Last July, Google began testing a redesign of the Assistant that was partially launched with the Pixel 4. This compact Google Assistant is now appearing in its breadth to many Google App beta users – but not yet complete – rollout.
Update 9-10: After disappearing earlier this week, the compact accessory is back. It is available again on devices that have lost it, while it is shown to users who did not get the new UI last month. This could be a comprehensive rollout.
Update 9/7: Compact Google Assistant has disappeared in the last few days or so for some users. It has gone on all devices for me, while it is only available to one companion on one phone. This suggests that despite the huge availability, the redesign by Google was not considered ready to launch.
Original 8/14: The signature aspect of this new design is its compact size. It starts with a panel that pops up after giving the assistant a shorter interval than before, while the UI elements are held together. The center pill, which provides access to the lens, voice and keyboard access, remains the same. Snapshots and shortcuts for exploration remain the same, although some users today are looking for an “update” that introduces what the assistant can do.
The notification chips look similar to the carousel, but are now one for “reverse activity”. Appearing on the left, this opens a sheet of recent commands and links to all auxiliary history.
The next change is a large profile avatar on the top-right, while the auxiliary icon in the other corner is slightly larger.
Once you ask a question, the help panel will not cover the entire display to show the answer. Most results – such as requesting music – take up the lower half of your screen when the weather drops your background funds, whether it’s your homescreen or the last used app. A small change in the last command shows the condition icons to Google in the notification chip.
Overall, this helps maintain context and makes Google feel relaxed, as we noted in our new support review:
With this highly improved protection of context and subtlety, Google reveals how you want to interact with the assistant. In the past, sound was an experience that performed throughout and often brought you to a scrollable feed. The new accessory on the Pixel 4 is now similar to Google’s announced ambient computing future where interacting with support should happen without the expectation of disrupting your life.
The last rollout took place in June when more users faced the compact Google Assistant. As of this morning, the redesign is seeing its highest availability on the beta channel. However, it has not yet fully begun.
More about Google Assistant:
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