Google's mistake: Removing Daily Hub from Pixel 10 devices

I’m disappointed that Google removed Daily Hub from Pixel 10 devices. I understand it was a public preview, and the company wants to work on improving the feature, but it’s the wrong move.

It amplifies a growing sentiment that Google’s new Gemini functions weren’t ready for prime time — an opinion I disagree with.

I expected the company’s new approach to AI to go through some growing pains, but the underlying premise is correct.

I want AI to be out of the way, only popping into the user experience when needed. Daily Hub did that.

While it absolutely needs to do more, and Google is right to work on the feature, removing it entirely sends the wrong message. Here’s why.

Daily Hub worked well as a public preview

Providing the occasional generative info

It may be that my expectations are so low for AI at this point that anything that feels generative is going to meet my standard.

Daily Hub was unoffensive. It lived in the upper-left corner of your Google Discover feed. It wasn’t earth-shattering. It often displayed the weather and some YouTube recommendations.

However, I like how Google laid out the upcoming calendar information, giving me a clear list of what the week ahead looked like.

I also appreciated the generative touches. It knew my bowling season was starting, so it prompted me to check out some bowling stat applications to track my progress throughout the season.

It must’ve somehow known I was also the secretary of my league, because it left prompts for software that would help me run things.

It’s not something I would go out of my way to use, but Daily Hub kept to itself, which is more than I can say for Samsung’s competing AI product.

Now Brief is in your face and even more useless

Updates have improved it, but it’s taken a long time

Two wrongs don’t make a right, but I look towards Samsung’s Now Brief and wonder why Google didn’t think it had more time to fix Daily Hub while it was still live.

Now Brief has been living on my Galaxy S25 device for nine months, with little to show for it. I still haven’t gotten anything that remotely feels generative from the content — certainly no bowling recommendations.

Samsung has added features, like parking spot reminders and traffic updates. Still, it took the company over six months to implement those features, and it’s challenging to get them to work properly.

The news stories never felt relevant to my interests, despite highlighting my preferences in Samsung News. It’s been an overall unpleasant experience.

Unlike Daily Hub, Samsung throws Now Brief in your face. I remove it from the home screen, but it always leaves reminders and bizarre messages in the Now Bar.

Daily Hub in public preview was better than Now Brief’s full release. That wasn’t a tough competition, but it was something to build on.

Pulling Daily Hub sends the wrong message

Google needs to control the story

I know the company can lean on the fact that the Daily Hub was in public preview, and pulling it gives Google time to work on it further.

However, the public relations reality is far different. It’s seen as Google removing a feature that was on the new Pixel 10 devices just a couple of weeks after launch.

It sparks a conversation that Google isn’t ready to have: whether its Google Gemini enhancements were ready for prime time.

Google has the right idea for implementing AI on smartphones. It’s meant as a support agent, not a personal assistant who completes tasks for you. It definitely needs to improve.

Google promised more than what Gemini is capable of on Pixel 10 devices currently, but the trend is moving in the right direction.

I enjoy Magic Cue’s user-friendly prompts, and Daily Hub was almost invisible on my Pixel 10.

Google could’ve kept the feature going, testing out new capabilities and gauging feedback. Instead, users are questioning whether it needs to be there, not the desired outcome.

Google needs to stay the course

Everyone who’s used technology long enough knows that everything Google demonstrated for the Pixel 10 series wouldn’t work exactly as advertised right out of the box.

However, the company has the right goals in mind, and the things that do work function well.

If you’re someone who doesn’t want AI controlling the final outcome of what you’re doing, the Pixel 10 is still the best phone to buy.