Pixel Launcher could soon give you the freedom to choose your own web search engine
The Pixel Launcher in the latest Android 14 build includes a hidden setting that lets you choose your default system-wide search engine.
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Even if you like using Google, they overreach and offend. I was enraged to learn that I couldn't move the search bar to the top of the screen of my new Pixel. Like, at all. I'm now using a custom launcher just for that... Isn't Android supposed to be about choice!?
And you chose a custom launcher
The ability to use a custom launcher to work around a stupid decision doesn't make the decision less stupid. Not being able to customize something to easily customizable by default is a stupid decision. I strongly feel that applies to the search bar placement and the default search engine.
Unfortunately the stock launcher still runs anyway, because it provides things like the app switching UI.
So yea, you can switch but the other is still doing it's thing.
On windows you could actually replace the shell, and Linux is even more flexible.
Swapping it out also breaks things such as on foldables the multitasking bar is practically useless
Or turn it off
That's my point, you can't turn it off or move it. Even if you want it on your home screen, it has to be at the bottom as shown by this screenshot when I added a second search widget:
Android isn't about choice, that's just something android fans touted.
Google has been giving less choice/enforcing a more closed ecosystem for a long time now.
Android was about taking market share and stamping out other phone OSes, once they achieved that Google started tightening their grip and ramping up data collection.
Data harvesting is now what Android is supposed to be about. Everything else is secondary.