Google Search is getting a much-needed revamp

If you’re an Android user, that Google Search bar on your home screen is probably your digital best friend. Good news — it’s getting a makeover that promises to make your searching even more intuitive. These changes, first spotted by Android Authority, are already rolling out. Here’s what’s coming to your phone.

Google to redesign Search bar for Android: What's there to know?

The redesign focuses primarily on improving the custom shortcut function. Currently, you’re looking at a simple pill shape with Google’s ‘G’ logo on the left, alongside voice input, Google Lens, and a custom shortcut button that many users don’t even notice.

The new design features an elongated, transparency-adjustable pill that still keeps the ‘G’ logo on the left but streamlines the right side to just voice input and Google Lens buttons. The big change, however, is that the custom shortcut has moved outside the search bar to become its own standalone button, making it much more visible and accessible.

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To access these new features, highlight the Search Bar widget to reveal the pencil icon for editing. From there, you can enable the Shortcut by selecting from options including Translate, Weather, Song Search, Sports, Dictionary, Finance, Homework, Saved, or News.

Android Authority reports that future updates might transform this shortcut button into a pop-up menu with multiple tools, essentially creating a ‘multi-shortcut’ Search Bar, though this functionality isn’t available yet.

One thing to note: the new widget is slightly larger at 4×1 dimensions (versus the previous 3×1), which might require rearranging your home screen if you’re particular about your layout.

Whether these changes improve your daily experience or just take some getting used to, it’s clear Google continues pushing to make its tools more user-friendly. Stay tuned for more potential updates as they roll out.