Google is finally letting Pixel phone users remove the At a Glance widget from the home screen. For years, this little box showing the date, weather, and your upcoming alerts was stuck at the top of the display with no option to hide it. Now, with a new toggle tucked into the latest Android 15 beta, users can make it disappear. It feels like a small change at first glance, but I think many longtime Pixel owners would say it solves one of their biggest frustrations and brings back a sense of control over the home screen layout.
Key Takeaways
- Google is adding an option to hide the At a Glance widget.
- This feature is available in the new Android 15 Beta builds for Pixel phones.
- For years, this widget was permanent and could not be removed by users.
- Removing it frees up the top section of the home screen for other icons or a cleaner look.
- This decision appears to be a direct response to long-term user feedback.
The At a Glance widget has always been part of the Pixel identity. It sits right at the top of the home screen and quietly pulls in helpful, contextual information. It might show the time you need to leave for a meeting, warn you about severe weather, give traffic updates, or remind you that a package is arriving soon. Many would agree that these features are genuinely useful. Still, there has always been a large group of users who felt it was a bit too enforced. They couldn’t move it or hide it, and that meant losing valuable space that could have been used for other icons or even just a clean view of their wallpaper.
If you browse through user discussions on Reddit or Google’s own support pages, you’ll find thousands of posts stretching back years. People repeatedly asked Google to at least offer an option to disable this permanent space at the top of the screen. It became one of those small-but-irritating design choices that kept resurfacing.
The new solution arriving with the Android 15 Beta 3 update is surprisingly simple, almost to the point where you might wonder why it took this long. Users can long-press any empty part of their home screen, choose home settings, and then look for a new toggle labeled Show At a Glance. Turning it off makes the widget vanish immediately. There’s no extra setup or hidden menu, just a quick switch.
Once the widget is removed, the area frees up as normal home screen space. You can drag icons into the top row, place another widget there if you want, or leave it empty for a more minimal look. It gives the Pixel launcher a bit more breathing room and, perhaps, a sense of customization that felt missing before.
Right now, this option is available only to those running the Android 15 beta on devices like the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel 8 series. Because it’s still part of a beta build, there’s always a chance Google might tweak or even remove the toggle before the stable release later this year. But judging by how positively users have reacted so far, it seems unlikely that Google will roll it back.
For Pixel users in India and around the world, this update brings a welcome bit of flexibility. It resolves a long-standing annoyance for many loyal fans and nudges the Pixel launcher a little closer to that core Android idea that users should have the freedom to shape their own experience, even in small ways.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: How do I remove the At a Glance widget on my Pixel phone?
A: If your phone is running the Android 15 Beta (or a future stable version that includes this), long-press an empty space on your home screen, tap “Home settings,” and find the “Show At a Glance” toggle. Turn it off.
Q2: Is this feature available on Android 14?
A: No. The option to completely remove the At a Glance widget is a new feature introduced in the Android 15 beta builds. It is not available in Android 14.
Q3: What happens to the space after I remove At a Glance?
A: The space becomes part of your regular home screen grid. You can place app icons in that top row, move other widgets there, or leave it empty for a cleaner look.
Q4: Will this feature come to older Pixel phones?
A: This feature is part of the Android 15 software update. Any Pixel phone that officially receives the Android 15 update (likely Pixel 6 and newer) should get this new toggle.
Q5: Why did Google make At a Glance permanent in the first place?
A: Google considered “At a Glance” a core part of the Pixel experience, designed to provide helpful, proactive information without you needing to open an app. It was meant to be an intelligent, integrated feature of the phone, not just a regular widget.
