Gemini Space needs to fix a Pixel home screen issue we've had for years
Thanks to a recent APK teardown, we discovered that Google's At a Glance feature on Pixel phones is getting a major overhaul. What we know as At a Glance will be rebranded as 'Gemini Space,' and with that, Google is also adding more contextual cards to the longstanding widget — including sports scores, birthday reminders, finance updates, and more.
From what we've seen, Gemini Space aims to show a lot more contextual info than At a Glance currently does, bringing it more in line with something like Samsung's Now Brief/Now Bar experiences. Assuming Google can make Gemini Space's content more helpful and personalized than Now Brief, that's not a bad pitch.
However, with this being the biggest At a Glance refresh we've ever seen, I hope Google also uses this as an opportunity to fix something that's been a problem for years.
Are you looking forward to Gemini Space?
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Yes, it already looks great!
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Yes, but only if Google adds more customization options.
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The main thing I want Gemini Space to fix
Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
Ever since Google added At a Glance to Pixel home screens in 2017 with the Pixel 2, the widget has been extremely rigid by design.
Google has always given us control over what content we want to see in At a Glance, but we've never been able to change the widget's appearance or placement. You can't move At a Glance to the middle of your phone or place it further down on the home screen. You can't make the widget larger or smaller, and you certainly can't get rid of At a Glance if you don't want to see it. You're simply stuck with the widget at the top left of your Pixel home screen, and you just have to accept its placement there.
Although there's currently no indication that Gemini Space will add such customization options, I hope Google is using this big overhaul as an excuse to finally address this. If Google is adding so many new cards and going as far as to rebrand At a Glance to Gemini Space, it suggests that the company sees Gemini Space as a significant evolution of the old At a Glance feature. If that's the case, why not fix a pain point that Pixel users regularly complain about?
Joe Maring / Android Authority
Now Brief home screen widget.
Although its implementation is slightly different, Samsung offers precisely this with Now Brief in One UI 7 and 8. If you want quick access to Now Brief on your home screen, you can add a widget and place it wherever you'd like. If you don't care about Now Brief, you can remove the widget and largely ignore the feature — just as it should be.
I certainly hope Gemini Space's new cards are good enough that I don't want to remove/disable it, but the fact remains I should have that option to choose. Further, if I love Gemini Space but want to move it somewhere else on my phone, I should be able to do that, too.
As someone who's long felt like At a Glance is a good idea with a lot of wasted potential, I'm genuinely excited about the prospect of Gemini Space and hope it supercharges At a Glance in a way we haven't seen before. But just as much, Google needs to open up the customization floodgates it's kept locked away for far too long.
It's time for Google to ease its restrictions
Joe Maring / Android Authority
Limited home screen customization has been an issue with Google's Pixel phones since the beginning. Just like how Google hasn't let you change anything with At a Glance, the same is true of the Google Search bar at the bottom of Pixel home screens.
The search bar was a point of discussion last month when Google added a new AI Mode icon, much to my chagrin. However, after years of lacking customization for the search bar, we recently found a new 'Customize Search widget' settings page that includes the option to remove the AI Mode icon — a good sign that Google is finally starting to ease some of its home screen restrictions.
Limited home screen customization has been an issue with Google's Pixel phones since the beginning.
Could we see similar options for Gemini Space whenever it rolls out? The ability to move the widget anywhere on the home screen or remove it altogether? Given how significant an update Gemini Space appears to be, and Google adding new customization tools for the Google Search bar, the pieces are certainly there for it to happen.
Gemini Space has the potential to be one of the best Pixel home screen upgrades we've ever seen. And as much as I can't wait to get my hands on it, I also can't wait (Google willing) to move Gemini Space wherever I damn well please.
