Pixel's search bar is changing again, and it doesn't feel like an upgrade

For a long time, the unique search interface has been a characteristic part of the Pixel experience. Instead of launching the Google app, as it does on other Android devices, tapping the search bar on Pixel phones has traditionally opened a unique search overlay that also enables searching for apps, local files, and contacts, and offers a shortcut to search the web in a relatively modern interface.

Unfortunately, if you liked that interface, you’d be disheartened to know it is going away. Instead of the unique interface, Google is replacing it with the search screen we’re used to seeing on other non-Pixel devices.

And while it may look like a bug, Google has confirmed that the change is actually meant to be.

9to5Google recently spotted the change and was informed by Google that it was implemented with the November 2025 Pixel Drop. According to a support page, the change allows Pixel users to access AI Mode directly from the search bar. It says,

This update lets you quickly start and resume AI Mode journeys, so you can dig deeper on the web. You’ll also see more suggested apps in the top row, making it seamless to continue exploring on your device.

Even though Google intends this to improve the user experience, reverting to an older design conflicts with its recent efforts to infuse a multitude of apps with Material 3 Expressive design elements.

More convincingly, the change appears to be a stopgap measure to address a recent bug on Pixel devices. While the Google search bar lets you customize buttons, a few Pixel users recently reported that they were unable to assign it to AI Mode.

While that’s just one of the possibilities, we hope Google can recover some of the graphical aspects of the older search experience, at least to achieve a uniform user experience.