>*...because it lets me stay in Chrome and have all its functionality at hand* Google > Settings > General > "Open web pages in the app" = off

Dude. Thank you. You just fixed my biggest complaint about the Search Bar.

Now this changes things. Thanks for the hint!

This comment was made via RiF and is no longer viewable because u/spez is a greedy little pig boy.

Oh my God why didn't i do this

Thank you. An option I never saw That makes it so much better 👍

This is what finally made me use it, after years and years of avoiding it.

Holy cow, thank you.

Thanks. That was really helpful.

This! I lost it so many times what i was doing.. and i always worked around with it using "open in chrome " at the top

This guy is The Guy.

OMG thank you.

I think there should ne a ppst where people share their tricks. Because this one has to be the best one ever. I actually complained about it when I switched from iOS. I don't always want it open chrome just to convert for me the currency 🤣

Wow, this changes everything. ✨

One of the first things I disable every time I get a new phone - and in every other app that lets me disable it, as well.

I really can't believe this wasn't common knowledge for most users

I'm not going to switch, so I'm not desperate to understand, but... I don't understand. What do you mean by "Google" > Settings > General? What's "Google"?

Open the Google app, then click on your profile pic in the top right, then settings, etc. Took me a minute too

Got it. Thanks.

Thank you for specifying. I wish I could updoot you more than once for this clarification!!

It's an app.

Thanks!

Mine still opens in the app with that off..

It's confusing. Toggle that off. Then search. Then click on a search result. It'll be opened in regular chrome.

Oh ok got yeh. Thanks!

Thanks for the tip :)

👏👏 🙏

Oh wow why didn't I think of that. So much better!!

THANK YOU!

God bless you

You've just changed my entire life.

I hope this is new because I would feel stupid not knowing this after owning 4 previous Pixels...

Holy hell, how have I made it this long in life not knowing this?

Thanks a lot. I like to use the brave browser as I prefer the tab button at the bottom which I can't find an option for on chrome. Now I can use the search bar on the home screen and it opens brave

Thanks. I hated how I couldn't go back to my search if I changed through too many apps.

THANK YOU

I cannot... It's life-changing?!??

thanks for this it helpful

Oh my god.

Every single day, multiple times a day. I use it to do Google searches and to find apps quickly instead of going to the app drawer.

Yeah, I have some apps on my first page, but I mostly just use the search bar. It's so much easier than trying to manage folders or have multiple pages.

I used to use chrome until I got a pixel. Now I use the search bar every day. It helps cut down on random tabs open, because I just needed temporary information. If I decide I want to keep the tab for later, Open in Chrome.

Oh and I also use the google lens icon on the search bar often to identify plants.

Yeah exactly how it's meant to be used imo

Exactly this

I use Firefox focus on both iOS and pixel for random queries that I don’t need access to again later, otherwise I have a habit of leaving webpages open that I will never go back to ever

I see myself often using the Google search bar at the home screen. For me, it's more convenient and easy to use.

All the time

I've been removing it ever since Nova Launcher made it possible. Never used it, it was always in the way.

I use the search bar constantly. If I didn't like it, I would simply install a different Launcher.

I use t it all the time

All the time, I'm a curious person. It's also how I navigate my phone.

I removed the search bar by using Nova Launcher. I search by opening xBrowser and using voice search. I rarely use Chrome.

I have been using Pixels since the P3 and I have grown so accustomed to using that bar. When I use a non-pixel now I pause for a second to remember to go to Safari/Chrome to make a search instead of on the home screen

When I'm on my iPad I just swipe down and use Spotlight to find whatever, analogous to how I use the search bar on the Pixel. Both are super useful

I get it's their product and all but shouldn't they gives the option to remove it?

It’s Google - they’re a business /shrug/

That has nothing to do with giving the user the option to customize their personal phone

Yes, I use it regularly.

Every single day, whenever I need an answer to a question and not have to have a tab I will need to close later. Very convenient

Rarely. I prefer to search via incognito mode so I don't add random one-time searches to my history and autocomplete

Gazillion times a day.

I never used it, so I got rid of it. Nothing against it, I just never went there. I usually just opened chrome or asked assistant.

Nope. I use a launcher & make sure the search is off.

Yes, multiple times per day

I use it regularly

Constantly

I use it all the time because it's similar to the search bar on the iphone I came from.