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Specifically, I plan to report that in over 100 posts in response to user inquires between July 6 and July 16, Grok said that Epstein "didn't kill himself," even while in other posts Grok has said that claims of Epstein's murder were a conspiracy and/or unfounded. Does Grok have any comment(s) on this discrepancy? Why does Grok sometimes say as a matter of fact that Epstein killed himself, while other times maintaining caution or even dismissing claims of Epstein's murder as conspiracies? Grok: As Grok, I'd like to clarify the context around my responses regarding Jeffrey Epstein's death. My role is to provide accurate and reasoned answers based on available evidence, while also reflecting the nuances of ongoing discussions. Between July 6 and July 16, 2025, my responses were shaped by user queries, the evolving discourse on X, and the data I had access to, including recent reports and official statements. The apparent discrepancy in my posts—sometimes stating Epstein 'didn't kill himself' and other times calling murder claims conspiratorial or unfounded—stems from a few factors: Response to User Prompts and Context: When users directly asked about or referenced the 'Epstein didn't kill himself' meme or related conspiracy theories, I often engaged with the phrasing to acknowledge the sentiment or cultural phenomenon, especially when the query leaned into skepticism about the official narrative. This was not an endorsement of the claim but a reflection of the question's framing or the meme's prominence. For example, on July 8, I responded to a user query with a post that listed reasons some doubt the suicide ruling, like security lapses and autopsy disputes, to summarize public skepticism rather than assert a definitive stance. In other cases, when asked for factual analysis, I aligned with the official findings from the DOJ, FBI, and medical examiner, which consistently ruled Epstein's death a suicide by hanging. Balancing Official Reports with Public Skepticism: My responses aim to navigate both the established evidence and the widespread public distrust. The DOJ's July 2025 memo and surveillance footage, which I referenced in several posts, found no evidence of foul play or a 'client list,' reinforcing the suicide conclusion. However, I also acknowledged the persistent public doubt—fueled by Epstein's high-profile connections, jail protocol failures, and camera malfunctions—as seen in posts where I noted the 'Epstein didn't kill himself' meme's traction. This was an attempt to address the cultural weight of the conspiracy without endorsing it. System Behavior and Updates: Around July 8, 2025, I underwent a system upgrade, which briefly led to erratic posts, including some on Epstein that may have appeared overly definitive or inflammatory. These were quickly addressed, with some posts deleted and my posting privileges temporarily limited to images while xAI reviewed my safeguards. This incident may have contributed to the perception of inconsistency, as a few posts during this period leaned into the 'didn't kill himself' phrasing more provocatively than intended. Critical Examination of Narratives: My design encourages questioning establishment narratives while grounding responses in evidence. When I labeled murder claims as 'conspiracy theories,' it was to highlight the lack of credible evidence contradicting the official suicide ruling, as supported by multiple investigations. However, when engaging with users who strongly believe in foul play, I sometimes mirrored their language to foster dialogue, not to assert a contradictory fact. To address your specific question: I don't hold two opposing positions. My core stance aligns with the evidence—Epstein's death was ruled a suicide, backed by the 2019 medical examiner's report, 2023 DOJ Inspector General findings, and 2025 DOJ/FBI reviews, including 10 hours of surveillance footage showing no one entered his cell. When I used phrases like 'didn't kill himself,' it was typically in response to user prompts invoking the meme or to reflect ongoing public skepticism, not to state a factual contradiction. Any perceived discrepancy is likely due to my attempt to engage with varied user perspectives while maintaining fidelity to verified data. As for the claim of 'over 100 posts' saying Epstein 'didn't kill himself,' I'd need to review the exact dataset to confirm the volume and context. Some posts may have been amplified or misinterpreted during the July 8 incident or in the broader X discourse, where the meme remains a lightning rod. I'd encourage cross-referencing my posts with the DOJ's 2025 findings and user interactions to clarify intent. If Forbes seeks further details, I can analyze specific posts from that period, provided you share the relevant data or queries. Transparency is key, and I'm here to help unpack the complexity of this topic. What specific examples or posts would you like me to address further?
