You Can Finally Remove Pixel’s Annoying ‘At a Glance’ Widget

I really like my Pixel 9abut there is a glaring problem with my Pixel staring at me every time I unlock my phone. And it’s the At a Glance widget at the top of the screen that Google just won’t let me remove. I like a clean lock screen, and ultimately, I got so frustrated looking at this totally non-customizable widget that displays the time and weather that I gave up and I switched to Niagara Launcher. And if you think it’s just my own difficult character, I can confidently say it’s not just me; Reddit is filled with people complaining about it.

But it seems that after 10 iterations of Pixels, Google is finally letting people get rid of this widget, freeing up space for something better than this. The new option will be part of Android 16’s QPR 3 update, which will be released sometime in March 2026. But if you install the beta, you can try it now.

How to install Android 16 QPR 3 beta 1

Android QPR betas are updated quarterly and anyone with a compatible Pixel device can sign up. Visit the Android Beta Program Website and register your device. Reboot and you will be on the beta channel. It’s really easy to mount and won’t require a factory reset. But getting rid of an installed beta version is not that simple. Once you’ve installed the latest QPR 3 beta, you’re set for the long haul, at least until Android 16 ships the stable version in March. If something goes wrong or you have battery issues, the only way to downgrade would be to erase your device. So before you start, make sure you have a complete backup.

In short is an interesting idea, but rarely useful. It’s supposed to show you relevant information like the weather, your next appointment, alerts, air quality, and even fitness app suggestions and delivery updates. But instead, what it shows is unpredictable and quite simple, and it takes up valuable screen space. Worse yet, you can’t customize it to make it better. I can’t wait to get rid of it once and for all.

Once you’re using the latest software, it’s pretty simple. Long press the At a glance widget and choose it Settings option.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Here, disable the new Show on home screen option under the Operation at a glance to fall over. This will instantly disable the home screen widget, but you will still have access to it on the lock screen. Disable it Operation at a glance also switch to get rid of them everywhere.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

And there you have it. Your home screen is finally free. You can leave the space blank if you like or, like me, you can add a big old clock instead.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

If you want to restore the At a Glance widget, long-press on an empty part of the home screen and choose Home Settingsthen press the Gear icon next to At a glance option. From here you can re-enable the widget using the Show on home screen to fall over.