The bar really is that low.
Even if you like using Google, they overreach and offend. I was enraged to learn that I couldn’t move the search bar to the top of the screen of my new Pixel. Like, at all. I’m now using a custom launcher just for that… Isn’t Android supposed to be about choice!?
And you chose a custom launcher
The ability to use a custom launcher to work around a stupid decision doesn’t make the decision less stupid. Not being able to customize something to easily customizable by default is a stupid decision. I strongly feel that applies to the search bar placement and the default search engine.
Unfortunately the stock launcher still runs anyway, because it provides things like the app switching UI.
So yea, you can switch but the other is still doing it’s thing.
On windows you could actually replace the shell, and Linux is even more flexible.
Swapping it out also breaks things such as on foldables the multitasking bar is practically useless
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Android isn’t about choice, that’s just something android fans touted.
Google has been giving less choice/enforcing a more closed ecosystem for a long time now.
Android was about taking market share and stamping out other phone OSes, once they achieved that Google started tightening their grip and ramping up data collection.
Data harvesting is now what Android is supposed to be about. Everything else is secondary.
Or turn it off
That’s my point, you can’t turn it off or move it. Even if you want it on your home screen, it has to be at the bottom as shown by this screenshot when I added a second search widget:
Such Freedom™!
How revolutionary…
This is a good welcome and I’d take it, despite all the hate it gets, I like Pixel Launcher because it is smooth as fuck, but this is mainly because Android stopped supporting 3rd party launchers… The joke of support that we have nowadays is… Well that, a fucking joke lol.
Anyway Pixel Launcher lacks a lot of stuff to be usable for many… But god, it is also one of the few that freaking has a feature to automatically show the keyboard when you pull up the app drawer, then you can quickly type down for apps… Why is that so hard to implement? Even iOS has a quick search function…
Anyway, as I said, PL is good, but tools like Pixel Launcher Extended are excellent, sadly it is stuck at Android 13 at the moment.
Nova Launcher Prime ftw
this is mainly because Android stopped supporting 3rd party launchers.
What do you mean? I’ve always used my own launcher. I’ve never used the pixel launcher - not because I have anything against it, but because I like Nova better. L
They can probably still track everything.
They do track everything
Wait, you can’t choose your own search engine? Lol, I woulda ditched that launcher fast.
Then again, taking the stupid search box off is also one of the first things I do, then add a search app tied to touch-hold of a soft key, like menu.
And regulations work!
Honestly, I only really want to use the pixel launcher at this point because it feels like several things have broke because of me using a third party launcher. Especially on my pixel tablet with its custom taskbar.
I am using action launcher and I have my search set to duck duck go!
I’m sure it differs from phone to phone but on the one stock android phone that I have somewhere it’s impossible to remove the search widget from the screen which is pretty insane. I can’t imagine using a stock android any more.
Weeeeew
@soulfirethewolf heresy! /s
The freedom to choose your own, but not the privacy. What’s the bet that shit will get logged and sent back as “telemetry” or “usage statistics”?
