Google tests a more recent Pixel Launcher edition with the Google Assistant icon in the search bar.
The Pixel Launcher, the pre-installed launcher app on the Google Pixel and Android One products, doesn’t receive lots of updates because it will be annoying for users to need to relearn how to use their launcher app. The launcher offers undergone a few significant changes since its preliminary release, though. The release of the tall, 18:9 Google Pixel 2 XL prompted Google to go the Pixel Launcher’s search bar to underneath.
Next, Android P Developer Preview 2 integrated the recent applications display screen with the launcher, leading to seamless transitions in the middle of your installed and latest application lists. While we don’t understand if Google plans on revamping the launcher just as before for the launch of the Google Pixel 3, we can say for certain that they’re at least screening changes to the search bar for the forthcoming Pixel 3. Now, we’ve found an updated version of the Pixel Launcher that adjustments the standard microphone icon in the search bar to the Google Assistant icon.
As you can plainly see in the screenshots demonstrated above, the installed edition of the application is 9-4889482. The most recent version available on-line is 9-4836503, therefore the version that people have installed is usually newer compared to the one that’s available for the Google Pixel 2. This up to date Pixel Launcher APK was found out by XDA Senior Member phone, an associate of the group behind the Lawnchair launcher and who’s also not able to be among the first to slot the Google Pixel 2’s Launcher app to non-Pixel smartphones and old Android variations.
The launcher APK was pulled from the official Android Pie picture for the Google Android Studio Emulator. In case you are thinking about installing this updated APK, we’ll have another post detailing how exactly to do so as there is usually one caveat: Google signed this version with a different signing essential than the one utilized on the typical Pixel Launcher, so it will not really install together with your existing installation!
While this switch to the launcher isn’t a large deal, it really is interesting to see an updated edition of the launcher is going swimming online. Android P Programmer Preview 5 and the state Android Pie discharge removed the initial microphone switch from the launcher’s search bar, nonetheless, it seems that Google programs on getting it back again with an up to date icon. Although, we do concur that the icon will not change when you select something apart from Google Assistant as the default assistant app so that it would be unusual to select Amazon Alexa as your assistant application and continue getting the Google Assistant icon on the search bar.
