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Google makes iOS Search widget more useful thanks to cool customizable shortcut buttons

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By Alan Friedman

Updated: Sep 16, 2024, 8:01 PM

Google has updated the medium-sized Search widget for iOS so that it now allows you to add customizable shortcuts on the bottom of the widget. You can even add a shortcut for AI chatbot Gemini. If you long-press the home screen and tap the "Edit" button in the top left corner, you'll see three options such as "Add Widget," "Customize," and "Edit Pages." Tap on "Add Widget" and scroll down to Google. Press on Google and you'll see a small widget for Search and a medium widget for Search. Go to the medium widget and tap the blue "Add Widget" pill to add it to your home screen.

Adding a customizable shortcut budget to the medium Google Search widget. | Image credit-PhoneArena

You'll notice that the medium Search widget has a Search lozenge at the top with three shortcuts for voice search, Google Lens, and incognito mode. The fourth shortcut is the "plus" key. Tap on it and you'll be sent to a page that will allow you to choose which feature you want for the fourth shortcut. Options include:

Activity
Gemini
Homework (via Lens)
Incognito mode
Lens
Screenshots
Song Search
Translate
Translate-Camera
Translate-Voice
Voice Search

After you've made your selection, you can change it or even customize all four buttons by opening the Google app. Tap the profile icon in the upper right corner and tap on Settings and then Widgets. Now you can change any of the four shortcuts on the bottom of the widget by pressing the button number and then selecting the shortcut you want that button to activate. This surely makes the Google Search widget more useful on iOS. Keep in mind that this customization is available only on the medium Google Search widget. The small Google Search widget has two shortcuts for voice search and Google Lens.

You can also change the widget's background theme with options including:

System default (based on if you have your phone set on Light mode or Dark mode)
Light
Dark
Earth
Abstract art
Solid colors

To get here open the Google app, tap your profile icon in the upper right corner. Tap on Settings and then Widgets and under the heading "How to add a widget," tap on Widget theme and make your selection.

Google is reportedly adding this customization to the Android Google Search widget. However, the Android widget will supposedly include just one customizable button next to voice search and Google Lens.

This is one of those updates that actually adds some functionality to iOS so if you use your widgets, check it out now.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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