Pixel phones might soon get feature similar to Samsung Now Bar; Phone app picking up Material 3 Expressive UI

Here’s a closer look at two fresh bits of Pixel news. First up, Google seems ready to give its lock screen a boost that feels a lot like Samsung’s Now Bar. Then we’ll dive into a revamp rolling out in the Phone app, which brings a more playful Material You look and handy new call gestures.

Gemini Space: Google’s answer to Samsung’s Now Bar

Google is quietly working on something called “Gemini Space.” It could land on Pixel 10 phones this summer and then trickle back to older models. Think of it as a souped‑up version of the familiar At a Glance widget.

The clue popped up in Android 16’s beta builds, where a system file named “Ambient Data” hinted at new lock‑screen content. Android Authority spotted that name in Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro firmware. That suggests Gemini Space isn’t limited to the next flagship — your current Pixel might see it too down the road.

Under the hood, Gemini Space will likely pull in snippets like finance recaps and sports scores. That mirrors the toggles found in the Pixel’s At a Glance settings, now rebranded behind names like “gemini_space_finance_recap” and “gemini_space_sports_score.” Soon, your lock screen could show yesterday’s market highlights or this evening’s game score without unlocking your phone.

This setup closely echoes Samsung’s Now Bar chip and its full‑screen Now Brief summary. On Galaxy devices, you tap the tiny strip at the bottom of the lock screen to expand a snapshot of your day. Google’s take seems to follow the same playbook. Last year, the Pixel lock‑screen widget even moved to the bottom in testing, a clear clue that Google has been exploring a similar look.

We still don’t know whether Gemini Space will pack any AI tricks from Google’s Gemini intelligence. It might just stay a smarter At a Glance. But what’s clear is that Google wants to lean harder on useful, glance‑and‑go info. Expect an official reveal once the Pixel 10 lands at Google’s August event.

Material 3 Expressive revamp in the Phone app

If you’ve been in the Phone app beta lately, you may have noticed bigger buttons, rounder corners, and more colorful touches. That’s Google beginning to roll out its Material 3 Expressive design to Pixel users. Well, at least some of them.

Version 180.0.771769344 on the beta channel already carries the update, as spotted by Android Authority. On the in‑call screen, fields like contact name and caller photo now stand out with bold, pill‑shaped controls. The Recent tab got a tweak too. Each past call sits inside a rounded card with a contrasting backdrop, making it easier to spot that missed number you meant to call back. All of this leans into the playful style Google introduced with Material You.

Even more useful are the new incoming call gestures. You can switch between a simple tap interface — two big buttons that say “Answer” and “Decline” — or a swipe slider that feels more like those satisfying lock‑screen pulls. Swipe right to pick up. Swipe left to hang up. It’s a small change, but one that could save fumbling when you’re in a hurry.

Both gestures live under a new “Incoming call gesture” setting. Flip the switch in Settings > Calls to experiment. At the moment, only beta testers can join the fun. But Google typically rolls these tweaks out server‑side, so everyone should see them in the stable channel soon.

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