Google pulls Daily Hub AI from Pixel 10 weeks after launch

Google has removed the Daily Hub AI feature from Pixel 10 phones just weeks after launch, citing the need to improve its performance and personalized experience. The company says it will reintroduce an enhanced version when ready, but the pullback highlights ongoing challenges with on-device AI features that promise more than they deliver.

What you should know: Daily Hub was designed to create personalized daily digests using on-device AI processing, appearing in Google Discover feeds and the At a Glance home screen widget.

• The feature pulled data from users’ apps and ran it through Tensor processor AI models to generate insights refreshed multiple times throughout the day.
• Google’s approach processes personal data on-device rather than sending it to the cloud, similar to Samsung’s Now Brief feature.

Why it was pulled: Daily Hub failed to provide meaningful insights despite its ambitious premise, often showing little more than weather updates and basic information.

• In testing, the feature rarely displayed anything beyond weather, suggested videos, and AI search prompts.
• When it did integrate calendar data, it couldn’t differentiate between users’ personal calendars and shared calendar information.
• The largely useless reports appeared multiple times daily, making it “more of a nuisance than helpful,” according to reviewers.

The bigger challenge: Both Google and Samsung are struggling to generate useful daily insights despite smartphones being rich with personal data.

• Samsung continues promoting its Now Brief feature as a chief AI innovation, even though it rarely offers more than weather and calendar reminders.
• The difficulty suggests current on-device AI models aren’t sophisticated enough to meaningfully process and synthesize personal data into actionable insights.

What they’re saying: “To ensure the best possible experience on Pixel, we’re temporarily pausing the public preview of Daily Hub for users,” a Google spokesperson said.

• “Our teams are actively working to enhance its performance and refine the personalized experience. We look forward to reintroducing an improved Daily Hub when it’s ready.”

The big picture: The Daily Hub removal underscores the gap between AI feature marketing promises and real-world utility, even as Google promotes the Pixel 10 series with “more than 20 new AI experiences.”