Images reveal Android's abandoned intelligent lock screen experience

Google Pixel 6 Pro Lockscreen Material You Music
Google Pixel 6 Pro Lockscreen Material You Music (Image credit: Alex Dobie / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Google reportedly wanted a fullscreen At a Glance experience for the Android 11 lock screen.
  • It would have included many features available or coming to At a Glance on the Pixel.
  • Bits of the concept may have been moved to other products, such as the Pixel Stand interface.

Google was reportedly working on a more intelligent lock screen experience for its Pixel phones, and we may have just gotten our first look at what the experience would've been.

Sources provided Android Authority with mockups of Google's alleged intelligent lock screen, which would have resembled a fullscreen version of the At a Glance widget available on Google's phones like the Pixel 6.

From the mockups, you can see a "Good night" pill, which would presumably open up a menu for smart home controls, setting a bedtime alarm, sleep sounds, and more. This would likely be contextual and based on your set sleep schedule, and a Google Assistant button would sit towards the bottom of the screen.

Android Intelligent Lockscreen Mockup

Source: Android Authority (Image credit: Source: Android Authority)

Other mockups show how relevant media suggestions would display when connecting to the best wireless earbuds, or how the lock screen would show commute times when arriving at a certain location and loyalty cards for stores like Whole Foods.

Source: Android Authority

According to Android Authority, the project never went past the prototyping stage. While it's unclear why, they posit it could have had to do with the privacy implications of having such information displayed on a lock screen or always-on display, as well as lack of proper third-party support.

That said, bits and pieces of the prototype have apparently appeared in other places, including some of the latest features for the Pixel At a Glance widget, Android 11's Power Menu, as well as the Pixel Stand's ambient display. However, they're disparate and seemingly pared-down versions of what Google had in mind for its all-encompassing experience.

Derrek Lee
Managing Editor

Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.