Google Pixel Is Getting the iPhone’s Swipe-to-search

Something nearly identical, anyway.

Google is making a big change to the Pixel Launcher, and it’s one of the new features of Android 15 I’m most excited about. In the latest Developer Preview for the new version of Android OS, Google has changed up how you trigger the search functionality in the Pixel Launcher, making it much easier to quickly find apps.

Launchers are one of the most important parts of your smartphone experience because they provide the main playground for where your home screen and apps are displayed. As such, having a good launcher can completely change how easily you use your phone. And the new functionality to Pixel Launcher, which is what many Pixel users have, enables the search function to open when swiping up from the bottom of the screen.

This might seem like a small change, but it’s actually one that will help make moving to Android much easier for iPhone users. Now, when using the Google Search bar at the bottom of the screen, you’ll be able to tap on it and search for an app right from your home screen. You’ll also be able to enable swipe up to start search, a new functionality similar to the swipe down to search feature that Apple includes in iOS.

Having used an iPhone as my daily driver for the past four years, one of the biggest hurdles I had to deal with when switching to Android for my Pixel 8 Pro review was the fact that I couldn’t swipe to search. Instead, I had to go in and find my apps manually, which was really annoying and time consuming. This functionality was available in some third-party launchers, like Nova Launcher, but the Pixel Launcher's base options didn't offer it.

By changing how you search in the Pixel Launcher, Google is making it easier than ever to find the apps that you want. It’s a small quality-of-life change that will drastically change how you interact with your phone, and one that will make the already great Pixel 8 Pro even better.

Aside from updating search, Android 15’s Developer Preview 2 will also add in a new sub-menu for the setting, and some speculate new settings may be added, since the only thing there right now is the swipe to search function.

It has only been a couple of months since Google officially revealed Android 15, and we expect to learn more about it and the upcoming Pixel 8a during Google I/O later this year.