Pixel Users Get Google Clock 8.3 Update with Clean UI and Gemini Features

Google has started to slowly roll out the new version 8.3 of the Clock app, which is aimed at making time management easier and the overall Android user experience better through a number of updates. The update mainly consists of usability improvements, a cleaner interface, and deeper integration with Google's new AI Gemini.

The redesigned alarm background is one of the most significant visual modifications in Google Clock 8.3. Up until now, alarms used to show the wallpaper of the user which sometimes made the reading of the time and the controlling of the buttons difficult. A solid color background, which is taken from the main colors of the wallpaper, replaces the wallpapers in the new version thus making the visibility of the Snooze and Stop buttons better. A small pill right at the top of the screen now shows Quick Phrases like "Snooze" or "Stop" which makes voice-controlled interactions through Google Assistant faster.

The Settings menu has undergone a reorganization in order to improve its accessibility. The users can now easily go through Alarms, World Clock, Timer, and Screen Saver in a simple sequence via the three-dot menu at the top-right of the app. The update has also brought along a dynamic visual effect for alarms that make the numbers to rhythmically grow and shrink in order to catch the user's attention.

Google Clock 8.3 is a clear indication of the company's transition from Google Assistant to Gemini. Assistant-like features such as setting up morning routines that include weather or news updates, are now simply referred to as “Routines,” with the old Assistant logo being replaced by the new Gemini sparkles icon. This is in line with Google’s more extensive plan to incorporate Gemini throughout its Pixel devices.

The World Clock function has been improved with local temperature and weather conditions added for every participating city. The users can easily compare the conditions across different places thus making the global time tracking process more informative. To illustrate, if a person is in Salem, Massachusetts, he/she/they will see that it is 49°F there while those in Sofia have 43°F.

The 8.3 upgrade is being issued in stages. The users can determine what app version they are currently using by going to Settings > Apps > Google Clock and then scrolling down until they reach the bottom of the App info page. Devices with no app can get it straight from the Play Store.

In another aspect, Android users are taking the redesigns in Material 3 Expressive and Android 16 QPR1 updates as a great advantage, which have rendered even the Pixel 6 Pro of the past generation, a viable choice. A lot of users claim that UI responsiveness has been improved and visual clarity has increased, thus making obsolete devices more acceptable as compared to the new smartphones.

Google is still in the process of testing the Magic Cue advanced AI feature, which is one of the tech company's future ideas that will serve up context-based suggestions proactively. The feature is currently on Pixel 10 devices only, for example, if the user is about to change his/her/their flight and is calling the airline for that, It will, therefore, automatically show the reservation details first.