Pixel Launcher could soon give you the freedom to choose your own web search engine

www.androidauthority.com 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.

39 comments

The bar really is that low.

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.
- 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.

Such Freedom™!

How revolutionary...

They can probably still track everything.
- They do track everything

This is a good welcome and I'd take it, despite all the hate it gets, I like Pixel Launcher because it is smooth as fuck, but this is mainly because Android stopped supporting 3rd party launchers... The joke of support that we have nowadays is... Well that, a fucking joke lol.
Anyway Pixel Launcher lacks a lot of stuff to be usable for many... But god, it is also one of the few that freaking has a feature to automatically show the keyboard when you pull up the app drawer, then you can quickly type down for apps... Why is that so hard to implement? Even iOS has a quick search function...
Anyway, as I said, PL is good, but tools like Pixel Launcher Extended are excellent, sadly it is stuck at Android 13 at the moment.
- Android stopped supporting 3rd party launchers...
  Um, what? I'm using one in my Pixel 8 Pro.
  
  With downgraded animations for sure...
  It is not that bad, but it is a bad implementation, I could use them too in my custom ROM (I can't with MIUI or HyperOS) but I never want to use them, that if you use full screen gestures ofc, I think they work better with Android buttons.
  
  Not really "stopped supporting", but really made changes in a way that made non system launchers unable to integrate with QuickStep (The app switcher of android). The end result is uneven animations when moving from an app to the home screen, or from the home screen to the app switcher.
  You might not notice if you use button navigation or turn off animations. But I don't really consider those solutions, not to mention that it can be even worse on pixel tablet with the transient taskbar. Where the taskbar is embedded in animations with the PL, and if you're using another launcher, it seems to cause all sorts of problems when doing certain things like going from the home screen to the app switcher. I actually had to move from button navigation (which I prefer on larger screens compared to smaller ones. Coupled with androids lack of gestures like on iPad) back to the default because the taskbar would just constantly disappear.
  
  How? I tried, but 3rd party launchers work worse because they load up after you close an app. Pixel Launcher has privileged permissions and can have smooth animations
- Nova Launcher Prime ftw
- this is mainly because Android stopped supporting 3rd party launchers.
  What do you mean? I've always used my own launcher. I've never used the pixel launcher - not because I have anything against it, but because I like Nova better. L

And regulations work!

Wait, you can't choose your own search engine? Lol, I woulda ditched that launcher fast.
Then again, taking the stupid search box off is also one of the first things I do, then add a search app tied to touch-hold of a soft key, like menu.

Honestly, I only really want to use the pixel launcher at this point because it feels like several things have broke because of me using a third party launcher. Especially on my pixel tablet with its custom taskbar.

I'm sure it differs from phone to phone but on the one stock android phone that I have somewhere it's impossible to remove the search widget from the screen which is pretty insane. I can't imagine using a stock android any more.

I am using action launcher and I have my search set to duck duck go!

@soulfirethewolf it would be great if the Pixel Launcher could be updated through the Play Store on other 3rd party stovk Android phones as well, such as Nokia. Unfortunately, I don't think I will get this feature myself.