The Google app is intentionally taking over the Pixel Launcher search
In recent days, tapping the Pixel Launcher search bar now opens a screen driven by the Google app. This isn’t a bug; it’s a deliberate change.
Before this change, the bottom-of-home-screen bar would reveal the Pixel Launcher search—a translucent panel that keeps your wallpaper visible at the top and invites you to “Search web and more.” It also displayed a row of app suggestions and past queries inside Material 3 Expressive containers.
Pixel Launcher vs. Google app
Now, the search action launches a fullscreen experience powered by the Google app, an interface that’s several years old and mirrors what you see on other Android devices when you tap the Google Search bar on the home screen. It’s also the same experience you get when you open the full Google app to perform a search.
You can still open apps from this bar, but you lose built-in app search and shortcuts for Clock, Contacts, Pixel Tips, Play Store, Settings, and Wallet.
Google confirms this change is intentional, not a bug. It was even announced as part of the November 2025 Feature Drop, under the heading “An upgraded home screen search bar.”
The promise: quick access to AI Mode, Google’s most powerful AI search experience, directly from the Pixel home screen search bar. This likely refers to the button located to the right of the voice search and Lens icons.
The update aims to let you start and resume AI Mode journeys more rapidly, enabling deeper web exploration. It also shows more suggested apps in the top row, making it easier to continue exploring on your device.
The core takeaway appears to be faster access to past AI Mode queries. Some users may see this as unnecessary, or at least something that could be added to the current Pixel Launcher search UI without replacing it.
Overall, many will view this as a visual and functional regression. Any potential disappointment could be reduced if Google modernizes the search screen in a future update.
If you still want the old Pixel Launcher search experience, you can access it via the bar at the top of the app grid. There’s also an option to enable “Swipe up to start search,” though this choice disrupts established muscle memory.
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Would you prefer Google to keep the Pixel Launcher search unchanged, or do you think the new, AI-focused approach offers meaningful benefits despite the trade-offs? Share your thoughts in the comments.
