Search

Google Makes It Easier to Customise Its Search Widget on Android

What was a multi-step process, now just takes two taps

Advertisement
Highlights
  • The customisation feature has been available since 2018
  • The widget launches the Google Search app
  • The feature is mainly aimed at non-Pixel smartphones
Google Makes It Easier to Customise Its Search Widget on Android

The Google Search widget lets you access the search app on non-Pixel devices.

Google's Search widget received its customisation feature back in 2018 when the latest Pixel device was the Pixel 2 XL and the latest version of Android was Pie (9.0). Users could always customise the Google Search widget to their liking, but a new update is making it easier to customise it without digging into the Google app's settings. Those on the non-beta version of Google's Search app (version 13.40 or higher) will now be able to customise the widget directly from the home screen.

We at Gadgets360 have received the update on our Pixel 7 Pro review unit, which recently got upgraded to version 13.40.7.29 and is not a part of the beta. At the same time, our Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review unit is stuck on version 13.38.11.26 (after the recent Play Store update) and hence does not reflect this capability. Those who are using the beta version of Google app installed via the Play Store will be able make changes on the home screen itself as it has been updated to version 13.40.7.29.

With the new update, users will now be able to long-press on the Google Search widget and enter the customisation mode directly. This reduces the need to open the Google app in the App Drawer, tap on profile image, then tap Settings> Search widget> Customise widget and then access the customisation settings. The new update basically gets you there with a long-press on the widget, which now shows the widget settings button (represented by a pencil). Tapping on it gets you into the Customise menu where users can tweak the ‘Google' or ‘G' logo, the shape of the widget, bar colour (adjust hue and saturation levels), and bar shading (see-through or solid).

While the new button makes it a lot easier to access the customisation menu for the Google Search widget, it's mainly aimed at smartphones from other manufacturers apart from a Pixel. This is because Google's Pixel smartphones already have a non-removable capsule-shaped (non-customisable) search widget at the bottom of the home screen. Google's new theming engine automatically changes the colour of this Search widget as per the colour palette selected by the user for the system theme, so there's really no need to customise it any further, at least in terms of colour.


5G is here. Should you buy a 4G phone? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
  • REVIEW
  • KEY SPECS
  • NEWS
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery Life
  • Camera
  • Value for Money
  • Good
  • Sharp, 120Hz display
  • Good quality cameras
  • Good gaming performance
  • Bloatware-free software, timely updates
  • Premium design, IP68 rating
  • Bad
  • Gets warm under load
  • No bundled charger
  • Underwhelming battery life
  • Relatively slow charging

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

 
Show Full Article
  • REVIEW
  • KEY SPECS
  • NEWS
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery Life
  • Camera
  • Value for Money
  • Good
  • In-built S Pen stylus
  • Superb display
  • Impressive performance
  • Versatile cameras
  • Good battery life
  • IP68 rated
  • Bad
  • Gets warm easily under load
  • Big and bulky
  • No bundled charger
  • Expensive
Please wait...
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Oppo Reno 14FS 5G Design and Specifications Leaked: Check Expected Price
  1. Oppo Reno 14FS 5G Price, Design and Specifications Leaked Ahead of Anticipated Debut
  2. Samsung Galaxy A07 Listed on Google Play Console With Design, Key Specifications: Report
  3. Microsoft SharePoint Hack: Probe on Whether Chinese Hackers Found Flaw via Alert
  4. Samsung Reportedly in Talks With OpenAI, Perplexity to Offer Gemini AI Alternatives on Galaxy S26 Series
  5. Redmi 15 Design Renders, Specifications Leaked; Tipped to Arrive in Three Colourways
  6. Google Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL Spotted in Moonstone Colourway Alongside Pixel Buds 2a and Pixel Watch 4
  7. Meta Names ChatGPT Co-Creator Shengjia Zhao as Chief Scientist of Superintelligence Lab
  8. Who-Fi: An AI-Powered Wi-Fi Technology That Can Identify and Track Individuals Without Cameras
  9. NASA’s X-59 Moves Closer to First Flight with Advanced Taxi Tests and Augmented Vision
  10. Unusual Plasma Waves Above Jupiter’s North Pole Can Possibly Be Explained
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »