Google app Stories November 22
Google’s large screen optimization push continues with the Search app adopting a navigation rail on tablets, though it’s clearly early days.
Google app Stories November 16
While Search results and the Discover feed are visually tweaked from time to time, other parts of the Google app are often slow to change. Fortunately, Google is now working on a Material You redesign of the Search app.
Google app Stories October 12
Back in 2018, Google introduced a customizable Search widget and is now making those personalization options more apparent by supporting the changes introduced in Android 12+.
Google app Stories September 26
In a curious change, the Google Search app and Discover on Android no longer opens sites in fullscreen, but rather makes use of a sheet.
Google app Stories August 29
With Google Calendar set to lose Assistant Reminders, you’ll be forced to use the very basic and incredibly laggy UI that’s part of the Google app. It’s still bad, but Google recently rolled out some usability tweaks to Reminders and restored the dark mode.
Google app Stories July 20
The Google Weather Frog no longer wears a mask
Google’s adorable Weather Frog started wearing a face mask in August of 2020. Earlier this week, the protective equipment was removed from the character that appears in Google’s Search app on Android.
Google app Stories July 5
Last month, Google updated At a Glance with flashlight reminders and Nest Doorbell alerts. The Pixel At a Glance widget could soon get a “Cross Device Timer” capability that integrates with Google Home.
Google app Stories June 14
For quite some time, the Google Weather app could only be found on Android phones, but it’s now coming to tablets.
Google app Stories June 1
Nearly two years after the last settings redesign, Google is taking another stab at making it easier to control and manage the ever-growing list of what Assistant can do.
Google app Stories April 4
Following the ongoing removal of Assistant Snapshot on Android, the Google for iOS app looks to be adding a “Notifications” tab.
Google app Stories March 1
Google app tweaks its dark theme on Android to be darker
Similar to desktop Search changes last week, the Google app on Android has been updated with a darker dark theme as part of today’s beta.
Google app Stories January 11
[Update: Fixed] Google app bug opens all Search, Discover websites in Chrome/browser
With the first beta channel release of 2022, the Google app introduced a bug that sees its Chrome Custom Tab break and all web pages open in your default browser on Android.
Google app Stories December 5, 2021
In addition to a bottom field, the Google app is testing a Search bar that appears at the very top of your screen. It matches other first-party apps, but it is a departure from what Google Search has looked like on mobile for the past several years.
Google app Stories November 30, 2021
With the Pixel 2, the Pixel Launcher was revamped to place the search field at the bottom of your screen. Four years later, the Google app looks to be readying something similar with a bottom Search bar redesign.
Google app Stories November 29, 2021
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.
Google app Stories November 20, 2021
[Update: Back] Google app bug causes At a Glance to open old Weather UI
While the latest Google app beta introduced some nice updates to the Weather widgets, it also hampered At a Glance in the Pixel Launcher. Namely, it launches the original Google Weather experience instead of the redesign.
Google app Stories November 9, 2021
In July of last year, we spotted development of an “Assistant Chat Head” that never ended up launching. Google is now working on a more useful “Search bubble” chat head that provides quick access to text and voice lookup.
Google app Stories October 18, 2021
In a very welcome change from what we previously expected, the Google Weather Material You widgets are now live on existing Pixel phones with the latest Google app beta.
Google app Stories September 29, 2021
You can quickly access Google app settings, reminders from the Pixel Launcher’s Discover feed
The Google app recently lost its “More” tab for a unified panel when opening the account switcher. That new settings menu can now be accessed in the Google Discover feed to the left of the Pixel Launcher.
Google app Stories September 28, 2021
While Discover and Assistant Snapshot have gone through a handful of visual revamps in recent years, the rest of the Google app has remained the same. Google is now testing a settings redesign on Android that removes the “More” tab.
Google app Stories September 21, 2021
Following the big update in August, Google Podcasts for Android is getting a straightforward Material You redesign, though it’s not yet widely rolled out.
Google has been working on an in-app browser for Search on Android for quite sometime now. After being widely rolled out to the beta channel for the past few months, it has disappeared and reverted to Chrome Custom Tabs.
After redesigning the Weather app, Google’s next step is introducing Android 12 homescreen widgets. We enabled the first one last week, and the second Google widget coming is straight from the Pixel 6’s Material You advertising.
Google app Stories September 20, 2021
Google app gains ‘Personal results’ setting for Search on Android
Google is continuing to add more settings to the Search app on Android with a new preference to control “Personal results.”
Google app Stories September 9, 2021
After initial testing in May, Google today has widely rolled out a redesign of Android’s default Weather app. Part of Google Search, the experience was overdue for a modernization.
Google app Stories September 3, 2021
The latest version of Google Search’s integrated bookmarking feature is called “Collections.” It was last updated in early 2020, and a redesign of Collections today makes the Google app tab much more useful.
Google app Stories September 2, 2021
Google recently redesigned Lens to prioritize screenshot analysis over live capture. Google Lens is now seeing a Material You flourish and even more prominent placement on Android.
