Android 15 Beta 2 Removes Time from Pixel Stand’s Google Photos Slideshow

TLDR: Android 15 Beta 2 removes time from Pixel Stand’s Google Photos slideshow, updates album selection UI, and introduces the “Dreams” app for screen saver consolidation.

Android 15 Beta 2 has brought changes to the Google Photos slideshow when your phone is charging on the Pixel Stand. The time has vanished from the display.

Changes to the Slideshow Display

When you place your phone on a Pixel Stand and Google Photos activates, you’ll notice the following changes at the bottom of the slideshow:

• Time and charging status (percentage + time until full) no longer appear
• Only the album name is shown in the bottom-right corner

Additionally, the Google Assistant icon has been removed from the always-on display for one-tap access, but the “Hey Google” hotword still works.

Issues with Screen Saver Settings

If you try to access Settings > Display > Screen saver, the preferences app will crash. Similarly, on the Pixel Tablet, you can’t access Settings > Hub Mode > Screen saver to make changes. However, your previous choice remains available.

Under-the-Hood Changes

Android 15 Beta 2 adds the “Dreams” app/service to phones, which Google first introduced for the Pixel Tablet to power the docked Screen saver experience. The new version of the Dreams app on Pixel phones is labeled “dreamliner,” referring to the Pixel Stand. Google might be consolidating how the two similar experiences operate.

As part of this change, the UI for selecting Google Photos albums has been updated and no longer goes through Assistant.

Hope for Future Updates

Hopefully, future updates will bring back the old Google Photos experience, as knowing the time is a key part of the Pixel Stand for some users.

Time will tell.