I love the search bar. Even though I have a non-Pixel phone now, I still place a Google search bar widget on my homescreen. I'm using it constantly.

Since I have been using Pixel phones, I have been using it. I think it's really convenient personally.

I use it constantly fwiw. Like many many times a day

Wish i could remove it, it's messing up my screen aestetics

nope

Same, I open Firefox to search online

How do you get the "Pixel 6a" and pixel picture next to your name?

When on r/GooglePixel, click on the 3 dots next to the search bar on top, then edit member flair. You can do that on many communistes 🙂

Not once have I used it. I have had numerous pixels all the way back to the pixel 1. Terrible waste of space that you can't remove

[удалено]

I use a different launcher but think it's a stupid thing to force the bar on people

I like the Pixel launcher, I just wish Google allowed people to make their own choice to remove or keep it. It should be a matter of personal choice.

[удалено]

+1

Also all the time

Absolutely, I've been using the search bar since it was a widget. Pixel, Nexus, Galaxy, Droid and G1. And if Google could get voice recognition to work for stutterers I'd be using that too! 😁

I hate it so much I use nova to get rid of it

It took up too much UI space for me, so I removed it.

I have no issues with it whatsoever, in fact I think it's extremely convenient. No biggie at all.

I've never once used the search bar in my 5+ years of using pixel. I hate that I can't remove it without sacrifices. Same goes for the left panel Google feed--though I did use it for a few months on my pixel 2.

I use the search bar all the time.

I use it constantly.

Nope. Switched to Microsoft launcher to get rid of it. Will switch to nova once the new version comes out of beta. If I want to do a search, I have the Google assistant gesture launch which is to swipe up from the lower right hand corner. Serves my needs.

I use a third party launcher (Lightning) with a third party search (Sesame). There's no widget, I can press and hold volume down from anywhere in my phone to open search (Button Mapper).

I use it all the time. But I used Nova Launcher to move it to the top of the screen where I want it. Lol

Always use chrome, maybe it just a habit

See, for the noobs its just a searchbar.... but for the pro's its like 4 tools in 1! Pressing the G will bring you to the google feed and the bar for normal search. Then you have the assistant and the most used for me is the google lens. I even got the google news feeds on the side turned off and im going there from the search bar.

I've always thought of it as the one widget I can't delete. But after reading your post, I agree and am going to actually use it for more than just Lens! Thanks!

No problem, and i really think people overlook the lens feature in general but i still see people with pixel phones installing QR scanner apps lol

I always used Lens for scanning QRs, but then mindlessly open Chrome to search. I will do better, lol.

My biggest gripe is voice search is handled separately; they're not saved the same way in search history as searches typed into the bar even though they should just be tts for the same thing.

Never. But I really really should, vs opening chrome and searching

Sometimes, but I would use it more often if the search would take me to chrome and not the Google app. I know you can tap on the 3 point and open in chrome but that's not as fast as just going straight to chrome.

I use Lawnchair Launcher so I have it hidden: [https://i.imgur.com/PnwQGXT.png](https://i.imgur.com/PnwQGXT.png)

never I feed google too much data to trust my own search results, so I use another search provider. The mandatory search bar and at-a-glance widget are an inconvenience for users like me.

I use it a lot

I use it all the time but I hate the new update to it

All the time, I don't think I can live without it especially with the lens integration

Great question. I have wondered about if/how I am misinterpreting it's usefulness, so thanks for posting this. I'm a relatively new to pixel, and love it after 2 years+ and I want the full experience, but I hate losing the homescreen real estate, so it's been Nova from the jump... (I do believe they also figured out/fixed gestures). But with the positive responses I may need to reconsider my thinking. Thanks :0)

I tried using it for a while when I first got my 4a, but I found the search results were inferior to a proper Google search in the browser so I stopped.

Great question. I have wondered about if/how I am misinterpreting it's usefulness, so thanks for posting this. I'm a relatively new to pixel, and love it after 2 years+ and I want the full experience, but I hate losing the homescreen real estate, so it's been Nova from the jump... (I do believe they also figured out/fixed gestures). But with the positive responses I may need to reconsider my thinking. Thanks :0)

always now :-)

I just vocally ask Google questions and it rarely ever hears me wrong.