Google app Stories September 1, 2021
Google app on Android makes it easier to control SafeSearch with ‘Hide explicit results’ setting
SafeSearch, which “filter[s] out explicit content in Google’s search results,” has been around for so long that it has entered the cultural lexicon. The Google Search app on Android is now making it easier to access with a new “Hide explicit results” settings page.
Google app Stories June 24, 2021
Following the latest update, the Google app, Podcasts, and Lens are repeatedly crashing, while Assistant is also unavailable. Users across Google Pixel, Samsung, and Motorola phones are affected.
Google app Stories June 17, 2021
One of the key aspects of the Pixel Launcher experience is “At A Glance,” which has seen a handful of weather-related tweaks in recent months. Google is now planning to overhaul the capability into “Live Space” and better integrate it on with Assistant on Pixel phones running Android 12.
Google app Stories June 15, 2021
Google is rolling out a new Search Console Insights tool that provides creators with an overview of how their content is performing. It’s meant to be an “easier way to understand how your content resonates with readers.”
Google app Stories June 2, 2021
The last visual revamp for Assistant in late 2020 saw the light bar come to all Android devices. Google is now working on what looks to be a new design that takes advantage of dropdown menus to show more information, while Assistant is getting new microphone sounds.
Google app Stories May 20, 2021
After the Now Playing screen got updated earlier this year, the rest of the Google Podcasts is getting a revamp. The changes aren’t major, but there are a number of great usability upgrades for longtime users.
Google app Stories April 23, 2021
For the past several weeks, we’ve been tracking an Assistant feature codenamed “Guacamole” in the Google app. We can now report that “Guacamole” will let users perform time-sensitive Assistant “quick tasks” like answering calls or silencing alarms on your Android phone without having to first say “Hey Google.”
Google app Stories March 24, 2021
The very first iteration of Assistant for phones was focused on voice commands until Google in 2018 added Smart Display-inspired visual elements like on-screen controls. Last year, a Snapshot feed to show personalized recommendations and upcoming events was added. Overall, Google wants Assistant to be better suited for and take advantage of the phone form factor, and an upcoming “Memory” feature — which we enabled — is the most significant example of that goal to date.
Google app Stories February 11, 2021
Recently, instead of using classic Chrome Custom Tabs, the Google app for Android began using a bespoke in-app browser for search results and more. Now the in-app browser for Google Search on Android is testing handy shortcuts to “Read Aloud” and “Translate.”
Google app Stories February 9, 2021
Last year, the Google app on Android ditched Chrome Custom Tabs when opening Discover articles and Search results. Google has now redesigned the custom in-app browser with a bottom bar to make it easier to navigate.
Google app Stories February 8, 2021
The latest Google app beta is rolling out a redesign to the player screen in Google Podcasts. Simplification is the focus with more spacing given to key controls, while other actions are hidden in the process.
Google app Stories December 30, 2020
A few months ago, we saw Google begin surfacing “Short Videos” in a Discover panel but it now looks as though this test has been expanded to Search.
Google app Stories December 18, 2020
Google frequently asks users for feedback to improve Search results, and the latest rating example is in the Search app on Android. There is a new “Rate your recent experience” notification that appears to be focused on improving location results.
Google app Stories October 7, 2020
Google Lens has long been tied to Assistant on Android, while iOS users have access to it as part of Search. The Google app on Android is now testing a prominent Lens shortcut.
Google app Stories September 16, 2020
An update to the Google app for iOS is making its way to users to deliver a handy new feature. The Google app for iOS can now read articles out loud.
Google app Stories August 17, 2020
One element of Google’s latest design language is having your profile image appear in the top-right corner of every application to emphasize how you’re logged in. This Google Account switcher is now getting tweaked to launch a fullscreen interface.
Google app Stories August 8, 2020
Google weather app disappears for some Android users, probably a bug
For a long time, the Google app on Android has had a not-so-hidden weather “app” built-in. It offers a full UI with limited but useful features. It gets the job done for a lot of people and has a cute little frog too. Now, though, some Android users have noticed that the Google weather app has disappeared off of their phones.
Google app Stories August 3, 2020
Google Lens adds ‘Places’ filter as Podcasts player tests queue swiping
Updated via the Google app, Lens and Podcasts recently picked up some new features. The visual search tool gains a “Places” filter, while Podcasts makes switching to the next episode somewhat faster.
Google app Stories July 30, 2020
Earlier this month, the Google app pulled its custom in-app browser for opening Search results and Discover articles. It was not particularly well liked for eschewing the standard Chrome Custom Tab implementation on Android. The latest Google app beta is now testing it again and made some tweaks along the way.
Google app Stories July 28, 2020
With Android 11, Google is going all-in with Bubbles, a way to “let users easily multi-task from anywhere on their device.” They are primarily used for messaging notifications and quick access to conversation threads, but the latest Google app beta today reveals work on an “Assistant Chat Head.”
Google app Stories July 3, 2020
After months of work, the Google app in late April started testing an in-app browser for opening Discover articles and Search results. It saw a wider rollout a few weeks later, but Google now looks to be reverting to the previous Chrome Custom Tab implementation.
