This Google Pixel update will be as neat as it is surprising – we didn’t see that coming
This Google Pixel update will be as neat as it is surprising – we didn’t see that coming
Publish Date: 2026-05-11 07:00:00
Source Domain: www.t3.com
Quick Summary
Android 17 could come with the option to toggle off the Google search bar in the Pixel Launcher.
The search bar has long been a feature of Pixel phones.
Google could offer Pixel owners the option to turn off the search bar in Android 17, removing a key feature of the Pixel Launcher.
In Android 17, there could be the option to turn off the search bar, meaning that apps on the home screen sit closer to the bottom of the page.
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The details were shared by Mystic Leaks on Telegram (via 9to5Google) having been uncovered in an unreleased Android 17 build.
A toggle to turn the search bar on and off seems to have been added, in addition to the customisation options that already exist in Android 16.
That will please some users who want greater customisation or don’t find it useful, but over time, the search bar has become a key feature of Google’s home screen offering.
Google’s search bar isn’t just about accessing Google and through the years that it’s been part of Android, it has offered many features, so it might be that not many people want to remove it.
In addition to searching Google as you’d expect, it also searches your device, bubbling up apps in addition to returning search results. It also integrates shortcuts for Google Lens, as well as voice searching (which can also toggle song identification).
There’s the option for another shortcut too, which by default is AI Mode. While this is still a part of Google Search, it takes you straight into an AI chat.
There’s an argument that it’s a duplication of features with Gemini elsewhere on the phone and that’s…