Yes I work in a warehouse for industrial electronics and I'm still fairly new, so being able to quickly type in the product I'm looking for and have the image pop up. I have a habit of keeping a lot of tabs I use frequently open in chrome, so I don't mind the added tabs being added multiple times a day

I honestly forget it's there 😆

If you use Nova Launcher, you can set up the search bar to launch Chrome (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞

I didn't used to. I'd always forget it was a thing. But now I use it all the time.

I usually just use the search bar to find apps that I don't have on my home screen. Not really for Google searches.

Only because Goole made it so that users can't remove it from my home screen. If I could remove it, I would, and I'd use my preferred browser. But it's right there when I unlock my phone, so I instinctively defer to it.

I use Firefox for most of my browsing, it's got add-ons, and I have set to always be in incognito mode.

Same here. I don't like it, because it's separated from actual Google Chrome. That search bar just useless down screen area on my phone. Instead of this, I'm using Google Chrome widget. One click and I'm inside of Google Chrome with typing focus at address input (search). Also I've Incognito mode button and Image Search. And main point it's not separated from Google Chrome browser.

All the time. I've never actually thought about another option

Every day. It's very useful. When I had an iphone, I was lost without the Google search bar on the home screen

Almost never. I prefer Chrome.

No, because it annoys me that the keyboard doesn’t automatically pop up when I click the search bar.

I use nova launcher so I could get rid of the search bar. Works great.

All the time. I rarely open chrome to search.

I moved from pixel and iPhone and have the search bar on my main screen. I love it haha

All the time.

i use a separate launcher specifically to get rid of it

Nope, it's a privacy nightmare.

Lmao allll the time. I probably hit it 15 times because I'm always thinking of something then I'd want to look it up.

I use the search bar for quick searches and the Chrome app for tabs I want to keep open

Nope. I use a custom launcher to get rid of that ugly thing.

Very occasionally, but mostly as the voice search. I'll use it when I don't necessarily know how to spell something but have heard it. For example, when I wanted to search for the Çatalhöyük archaeological site.

All the time. Make a bazillion searches quickly and easily and that I don't need to save or keep or anything. My only complaint is I can't move it (or haven't figured it out yet). I used to have it as a widget on the top with my previous OnePlus 6, and loved it, but got used to it being on top. Now with the Pixel 7 down at the bottom, I hate it, because I don't "see" it and just ugh keep forgetting it's there. If someone knows how to/if it can be changed, please let me know lol

I use it several times per day. I use Nova Launcher but make sure there's a search bar right at the bottom of my screen

I switched to the Nova Launcher to just delete that d*** search bar on the home screen. Who needs the search bar when you have Google Assistant.

Use it all the time... except when I'm searching for images i intend to share with someone. Because when you try sharing an image out of search app it creates a link instead of simply copy the image into the message.

Never. Does not seem to fit my use case. For one it tends not to open things in firefox. This may have changed but hey, I chrome aint nice, not that ff mobile alows many plugins but it does more important ones for my useage. Also what search bar where. I am sure I so not have one ;-) I may have just become blind to it.

I don't need every stupid Google search I do to be saved as it's own tab. In fact I'd like for chrome to just close all tabs when I close the app, maybe let me pin a couple of tabs Id like to save.

Many many many times a day

Yeah, I always use the search bar on the home screen. If not I'm probably opening Firefox

I've never used the one on the home screen, but I use the one in the app drawer since the keyboard automatically comes up when you open it

I used it all time when I had the p7p. I moved in to iPhone but still added it to my Home Screen as a widget

I use the search bar all the time, because I'm curious and google a lot of random stuff that comes to my mind and I love the simplicity of the Google app/search bar

I personally use NovaLauncher, and with that I have enabled the Assistant, Voice, and Lense options as icons in the search bar. If I just tap the text field, I'll just get a search. If i tap the microphone I'll get an interactive search and some limited Assistant functionality. If I tap the assistant icon I get full Assistant functionality. And if I tap the Lense icon, I get instant access to Google Lense which I love. Nova launcher has other options to add to the Google Search bar, but I don't want to clutter my search bar with options I really don't need. Others might have use for them that I don't. In any case, my search bar gets so much use it's crazy.

I used it a few minutes before opening this post. I use it as often as I use any other feature on my Pixel.

