Google currently offers two different search functions on the Pixel phones. The old version should disappear, possibly with the next Android upgrade. At the moment it is still annoying that Google offers two different search functions on its Pixel smartphones.
There is a new universal search via the so-called app drawer (see title picture) and there is still a separate search bar on the start screen. Google is probably planning that both search functions will finally be combined in the future. A feature flag was discovered that Google may only activate with Android 13.
With the feature flag activated, you can already test that the search bar on the start screen opens the new universal search. So there would be two ways to start the same search function. A long-needed thing to unify search on Pixel phones. You can then initiate a web search, but also browse apps and system functions. Android 12.1 has not yet brought the final implementation, notes the expert Mishaal Rahman.
This feature didn’t make it into the stable Android 12L release, sadly. I hope we’ll see it in Android 13 though!https://t.co/1TrINNsTpH https://t.co/MsBaI44PNa
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) March 9, 2022