This Google Pixel update will be as neat as it is surprising – we didn't see that coming

Google could offer Pixel owners the option to turn off the search bar in Android 17, removing a key feature of the Pixel Launcher.

For many years, Google has included the search bar on the home screen of its Pixel devices. Although it's a widget, you can't remove it from the launcher, so it has been omni-present, and a key feature for some time.

In Android 17, there could be the option to turn off the search bar, meaning that apps on the home screen sit closer to the bottom of the page.

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The details were shared by Mystic Leaks on Telegram (via 9to5Google) having been uncovered in an unreleased Android 17 build.

A toggle to turn the search bar on and off seems to have been added, in addition to the customisation options that already exist in Android 16.

That will please some users who want greater customisation or don't find it useful, but over time, the search bar has become a key feature of Google's home screen offering.

Google's search bar isn't just about accessing Google and through the years that it's been part of Android, it has offered many features, so it might be that not many people want to remove it.

In addition to searching Google as you'd expect, it also searches your device, bubbling up apps in addition to returning search results. It also integrates shortcuts for Google Lens, as well as voice searching (which can also toggle song identification).

There's the option for another shortcut too, which by default is AI Mode. While this is still a part of Google Search, it takes you straight into an AI chat.

There's an argument that it's a duplication of features with Gemini elsewhere on the phone and that's true: search for your closest chicken restaurant and both Google Search and Gemini will give you the same results (in my experience), although Search is typically faster.

For many people, the search bar is a first port of call for finding information that's not already on their phone, but it is slightly confusing when Gemini is presented as a separate experience elsewhere.

While Gemini is only a swipe, button press or "Hey Google" away, I've always found the search bar handy for those quick interactions – and when not using a Pixel phone, I often choose to add it as a widget for convenience.

We're expecting to hear more about Android 17 at The Android Show this week.