Pixel phones are the closest thing to iPhones in the Android realm. They’re made by the same company that designs the operating system and run a relatively clean version of Android, as Google envisions. Like iPhones, Pixel phones are the first to receive software updates because Google controls the operating system rollout. While Google has refined the Android experience and look of its Pixel phones over the years, Pixel phones still draw criticism from longtime users, including a complaint about the home screen experience. Pixel owners can customize the appearance of their devices, but one element of the user interface cannot be changed: the Google search bar. Whether you need it or not, the search bar is still there, serving as a reminder of Google’s focus on mobile search. But Google might finally allow users to disable the search bar from the main home screen in a future Android update.
Google hasn’t announced the design change, but Android Authority discovered code related to the Pixel Launcher in Android 17 QPR1 beta 2 that indicates users could hide the Google search bar on Pixel phones. The blog also created a mockup of the interface that Android 17 can offer users, showing a simple toggle in the search bar settings menu that would allow users to remove the Google search bar from the bottom of the home screen.
Why does Google need the search bar on Android?
One of Android’s main goals was to give Google a stronghold in the post-PC market, when most Internet searches came from mobile devices. Android is the investment that allowed Google to control one of the major mobile operating systems and position its Google search features prominently on mobile devices. A lot has changed since the early days of the iPhone and the Android operating system. Apple and Google are the dominant players in consumer mobile operating systems, but Google still makes most of its money from advertising. In 2025, Google parent company Alphabet reported $294.7 billion in Google ad revenue, double the $146.9 billion reported in 2020. The “Google Search & Others” category accounted for more than $224 billion in 2025.
Alphabet’s financial data doesn’t explain how much money Google makes from mobile searches, but the company identified “growth in user adoption and usage on mobile devices” as one of the factors driving the revenue growth. The permanent Google search bar on Pixel devices is just a small part of this larger search ecosystem. Its contribution to Google’s advertising revenue is not quantifiable given the available data. But to put things into perspective, Google paid Apple around $20 billion in 2022 to make Google Search the default search engine on iPhone. This figure represents about 36% of Google’s ad revenue from Safari on iPhone, meaning Google generated about $56 billion in ad revenue from the iPhone. Alphabet reported $224.5 billion in total advertising revenue from Google in 2022.
Why is Google willing to let Pixel users remove the search bar?
Google giving users the ability to remove the Google search bar doesn’t mean that search revenue from Pixel phones isn’t strong or that the company doesn’t need users to continue using Google Search. But there are several possible reasons why the location of the search bar on the home screen isn’t as important as it used to be. To begin with, users can search the web with Google Search using the Circle to Search feature which even supports AI mode. The Pixel Launcher has another search bar in the app drawer. Additionally, long-time Pixel users may be accustomed to searching the web directly from Chrome or another mobile browser, where they can use Google Search for their queries.
More importantly, Google has significantly improved its Gemini AI model. The Gemini Live feature on Pixel phones allows users to speak to AI by voice, similar to Google Assistant. These voice chats can trigger Internet searches using Google search tools. Gemini Live doesn’t need a dedicated search bar at the bottom of the screen.
There is also the fact that Google could respond to user demand. Given the evolution of AI and online search, it may be ready to offer Pixel buyers that extra screen customization option that won’t go unnoticed. This is just speculation, however, based on a snippet of code in an Android 17 beta.