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Joe Maring \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been just about a week since Google launched Android 17 Beta 1<\/a>, and as you\u2019ve probably heard by now, it\u2019s not a particularly big update. While we expect more new features in later beta versions, Beta 1 is pretty light on user-facing changes.<\/p>\n However, that doesn\u2019t mean there isn\u2019t anything cool in this first beta release.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been testing Android 17 Beta 1 on one of my Pixels, and there are already two features I desperately miss whenever I go back to a phone running Android 16.<\/p>\n What’s your favorite thing about Android 17 Beta 1?<\/p>\n 53 votes<\/p>\n Being able to remove At a Glance from the home screen<\/p>\n 36%<\/p>\n Customization options for the Google Search bar<\/p>\n 23%<\/p>\n Something else (let us know in the comments)<\/p>\n 6%<\/p>\n Nothing<\/p>\n 36%<\/p>\n Removing the At a Glance home screen widget<\/p>\n Joe Maring \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n At a Glance is one of my favorite Pixel features. Looking at my lock screen and seeing information like the weather, upcoming calendar appointments, flight info, and ongoing timers \u2014 all without unlocking my phone \u2014 is immensely helpful (especially when using the always-on display).<\/p>\n However, I find At a Glance\u2019s placement on the home screen\u00a0extremely annoying. It\u2019s not that the information is less useful, but having a persistent widget at the top of my home screen \u2014 one I can\u2019t move or get rid of \u2014 has always been a thorn in the Pixel home screen experience.<\/p>\n In Android 17 Beta 1, there\u2019s finally a solution to this: you can remove At a Glance from the home screen, freeing up an additional row of space for apps and widgets. It might not sound like much, but it goes a long way in letting you decide how to use that space. You can keep At a Glance on the home screen if you prefer, but the important thing is that you now get to decide rather than having Google decide for you. And, importantly, removing At a Glance from the home screen doesn\u2019t impact it on the lock screen at all.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting that some users had access to this setting<\/a> in Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1, though it appears to be more widely available in Android 17 Beta 1. And, without a doubt, it\u2019s been a highlight of my Android 17 Beta experience so far.<\/p>\n Google Search bar customization options<\/p>\n Joe Maring \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n In Android 17, if you press and hold on the Google Search bar at the bottom of the home screen, you can tap a new \u201cWidget settings\u201d button to customize the search bar to your exact liking. This includes options for the search bar\u2019s theme (including full custom colors), its transparency, and even its shortcut.<\/p>\n In the week I\u2019ve been using Android 17 Beta 1, I haven\u2019t quite decided which shortcut I want to stick with. The News shortcut has been nice for quickly checking the news with just a tap, though I\u2019ve also found the Saved shortcut quite handy. I may also just disable it and keep my search bar a little less cluttered<\/a>. Whatever I ultimately decide on, having that freedom of choice has been incredible.<\/p>\n These customization options have previously been available for the standard Google Search widget, though they\u2019ve never been supported by the Google Search bar on the Pixel home screen. This discrepancy never really made sense, and it\u2019s wonderful to have that corrected in Android 17 Beta 1.<\/p>\n We\u2019re just getting started\n<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been let down by what we\u2019ve seen from Android 17 Beta 1 so far, it\u2019s worth reiterating that a lot\u00a0more is on the horizon. We know Google is working on a controversial split design for the notification panel and Quick Settings. A universal clipboard should arrive at some point, as should a very cool App Lock feature. And that\u2019s to say nothing of other features that haven\u2019t leaked yet. Simply put, there\u2019s still a lot to look forward to with Android 17<\/a>.<\/p>\n But even at this point with Android 17 Beta 1, I\u2019m quite happy with what we\u2019ve seen so far. Between the At a Glance and Google Search bar changes, Android 17 has already addressed two longstanding complaints \u2014 and I\u2019m thrilled with both of them.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/android-17-beta-1-at-a-glance-removed-hero-2-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"android")
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