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Android 13 will bring changes to the Pixel Launcher's Search box

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By Alan Friedman

Published: Aug 08, 2022, 1:57 PM

Android 13 will bring changes to the Pixel Launcher's Search box

According to 9to5Google, with the arrival of Android 13, the search field at the bottom of the Pixel homescreen and the search field at the top of the app drawer will both have the same capabilities allowing you to search for websites, apps, app shortcuts, and contacts from either one. If no results are found, you'll get links to search on YouTube, Google Maps, and the Google Play Store in addition to Google Search and Settings.

With Google still running the Android 13 beta program, it is testing several different options. In one test, when a Pixel user opens the app drawer and types in the search field at the top of the screen the name of an app not installed on his phone, he gets results from the Google Play Store that includes the developer's name and the app's rating under the heading "From this device." Tapping on any of the results shown will take you to that app's listing in the Play Store

Searching for Angry Birds from the Pixel Launcher with Android 13. Credit-9to5Google

Google is gathering feedback about this new capability from Pixel users' through the Google Opinion Rewards app. For those unaware, this is actually a great app because it provides you with small amounts of Google Play Store credit every time your opinion on some matter is requested. This writer recently saved up over $15 in Play Store credit using the app which was used to buy the extended version of the hit movie "That Thing You Do!" which now resides on my Pixel 6 Pro.

Google gets feedback from Pixel users thanks to the Google Opinion Rewards app. Credit-9to5Google

The app is available from the App Store and the Play Store for iOS and Android users respectively. This app has asked Pixel users whether they "searched for On-device content in [the] Search box on the Pixel homescreen. It also inquires what the goal of the user was when he used that Search box to find on-device content. Some pre-posted answers that the user can choose from include:

Find or manage phone settings.
Find or browse content on an app.
Find a person's contact information.
Find content on the web.
Take an action on app (example-send text).
Find an app not installed on my phone.
Other (specify).

Google also wants to know how comfortable or uncomfortable Pixel users felt after seeing the web and app results in a single box. The pre-posted answers range from very uncomfortable to very comfortable. The company will use this information to tweak the Search box capabilities on the bottom of the Pixel homescreen and the top of the Pixel Launcher by the time the final version of Android 13 is ready to be released.

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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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