Over the years, Google has made some useful upgrades to the Pixel Launcher’s search bar widget. Yet, for a widget that is permanently there on your home screen, it lacked any handy customization options. After years of requests from Pixel users, Google appears to be finally changing its stance if the first Android 17 beta is anything to go by.
The Pixel Launcher’s search bar received a UI revamp with Android 16 QPR1, giving it a Material makeover and bringing its design closer to the dedicated Google Search widget. It also introduced a dedicated AI Mode shortcut. In the regular Google Search widget, this shortcut is customizable, though the options are limited.
The first Android 17 Beta drops that refreshed look and instead goes back to a design that closely resembles the older version. The AI Mode, Voice Search, and Lens shortcuts now sit inside the search pill itself.
On the bright side, Google has added the option to replace the AI Mode shortcut with something else. You still cannot set a custom app shortcut, but at least there are several other options now. These include quick access to Gemini Live, Translate, Song Search, Sports, Finance, News, Weather, Dictionary, and more.
Ideally, Google should allow users to customize the Voice Search and Lens shortcuts for greater flexibility. And an option to hide the widget altogether would be even better.
There are several UI inconsistencies in the search widget customization. However, since this is the first Android 17 beta, that’s not surprising. This also means that Google can remove the Pixel Search customization options in a future beta build.
Another major home screen-related change in Android 17 Beta 1 is the ability to remove the At a Glance widget. Google has been testing this feature since at least Android 14 QPR2 in 2023. But it seems it will finally make the option live as part of Android 17.
The implementation is not entirely straightforward, though. Unlike regular widgets, you cannot simply long-press and remove At a Glance. Instead, you have to hide it through the widget settings. Still, you can finally free up space on your Pixel’s home screen.
