Google app for Android has redesigned the Search bar homescreen widget and making it available to all users after beta testing earlier this month.
A pill-shaped container with the “G” emblem at the left was the only element of the previous design. Google Lens, a voice input microphone, and an optional shortcut are located toward the right.
The original Search bar, without any custom action, is now housed in a different container according to today’s update. The shortcut is shifted to the right and positioned inside a circle. The three buttons don’t look overly crowded next to each other because to this separation. This widget remains in the container but moves almost edge-to-edge if the shortcut is disabled.
In keeping with Material 3’s thicker search fields and Expressive’s preference for containerizing everything, this new widget is a little higher than the previous one. In general, it is modeled after the Circle to Search makeover that was introduced earlier this year.
Even if the Customize page’s Transparency slider is set to 0%, you can still see your background wallpaper thanks to the background container. In all cases, the inner shapes will be darker than the outer ones.
The ‘G’ only launches the Google app, therefore the minimum width required to make all four buttons show up is 4×1 rather than 3×1. Some homescreen layouts may be affected by this.
As part of a server-side upgrade, Google app 16.19 is redesigning the search bar widget (attempt a Force stop of the application). It’s unclear if Google will eventually add a custom shortcut to the Pixel Launcher and alter the search bar.
