Adding a search feature to the Google Pixel might open up a lot of possibilities.
If you’re using the Pixel Launcher, you may be getting a new search feature. While you may now search for files on your Pixel or use Google searches, a fresh deconstruction has shown that Google may be trying to enhance its capability..
Google’s 9to5Google discovered that the Pixel Launcher is in the process of adding a search feature that would allow users to search across YouTube, Google Maps, Settings, and the Play Store. According to 9to5Google, the S.17 version of Android System Intelligence has the following four new strings:
- <string name=”search_on_maps_title”>Search on Maps</string>
- <string name=”search_on_play_title”>Search on Play Store</string>
- <string name=”search_on_settings_title”>Search on Settings</string>
- <string name=”search_on_youtube_title”>Search on Youtube</string>
As with Google’s current Search on Google title, tapping on a title should theoretically launch the appropriate app and display the search results for the user to see. This would bring Pixels in line with Apple’s Spotlight feature for iOS. Imagine looking for an app on the Play Store, a video on YouTube, or a place on Maps on your phone. What I’ve been requesting since the dawn of time is here, and it might save me a great deal of time.
There are two possible timelines for the implementation of this feature. That it might be released with Android 13 at some point this year is just the beginning (or perhaps in a beta). It’s also possible that Google may release this as part of a quarterly Pixel Feature Drop, which will take place in mid-summer.
Code interpreting can be tricky, so keep that in mind. There’s no guarantee that the strings will ever be used, even if they are in the source. This prospective device search extension is likely to be restricted to the Pixel Launcher, which can only be installed on a Pixel. That’s an important caution to remember. To avoid being left out in the cold, it’s best to stick with the official launcher on your phone.
It’s best to take this information with a grain of salt, but it’s worth paying attention to anyway. As soon as next week’s Google I/O, we might learn more about it.