Widgets might be an afterthought for some phone owners, but depending on your apps, device, and operating system, they can add more convenience to your experience. Many developers have started to take widgets more seriously, paying extra attention to how their features could improve app usage and access. Google is one that continues to make tweaks to benefit its users, and its latest improvements are being seen in itsWeather app.
As noted by theGoogle News channelon Telegram, Google seems to be rolling out a new icon for its Weather and At a Glance widgets. This comes after itrevamped the Google Weather app and appletmonths ago as a part of its Material You redesign. Some users have reported seeing a new weather icon style that matches what’s found in the redesigned app, suggesting that Google could finally be launching the long-awaited update. However, nothing seems definitive just yet, and it’s unclear when the change might be available to all users globally.
The company updated its Weather app with the release of the Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold in mid-2023, and the redesign started spreading to phones in September 2023. That same month, Google’s At a Glance widgetreceived a Material You redesign, though this didn’t impact the embedded At a Glance “Smartspace” on Pixel phones — only the optional widget provided by the Google app. It appears both forms of At a Glance are in the process of getting updated weather icons now (via9to5Google).
Google has shown renewed focus on its Weather app in recent months. For example, the company released astandalone Google Weather app in December 2023that enabled integration with the Google Clock app on Pixel phones. Prior to this, Google Weather was only an applet, as weather information and its core functionality was simply pulled from the Google app.
Earlier in 2023,Google expanded upon its sources for weather dataas well. The company notably started leveraging information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s MRMS and HRRR sensor systems. The goal was to integrate it with information from existing data sources to provide more accurate forecasting. Dubbed Nowcast, this weather model now powers to-the-minute predictions about upcoming rain, snow, and hail in the updated Weather app and applet.
