Android 17 Beta 1 reveals a surprising secret about the Pixel Launcher search bar

Android 17 Beta 1 brought custom shortcuts to the Pixel Launcher search bar, but there are more changes under the surface, along with an important clarification. With this new beta, the Pixel Launcher’s search bar appears similar to the Google widget, but as app developer Kieron Quinn clarifies on Bluesky, it is actually the Google widget itself.

If you want to revert to the old Pixel Launcher search bar design instead of the Google widget search bar design, you’re out of luck, as methods to revert no longer work.

As our previous coverage highlighted, the AI Mode shortcut can be customized by long-pressing on the widget, selecting Widget settings, and choosing a different shortcut. As Quinn highlights, there’s a hidden Search settings option that lets users choose a search provider for the search box.

Quinn managed to enable other search providers to show up in the search box, such as DuckDuckGo, Mozilla Firefox, Chrome, Pixel Search (which looks like the older Pixel Launcher search box but is more customizable), and even Google Maps (not pictured but shared with us).

With some tinkering, any app can be set as the search provider, as long as the app’s first widget doesn’t open a configuration UI before it’s added to the home screen.

The setting is also used to control which app appears on the “minus one” Discover screen, but Google has so far approved only the Google app to appear here.

Users have long requested the ability to change the search box, and while this is being accomplished, Google is also probably driven by antitrust requirements to allow other search providers on the home screen. Similar changes could be on the cards for the Discover screen, too, to abide by antitrust requirements in some regions.

It’s unclear whether all the changes will stick until the final stable Android 17 release, as we’re right in the middle of the beta stage. So stay tuned.