The Pixel Launcher’s fixed search bar may finally become optional

Love it or hate it, if you use a Pixel phone, you have to deal with the Pixel Launcher and its quirks. While Google has added several customization options to the launch over the years, it's nowhere near as customizable as some third-party options available on the Play Store. More importantly, you have to deal with certain Google "perks," like a fixed search bar at the bottom. Thankfully, Google may be working on letting you get rid of it.

In the latest Android 17 QPR1 beta 2 build, the Android Authority team found strings related to customizing the search bar in the Pixel Launcher. More specifically, it includes a toggle for "Show search bar."

Unlike other third-party launchers, the Pixel Launcher does not allow you to remove or even reposition the search bar freely. For an OS that's all about customization, this feels unnecessarily restrictive, especially for users who prefer a clean home screen. But it seems after years of requests, Google could finally give Pixel users what they have been asking for all along.

This change will pair perfectly with Google adding the option to hide the At a Glance widget from the Pixel Launcher's home screen in Android 17 beta 1. Together, these changes could finally give Pixel users a much cleaner and more customizable home screen experience by allowing them to remove two of the launcher’s most persistent elements.

Google can always decide against adding the option in the public release

Hopefully, Google does not change its mind and removes the option to hide the search bar and the At a Glance widget in the public release of the OS. The company has done this before. It tested hiding the At a Glance widget from the Pixel Launcher's home screen in Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1, but eventually removed the option.

With Google replacing the Pixel Launcher's search with that of the Google app as part of the November 2025 Feature Drop, the bottom search bar only became more annoying. So, while simple, the ability to hide it altogether is a long-awaited addition that Pixel users have been requesting for years.

The only bummer is that Android 17 QPR1 is months away from release — it's scheduled to drop in September. So, there's a long wait ahead for Pixel users.