A new leak shows an incoming ability for Google Pixel phones to disable the built-in search bar that has been part of the Pixel Launcher for years.
Pixel Launcher is a clean and refined experience for the Android home screen, but understandably there have been two key complaints. For years, Google has had two parts of the home screen built into the launcher without the user having a choice: the “At a Glance” widget and the search bar.
Google added the ability to remove At a Glance widget with Android 16and now it looks like the search bar is next in line.
mystical leaks shared a screen recording of what appears to be a leaked build of the stable Android 17 QPR1 build; Given the timeline at play here, this is all subject to change. With that in mind, this build shows off a new option that allows users to easily disable the search bar in Pixel Launcher.
The option appears in Pixel Launcher settings > Search bar settings > Show search bar. Turning this off removes the bottom search bar and brings docked apps closer to the bottom of the screen.
It’s a welcome change since, simply put, not everyone wants a search bar at the bottom of your screen.
Google just released the second beta version for Android 17 QPR1 earlier this week, with the final version coming later this year. Meanwhile, the stable version is probably around the corner.
More about Android 17:
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