The unified Pixel Launcher search seems to be gone for some Android 13 users
Beta users might have noticed that this happened after installing the Android 13 stable build. That is one of the best Android 13 features, so it’s kind of difficult not to notice it. The search bar at the top of the home screen is now basically the same as the field that sits at the top of the app grid. 9to5Google reports that it happens when updating to the stable release of Android 13 from Beta 4.1. That goes for both OTA installs, and manual sideloads. It seems to be specific to upgrades from that beta build, though. Do note that it’s happening on the Pixel 4a, 6, 6 Pro, and 6a handsets. It may be an issue on other Pixel phones as well, but the source is unable to confirm that.
Google will fix it in the next update
The source did say, however, that the fix is coming. Google responded when the bug was reported, and said that it’s aware of the issue. That problem will be removed in an “upcoming release”, so hopefully soon. The unified Pixel Launcher search has been a part of Android 13 throughout the Developer Previews and Beta builds, so it has been around for quite some time now. It’s understandable you’d miss it now that it’s gone. That being said, Android 13 started rolling out yesterday, the stable build. It is available for a range of Pixel smartphones, ranging from the Pixel 4 series to the Pixel 6 series. Android 13 is not a huge revamp of the OS, it’s more of an iterative update that further polishes things. Android 12 was a far more major change than Android 13 is. It does bring new features to the table, though, of course. Speaking of which, we’ve highlighted the 13 best new features that Android 13 brings to the table. If you’d like to read more about the update itself, and get informed, click here.
