Google Assistant's "visual snapshot” screen on Android and iOS can give you a rundown of the day ahead, including calendar appointments, weather, travel times, stocks, itineraries and more.
Think of the visual snapshot as an iteration of Google Now baked into the Assistant, with a greater emphasis on predicting actions to help you stay on task throughout your day.
The snapshot begins with a greeting message and forecast. From there, you’ll see dynamic suggestions based on time, place and recent queries you’ve asked the Assistant.
If that sounds familiar, well it should — Google first pitched the context-aware hub with Google Now all the way back in 2012. The difference here is that while Google Now was chiefly concerned with surfacing information you might need, Assistant is all about providing actions.
For example, if you typically play Spotify on your way to work, you’ll see a link to launch your Discover Weekly playlist right underneath a map of the traffic ahead. Google says that the snapshot will integrate with more first- and third-party services over time, including note-taking apps like Google Keep, Any.do, Todoist and so on.
MORE: How to Pick a New Voice in Google Assistant
These days, software developers are increasingly focused on making their virtual companions more contextually aware through the use of artificial intelligence, so they can accurately predict what you want to do next.
Android users can access their Google Assistant snapshot by tapping an icon in the corner of the window after summoning the Assistant. On iOS, your snapshot will appear upon launching the Assistant app. Additionally, the Assistant’s suggestions can be provided as notifications if you so choose, to save you the trouble of manually launching your snapshot to receive insights about the day ahead.
For more Google Assistant-related tips, tricks, and how-tos, check out our complete guide to Google Assistant.
Image Credit: Google, Shutterstock
