Latest news with #searchbar
Phone Arena
6 days ago
- Phone Arena
Google tests new looks for the search bar on the Chrome app for Android
Google has been testing different looks for the beta version of the Google Chrome app for Android, looking for the best place to put a shortcut to its AI Mode. Announced earlier this year at Google I/O, AI Mode is designed to help Google fight off challenges to its dominating search business from AI apps. AI Mode stops those with a complicated search query from having to go through multiple search results to get the information they want. To help push AI Mode, Google has redesigned the search bar on its apps. That's because, ideally, if you have a question you need answered, the search bar is where you would go first to help get your answer. Google is now looking to see how it can best put AI Mode in front of the eyeballs looking at the Android version of Chrome. Mishaal Rahman wrote that he found a new look for the Chrome search bar when he opened a beta version of the mobile browser on an Android phone. Google had moved the Lens shortcut and voice search icons out of the search bar and placed them below the bar. The current Chrome search bar on the left and one of the new looks being tested on the right. | Image credit-Android Authority Google did this so it could move a shortcut icon for AI Mode right into the search bar, putting it right in the front of Chrome users. It's the digital equivalent of following that old real estate idiom, "Location, Location, Location." Additionally, the old "G" logo is placed on the left of the search bar, and the old "Search or type URL" phrase written in the search bar is replaced with "Search Google or type URL." Another alternative search bar design being tested to put the AI Mode shortcut right in front of the user. | Image credit-Android Authority Google also tested another look for the Chrome search bar. On this variant of the design being tested, the Google Lens and voice search shortcut icons found under the search bar had another shortcut added, this one for incognito mode. You might call this the "Heisenberg" icon for its resemblance to Walter White in Breaking Bad . In this version, the "G" logo is absent from the search bar, and the wording used inside the bar is the previously used text. Both different looks for the Chrome search bar were found in beta version 139.0.7258.32 of the Chrome browser for Android. Neither search bar being tested with an AI Mode shortcut appears on my Pixel 6 Pro running Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3. In my case, I'm only running version 138 of the Chrome app which explains why I'm not seeing the search bars being tested by Google. Eventually, Google will replace the current search bar on the Chrome app for Android since whichever new one it selects should drive more users to AI Mode and help Google defend its search bar business from getting attacked by what the company sees as AI interlopers.
Android Authority
14-07-2025
- Android Authority
Google is changing Chrome's new tab page to bring AI Mode front-and-center
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Google is testing a new search bar design in Chrome Beta for Android that includes an AI Mode shortcut. This new design, which also repositions voice search and Lens shortcuts, appears in two variants across different devices running the same Chrome Beta version. The integration of an AI Mode shortcut into Chrome aims to increase user awareness and usage of the feature, given Chrome's significant market share. While Google is still the most dominant search engine, its dominance is being threatened by AI-infused tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. To avoid losing users to these rivals, Google recently introduced AI Mode into its flagship Search product. AI Mode can answer complex questions, saving users from digging through multiple search results. Since its debut, Google has added AI Mode shortcuts to several locations, and it's looking like Chrome is next. When I opened Chrome Beta on one of my Android phones the other day, I noticed a different search bar design on the new tab page. The voice search and Lens shortcuts had moved below the search bar, making way for an AI Mode shortcut. Additionally, the old G logo appeared on the left of the search bar, and the 'Search or type URL' text was slightly modified to 'Search Google or type URL.' Old search bar design in Chrome Beta for Android New search bar design in Chrome Beta for Android On another device running Chrome Beta for Android, I saw a slightly different variant of this search bar design. On this device, an incognito mode shortcut joined the voice search and Lens shortcuts below the search bar. The G logo wasn't present in the search bar, and the old text in the search bar was still present. Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority Both devices are running the same version of Chrome Beta for Android — version 139.0.7258.32 — suggesting the differences are due to specific Chrome flags enabled on one account but not the other. So far, I'm only seeing this new search bar design in Chrome Beta on certain Google accounts, which indicates it's likely not widely rolling out yet. However, reports suggest Google is testing an AI Mode shortcut on the desktop version of Chrome's new tab page, so an official rollout may be coming soon. As I mentioned before, Google has already rolled out an AI Mode shortcut to several locations, such as the Google Search widget on Android and Pixel phones. Thus, it should come as no surprise that the company wants to add it to Chrome as well. Since Chrome is the leading web browser with a market share of over 60%, this change should make significantly more people aware of AI Mode and potentially increase its usage. Are you a fan of Google's AI Mode? Let us know in the comments below! Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Android Authority
12-06-2025
- Android Authority
Google tests new segmented Pixel Launcher search bar design in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Google is prepping another redesign for the Pixel Launcher's search bar. The new design is already live for some users in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta release. It features a smaller search bar with a round AI mode button to the right, like the recently released search bar home screen widget. Google has given the Pixel Launcher's search bar a new look in Android 16 QPR1 beta 2. It now resembles the updated search bar home screen widget that rolled out to some users last month, featuring a separate AI Mode shortcut on the right. User reports on Telegram and Reddit suggest that the Pixel Launcher's new search bar design is rolling out to users with the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta update, but it's not widely available yet. Instead of placing the AI Mode button within the search bar, as we showcased in a recent teardown, this new design shrinks the old search bar and places a round AI Mode button to the right. The smaller search bar and AI Mode button are encapsulated in a larger pill with a contrasting background. This Pixel Launcher search bar redesign brings it in line with the updated search bar home screen widget for a more cohesive look. However, Google has yet to implement this segmented design to the search bar at the top of the app drawer. The company could make further changes before the Android 16 QPR1 update hits the stable channel later this year, and we'll update this post as soon as we have additional details. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
