Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Beta testers of the Google app are starting to see a permanent search bar at the bottom of the screen when they access any website.
- The new feature is not available to everyone, but you can sign up to be a beta tester and see if it shows up for you.
If you use the Google app frequently, you might soon be in for a treat. It seems the search giant is working on permanently leaving the search bar within the Google app and positioning it at the bottom for easier reachability.
This feature is starting to show up for users running the beta version of the Google application. If you have this feature, you will see the typical “Ask anything” bar when accessing any website within the Google app, along with the microphone and Google Lens functions to the right. Tapping it will redirect you to the main Search page, where you can usually see previous search entries or type in a new one.
Again, this feature is only released for beta testers, and based on our tests, not all of them. We signed up and downloaded the Google beta app version 15.24, which is the first update to see this feature. We tried this on a Pixel 8a, a Pixel 7, and a Moto Razr 2023 with no luck. 9to5Google was able to get this feature on both smartphones and tablets, though. Let’s take a look at their screenshots:
In the images above, you can see the Google app without the permanent search bar, with the search bar, and with Gemini. The latter can be accessed by activating “AI tools while browsing” in Search Labs. If you’re interested in AI features, you should also check out this guide to all the Gemini AI features coming to Pixels.
The main complaint here is that the permanent search bar may seem a bit too intrusive. It is always there and covers a section of the site that would otherwise be content. It manages to put the search function front and center, which is this app’s primary focus. It will certainly save you a bit of time when searching for multiple things in a row.
By the way, anyone can sign up to get the Google app beta updates. Just remember that this is an experimental version of the application. It may include features and code that aren’t ready for public release, which means you may encounter bugs and other software issues. We advise most people to wait for the feature to become publicly available. If you feel confident and want to test this, though, here’s how to join the fun.
How to become a Google app beta tester
- Launch Chrome.
- Head over to this sign-up page to become a Google app tester.
- Tap on Become a Tester.
- Now, wait for the Google app to get updated. Keep in mind that this may take a while. Sometimes, restarting the phone triggers the update.
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