Google has a ton of first-party apps, and we’re constantly getting reports of the company switching and changing their UIs. Well, this is continuing with the Google app. According to a new report, Google may be testing a bottom bar in the Google app.
The Google app is the company’s gateway to Google Search on Android phones. It’s more than a bloated search bar. Right now, the company is actually testing a Gemini toggle in the Google app. When you open the app and switch to Gemini mode, you’ll have access to Gemini’s assistant capabilities. You will be able to summon it with a voice command and ask it to perform different tasks within your phone. At this point, Google is looking to make it a proper alternative to Google Assistant.
Google is testing a bottom bar for the Google app
When opening the Google app, we’re used to seeing the search bar up top with our recent searches below. When tapping on the Google icon, we open the Discover page, and it still shows the search bar rather close to the top.
However, according to a new report, the company may be working on bringing the search bar even lower. Looking at the screenshot below, it appears that Google wants to make the search bar a part of the bottom bar. We see the search bar within the same UI element as the tabs on the bottom. It will hover just above the Discover, Search, and Saved tabs.
As smartphones get bigger and taller, we start to appreciate companies doing this more. We can’t deny that it’s pretty tough reaching the top of our nearly 7-inch phones. At this point, phones have the ability to summon the notification shade with simple gestures, shrink the entire display, and bring half of the screen down to accommodate larger displays.
So, it’s clear that companies acknowledge that larger phones can be a bit of a hassle. If you’re a person who uses the Google Search app a lot, and you don’t want to constantly stretch your finger to the top of your phone, then you will love this change.
There’s another change
This change has pretty much been confirmed by Google, as it shows up and screenshots on the Play Store listing for the Google app. In the screenshot above, we see the pill-shaped element surrounding the selected tabs. So, the magnifying glass for the Search tab is inside of a pill-shaped enclosure. This will bring the Google app even more in line with the Material You design language.
It’s a nice little addition to the app. Also, it will help create a more consistent look throughout all of Google’s apps. Even though Material You was introduced back in 2021, the company is still working and tweaking the design of all of its apps to make a fully consistent design language.
At this point, it’s clear that Google is only testing these changes. So, there’s no telling if both of them are going to come to the Google app. We will have to wait for Google to officially confirm this to be sure.
