Google swaps Pixel Launcher search for something worse

The Pixel Launcher comes with a built-in unified search tool that lets you quickly search through your installed apps, contacts, device settings, and web results. Now, as part of an "upgraded home screen search bar," Google is replacing this with a search experience powered by the Google app, which is a clear downgrade.

Previously, tapping the search widget on the Pixel’s home screen opened the Pixel Launcher’s built-in search. It didn't take over the full screen and, more importantly, let you search beyond the web, including device settings, contacts, apps, and more.

However, as 9to5Google noticed, this behavior changed a few days ago, with the Pixel Launcher search bar opening a tool powered by the Google app instead. Initially, it was presumed to be a bug, but Google has now confirmed that this change is intentional.

Left: Pixel Launcher's built-in search; Right: Google app-powered search

The company points to this change being part of the "upgraded home screen search bar" introduced with the November 2025 Feature Drop.

It promises easy access to AI mode from the Pixel's home screen search bar. Further, it will let "you quickly start and resume AI Mode journeys, so you can dig deeper on the web. You'll also see more suggested apps in the top row, making it seamless to continue exploring on your device."

Google app search feels like a step down from Pixel Launcher

The problem is that the Google app–powered search tool misses out on some of the Pixel Launcher’s most useful features, including the ability to search through device settings, contacts, and installed apps. Plus, the search experience is not as fast as the Pixel Launcher's built-in tool.

Visually, the Google app-powered search takes over the entire screen, though that might not bother most users much.

This is the same search experience you get on other non-Pixel Android devices. It’s a noticeable downgrade from the Pixel Launcher’s built-in search, which is now buried inside the app drawer rather than being front and center. What's annoying is that Google is making this functional regression to push AI Mode further.

Hopefully, Google will listen to the growing backlash from Pixel users and either revert the change or upgrade the Google app’s search to work more like the Pixel Launcher’s built-in search.