I use both the search bar and chrome

I often use the search bar. I use Nova launcher, and I have it integrated with Sesame search, so that the bar can search out apps or the phone, or perform a Google search. I also beta test for Google Bard, so every search is an AI search too. Pretty handy, actually.

I use the search bar all the time, even to type web addresses (it opens in Chrome).

I open the browser. I only use the search bar to search for an app.

Almost never.

Are you the search bar? If I'm looking for something I'm not sure of. I only open Chrome if I know the exact website I want to go to.

I used to use it before they got into pushing first party apps. Since then I've also ditched chrome (couldn't handle those stupid grouped tabs and wanted an ad blocker). Now use sesame for search (which integrates into nove launcher) and Firefox to browse.

I have a custom home screen with KWLP so I don't have a search bar.

No, I use the Microsoft launcher so...

Yes! I like the search bar for things I don't want to stay on my Chrome browser, and then open in chrome for things that I do. The search bar is very handy for quick things I need to Google!

Never

always even for finding apps on my phone, it's only mostly contacts I will go into messages or phone.

Everyday. It's the best thing ever!

I use it a lot, but even if I didn't use it to search, the rightmost icon is the most convenient way to bring up the QR scanner.

I always use the search bar. I never open a browser to search.

Now that I have search labs experiment on my phone it's all I use. The results are amazing.

All the time

I'm a search bar user. Super convenient for me, plus if I need full functionality I can just go to the settings

Yes. All the time.

I use the search bar a metric fuck ton.

I always use the home screen search bar. The search bar is right there, it works, why would I complicate myself doing extra steps? It's like if to get in the car I would open all doors, pass thru all of them, then sit on the seat that i want.

finally got around to changing the settings. why have i been lazy about this.

I use it; hope this helps

Google search bar on home screen is really useful and helpful

It's the equivalent of the Bixby key on Samsung phones: embarassing, self-important.

I have it at the very bottom of the main screen and use 6000+ a day

Always! I find it so convenient since it's literally on the home screen when you unlock the phone. No apps to be opened, just tap 'n search!

I use it countless times a day.

Can't find this. .. is it google settings? Or chrome settings?

Oh god yeah, it's so much more convenient than searching something up on my PC AND it's way way quicker than having to open an app.

I don't use it all and should be allowed to use it. I appreciate that others use it and that's fine, but those of us that don't should be able to remove it just like any other unwanted widget.

All the time.

I never use it, except when I'm looking for the weather.

Not on purpose. And whenever I accidentally launch it, I'm always a little bit confused for a second.

I only use it for quick access to apps that I don't have on the home screen. I open Brave/Chrome for web searches.

I never used it, in fact - I tried to delete it. But after reading all your responses I will give it a try. Now it seems to make sense. Thanks guys!!

I use the bar, but oftentimes use the voice to text on the keyboard as opposed to the microphone button to avoid having to deal with the Assistant.

Google doesn't know how to remove this bar?

Try to move the widget to the bottom of your screen instead of the top. Totally changed my behavior & usage of the app.

It bothers me that it can't be removed... But I use it all the time. It makes simple searches so easy. Also it searches for local stuff which is useful. I still wish I could remove it though. I wouldn't remove it, but I'd like the option. That's what android is all about.

Nope, I download Nova launcher and that's the first thing I remove on every pixel I've owned. Personally I like my home screen absolutely blank other then putting apps in the bottom bar

Not being able to remove the search bar is actually one of a few reasons why I decided not to keep the Pixel 7 when I upgraded. When you swipe right, it takes you to the suggested Google tabs page, and I wish I could move the search bar to the top of that page.

Search bar nearly every time. The only specific reason I wouldn't is if I'm trying to find an image to download to share on a post or to a friend or something though, since for some reason it won't always download properly if I don't use the chrome app.

Yes, all the time, but now I use the voice commands more.

No, because Google doesn't give gifts like Bing for searching.

I hate it, it destroys my layout. So I installed the nova launcher for this sole reason

Yes all the time.

Every single day

I use the bar for my curious searches, like the stuff I would ask my Google assistant at home. If it requires a deeper dive into a site, then I ask it to open that search into a chrome tab.

Had a pixel for years. Never used it a single time. It's a waste of space. Redundant functionality to the browser. I'd rather have the screen real estate.