Credit: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
- 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.