What you have to know
- The newest Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3 model contains a new setting that would, sooner or later, enable customers to choose a default search engine within the Pixel Launcher.
- The toggle presumably would change the search engine used within the search bar on the backside of the house display within the Pixel Watcher.
- Google’s determination to probably add extra default search engines like google and yahoo may very well be in response to antitrust considerations levied by a number of governments.
As soon as a hard and fast a part of the Pixel Launcher that had restricted customization choices, the house display on Pixel units is now extra customizable than ever. Earlier this month, Google consolidated all of the At a Look widget settings right into a single menu. Lastly, you possibly can even take away At a Look from your property display if it is not your fashion. Whereas this can be a good begin, Pixel Launcher may very well be in retailer for a significant customization enhance.
Final week, members of the Google Information Telegram Channel noticed a brand new setting in Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3. It is referred to as Search Engine, and because the title suggests, it’s going to will let you choose the search engine of your selection for Pixel Launcher. As an alternative of being caught with Google Search, you could possibly use one other service, Bing.
“Choose the app you will use to look the online,” the setting’s rationalization reads. “This can have an effect on search and content material on your property display.”
The web page hyperlinks to a help doc with the next URL: http://help.google.com/android?p=choice_screen_error_messages. Nonetheless, the hyperlink hasn’t gone wherever but, and easily redirects to the primary Google Assist web site.
By default, the Pixel Launcher sports activities a search bar on the backside of the house display. As of now, customers of the search bar on the house display haven’t any different possibility however to make use of Google Search. When the above settings menu goes dwell, deciding on a default search engine might work equally to deciding on a default Android launcher.
There’s nonetheless lots that we do not find out about how default search engines like google and yahoo will work on the Pixel Launcher. For one, the search bar on the Pixel Launcher closely displays Google’s design language and even has the Google Search brand. It is doable that the design and UI for the search bar might change when a third-party search engine is chosen. That is all hypothesis for now, although.
Google’s motives for including extra search choices in Pixel Launcher would possibly prolong past customization. The corporate was sued final 12 months by the U.S. Justice Division and eight U.S. states for allegedly monopolizing search and promoting. This is only one of many authorized battles that Google is at the moment going through, not solely from the U.S. but additionally from the European Union.
Maybe Google is making an attempt to appease regulators by opening up decisions for search on Pixel units, much like how Apple introduced plans to carry RCS to iPhones final 12 months. Shortly after, it was reported that the E.U. was leaning in opposition to designating iMessage as a gatekeeper service.
Whatever the intent behind the transfer, including the power to choose default search engines like google and yahoo apart from Google Search can be a win for Pixel customers.
