Skip to main content

Pollen got you sniffly? Google Pixel Weather can now help with that

Google Pixel showing the Google Pixel Weather app.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

When the pollen count is up, for many people that means breathing quality is down. Getting a heads-up on that, and being prepared, can make all the difference. This is why Google Pixel Weather can help.

Google has begun rolling out a new update to Pixel Weather which means it can now offer a pollen tracker feature across the wider U.S.

Recommended Videos

While this rollout began over the pass few days, it’s now starting to appear on a lot more devices, meaning it’s more nationally available – just in time for the weather changes affecting many people.

The pollen count will now be a prominent feature in the five-day weather forecast data found in Pixel Weather.

What is the Pixel Weather pollen feature?

There is a now a new dedicated section on Pixel Weather entitled Pollen.

This sits in a pill-shape box section with three data rings which are color-coded to give you an at-a-glance read-out of what to expect.

The first measurement is Grass, the second is Tree and the third is Weed.

Each of these metrics are given a score of between 0 and 4 which correspond to Low (green), Medium (yellow), High (orange) and Severe (red).

Tap into these and you are given more detail with a five-day forecast – initially showing the Grass measurement as the first metric.

It’s worth noting that this new Pollen section appears as the last card on your app screen. But you can re-order them allowing you to pull that higher if this is going to be something you want to see first.

Is pollen new in Pixel Weather?

For the U.S. this pollen feature is new. Yet it is playing catch-up as this is already available in the United Kingdon, Germany, France, Italy and Japan.

How can I see pollen in Pixel Weather?

Make sure you have the latest version of the app installed to ensure you’re getting the new pollen feature.

The version you will want is 1.0.20250315.x at least in order to see this update.

Luke Edwards
Luke has over two decades of experience covering tech, science and health. Among many others, Luke writes about health tech…
I’ll buy the Pixel Watch 4 if Google changes this one feature
The display on the Google Pixel Watch 3.

Personally, the Google Pixel Watch 3 was the success story of 2024. In just three generations, Google debuted the Pixel Watch, a pretty terrible smartwatch, improved it massively for the Pixel Watch 2, and then perfected it with the Pixel Watch 3. And I'll admit, it's a comeback story I wasn't expecting to see. Sure, I'd noticed the Pixel Watch 2 was pretty good, but at no point did I expect it to smash through the glass ceiling in my yearning heart marked "Only Samsung Galaxy Watches here". But smash through it did, and through the shards of raining glass it rose, like an ascending angel.

Alright, so I'm laying it on a little thick. But it's important to note quite how desirable the Pixel Watch has become in the last year. I'm even considering giving up my own hard-earned cash in return for the Google Pixel Watch 4 when it releases later this year. Except, there's one little issue I have with the Pixel Watches, and have had since the beginning. And until that one problem is changed, I can't see myself buying the Pixel Watch 4, or any future Pixel Watch.

Read more
Google Pixel Watch 4: what we want to see
Someone wearing the Google Pixel Watch 3, showing the app drawer.

Has there ever been such a quickly improved product as the Pixel Watch? Google's first attempt wasn't great, but the Pixel Watch 2 was much better, and the Google Pixel Watch 3 was, frankly, excellent. So it's safe to say there's a lot of expectation riding on the Pixel Watch 4. Will it be a showstopper like the Pixel Watch 3? Or will Google come full circle and release another duffer, like the first Pixel Watch.

Here's where you'll find all the latest leaks and rumors surrounding the Pixel Watch 4. However, since we don't have too many of those yet, we've also included a list of everything we'd like to see from the newest Pixel Watch.

Read more
You can now pay for Spotify any way you like
Spotify on iPhone.

That didn’t take long. Hours after a California-based District Court ruled that Apple must open external payments in apps in the U.S., and Apple changed its policies, the first such app has received approval. With the latest app update, Spotify has become the first app to allow external payment options directly from its iOS and iPadOS apps.

The move is being celebrated by the world’s top music streaming service. In a statement to 9to5Mac, Spotify spokesperson Jeanne Mora said:

Read more