Android 17 Beta 1 quietly lands with a small but meaningful win for customization: you can finally remove the At a Glance widget from the Pixel Launcher home screen. The change answers one of the most consistent user requests in Google’s forums and community threads, giving back valuable top-row space while keeping the widget’s glanceable info on the lock screen.
What Changed and Why It Matters for Pixel Users
Since the Pixel 2 era, At a Glance has been a fixture pinned to the top of the primary home screen, surfacing weather, commute, calendar, and safety alerts. Helpful as it is, its immovable placement often clashed with carefully arranged grids and third-party widgets. Android 17 Beta 1 adds a straightforward toggle that breaks that long-standing lock, signaling that Google is more comfortable letting users choose how to balance glanceable info with a cleaner, more personal layout.
This isn’t a total departure. The widget remains visible on the lock screen, preserving its role for time-sensitive alerts like severe weather and transit notifications. That compromise keeps the utility that Google has emphasized in its design guidelines while acknowledging the customization ethos that has driven Android’s identity from the start.
How to Turn Off At a Glance on Pixel Launcher
Disabling the widget takes only a few taps. Long-press At a Glance on your home screen, choose Settings, then switch off the “Show on home screen” toggle. The widget disappears from the top-left of your first home screen page, freeing room for app icons, a larger calendar or weather widget, or whatever layout fits your workflow.
If you rely on At a Glance for crucial signals, you’ll still see its information on the lock screen. That balance mirrors feedback Google has collected through the Android Beta Program and the public issue tracker, where requests to disable or reposition the widget frequently ranked among the most starred launcher feature requests.
A Win for Pixel Launcher Customization and Control
For years, some power users turned to third-party launchers like Nova or Lawnchair to escape the forced placement. But most Pixel owners stick with the stock launcher for tight integration with Assistant, the Google Discover feed, and fluid system animations. By making At a Glance removable in the default experience, Google reduces the friction between simplicity and control—an ongoing theme since Material You introduced more expressive theming, iconography, and grid options.
The practical impact is bigger than it looks. Freeing the top row affects symmetry and reachability, especially on tall screens like the Pixel 8 Pro and foldables. You can run denser 5x grids without a forced empty band, anchor a large to-do or finance widget at the very top, or keep a minimal single-row look for a distraction-free home.
Other Notable Visual Tweaks in Android 17 Beta 1
Beyond At a Glance, Android 17 Beta 1 brings a few touches of polish. The volume panel now uses a more descriptive slider icon instead of a three-dot overflow button, aligning with accessibility guidance from the Android design team. The Quick Settings brightness control also gets a refreshed sun glyph with rounded edges for visual consistency with Material You shapes. There are subtle customization options for the home screen search bar as well. None of these change how you use your phone, but they show Google refining the look and feel as the release cycle ramps up.
Availability and Early Caveats for Beta Testers
Android 17 Beta 1 is available through the Android Beta Program for supported Pixel devices, including recent phones, the Pixel Fold, and Pixel Tablet. As with any early build, features may shift before stable release, and behavior can vary across devices or user profiles. If you try the new toggle and notice oddities—such as the widget reappearing after a launcher update—use the Android Beta Feedback app to report it so Google can tighten the experience ahead of the next beta.
What to Watch Next as Android 17 Development Continues
Google typically saves bigger UI swings for later betas, and developer previews suggest more restructuring could be on the way, including experiments that separate Quick Settings from notifications. For now, the ability to remove At a Glance stands out as the most user-visible change—small on paper, but a clear nod to the customization that Android users have been asking for.
