Google has started rolling out new Pixel At a Glance features to more users. I realized this today when I started walking to work, and connected by Bluetooth earphones. At a Glance widget on my Pixel 4a showed me the name of the earbuds, and their battery level. I immediately realized I got the features Google was testing.
New Pixel At a Glance features are rolling out widely, it seems
It seems like that test is no longer limited to a small number of users. Do note that these are the features that Google announced with the March 2022 Feature Drop. These features were said to be coming, but were not immediately available.
So, what’s new? Well, when I realized what’s going on, I went to the Pixel At a Glance settings, to see what’s available. If you take a look at the image provided below, you’ll be able to see it for yourself.
The ‘Connected devices’ option has been added, and the same goes for ‘Safety check’ and ‘Earthquake alert’ options. So, what do these do, exactly? Google does offer an explanation for each of them.
The ‘Connected devices’ option is quite useful
The ‘Connected devices’ option will show you the connection status and battery info for your Bluetooth devices. Do note that the information seems to go away after a couple of minutes, regardless of whether you play something actively or not. It only appears initially to let you know what’s your battery status, and that’s perfectly fine.
The ‘Safety check’ actually connects to the Personal Safety app, and is supposed to display the countdown on the At a Glance widget. The ‘Earthquake alert’ option will notify you if an earthquake larger than magnitude 4.5 is detected nearby.
At a Glance widget did seem heavily underutilized until now, but these additions are surely welcomed. I hope that Google will continue adding new features to that widget, as it can become even more useful.