Google Shrinks Pixel's At A Glance Widget In Android 16 QPR1, But You Still Can't Turn It Off

Google is finally delivering an update to the At a Glance widget on Pixel devices in Android 16 QPR1, making the widget smaller, but still not allowing it to be disabled completely.

The Android 16 update we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived in beta, but there’s one change missing. The At a Glance widget on Pixel devices has been a static part of the homescreen for years now, for better or for worse. There’s been work behind wthe scenes to offer the option to turn off At a Glance, but that’s not live in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1.

Rather, Google has instead shrunk the At a Glance widget in this latest Android 16 update, opening up a new row for widgets and icons.

On installing QPR1, you’ll see a prompt on the Pixel Launcher which says:

Enjoy more space for apps
Good news! Your home screen has a new layout, which means there’s space for more apps & widgets

This comes as the Pixel Launcher no longer details grid sizes as “5×5,” “4×5,” and so on. They’re now called “Small,” “Medium,” “Large,” and “XL,” with the names corresponding to icon size.

While it’s a shame that you still can’t turn off the widget, the smaller At a Glance design on Pixel does leave users with more space, which is a good way to split the difference. Notably too, you can see the updated design on the lock screen as well.

We’re still digging into Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, so stay tuned for more.