no way to get it back.

We’ve only received two reports of Assistant Snapshot’s disappearance from the Google app, so it could just be a bug. However, the removal from the Assistant panel looks more permanent as that has been the final design for the past few weeks.

It’s a worrying trend for a feed that most people are not too aware of. It’s meant to provide a chronological, card-based preview of your schedule. It’s mostly populated with calendar events, but other entries show nearby restaurants, music/podcast suggestions, bill reminders, and more. The “Snapshot” brand came in March of 2020 with a big revamp and was known as “Updates” before then.

Google’s plans for the capability are unclear at the moment, with prominent placement — at the very least — needed to spur adoption. If these two recent removals are part of a planned change, it’s unclear what positioning would make Snapshot even more visible.