Google Assistant redesigned to be simpler & more powerful on phones, rolling out now
First announced at I/O 2018, Google is officially rolling out the mobile redesign of Google Assistant. Focussed on bigger visuals and new controls, the company has been testing several of the components for the past several weeks.
The revamped experiences begins when users hold down on the home button, squeeze the sides of a Pixel 2, or any other device-specific way to launch Google Assistant. A slightly shorter panel pops up with a smaller Assistant icon in the upper-left corner and Google Lens on the very left, while keyboard input is now at the right.
Icons for Upcoming and Explore have also been tweaked in the process, while voice bubbles now feature shaper corners on the upper-left.
Sliding up takes users directly to the Google Now-like visual snapshot feature that has been widely available since I/O. This "makeover" for phones comes as "nearly half of all interactions with the Assistant include both voice and touch." Users can now interact with images, as well as bigger sliders and more touch-friendly, rounded buttons.
Additionally, smart home controls features large dials to adjust the brightness of lights or the volume on a smart speaker. Cards for the weather, sports scores, and more have all been redesigned, with a trend of centering items.
There is also a new interactive messaging interface that makes it easier to add punctuation, change a word, and make quick edits as you compose.
Lastly, third-party Actions on Google can now fill up the entire screen:
Starbucks now has thumbnails to select from recommended items on their menus, Food Network has larger images of their recipes, and FitStar uses GIFs to give you a preview of your workout.
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