Google Assistant gets refreshed smartphone UI, integrates Google Now-esque features

Google Assistant first debuted on the company’s Pixel smartphones back in 2016, and today at Google I/O, the company is giving it a visual refresh, as well as integrating some long-missed features.

Shown off on stage at Google I/O, Assistant is getting a new UI which uses the full screen to give you feedback for your results. One example would be for searching for a celebrity, which results in a UI like you can see above.

Alternatively, asking to change the temperature of your smart thermostat gives you an interactive slider which makes it easy to adjust the temperature on-screen instead of using another voice command.

Along with that, Google is bringing back some of Google Now’s features in the Assistant, with a new UI that is available beneath the standard Assistant function. These new proactive features are designed to give you a “snapshot of your day.”

We’re also redesigning the Assistant experience on the screen that’s with us all the time—our phones. The Assistant will give you a quick snapshot of your day, with suggestions based on the time of day, location and recent interactions with the Assistant. To provide a summary of tasks and list items, we’re integrating popular notes and lists services from Google Keep, Any.do, Todoist and many more. We’re also bringing a new food pick-up and delivery experience to the Assistant that isn’t constrained by a chat-style interface, so you can order your favorites from Starbucks, Doordash and Applebee’s, in addition to existing partners like Dunkin’ Donuts and Domino’s. The new visual design will be available in the Google Assistant app later this year.