Google search bar floats atop all Android phones by default, but we are sure many of you don’t use it all that often. Or even if you do, you could always place other interesting bar widgets on your home screen(s) that could possibly make your life simpler by enhancing the search experience. Let us talk about a few alternates that you need to try.
How to add Google Search Bar or other widgets to your Home screen?
In case you are a beginner and aren’t familiar with how widgets on Android work, here is how you can add them.
Just long press any empty area on your phone’s home screen and tap on widgets option. Now scroll and navigate to the app or widget you need to use and long press to lift and drop it on any of your home screens. The process might differ slightly based on the launcher or manufacturer UI that you are using.
This is also how you can add Google Search bar on Android in case you deleted it accidentally.
Now, let’s proceed to our list of Google Search bar alternatives.
Searchbar Ex
Searchbar Ex is an app with a widget that looks exactly like a Google search bar on the surface but has a lot more features baked in.
When you tap the Google Icon, you will get access to a left pane where you can add App shortcuts, actions, and even search shortcuts.
For instance, using the YouTube search button, you can directly search for videos and access results in the Youtube App.
You can also activate partial app search suggestions from app settings and use the widget to quickly access apps already installed on your phone. There are lot other options too that you can use to fine tune the widget.
CSBW or Custom Search Bar Widget
CSBW too uses a similar approach, but it has a few more search options like Facebook, Amazon, etc that open in your browser rather than the individual apps. Just like Searchbar Ex, you can add up to 4 actions, shortcuts, search icons, etc. In the free version. The pro version has no such limits.
Also Read: Ways To Add Fast Universal Search on Android Smartphones
Fast Finder
If you find yourself searching through your phone content more often than the web, adding Fast Finder search widget on the home screen could be a more convenient option.
Using the free widget, you can search through your phone contacts, apps, music, Videos and all other files in one place. The universal search is fast and works exactly as it should. From settings, you can toggle On the option to hide keyboard on scrolling or to choose the first item in the list with ‘Enter’ key. You can also manage search and choose to include or exclude App, People, Songs, Videos or Files from the search list.
Dictionary
If you like to look up words that you come across and also won’t mind discovering a few new ones every now and then, Dictionary.com is a very interesting widget that you could use.
From the widget, you could directly look up words and also get the ‘word of the day’ pushed to your home screen daily.
Chrome Search Widget
Google Chrome too has a search bar widget of its own, one that puts Google Chrome’s URL bar on your home screen. The search widget can be used to directly search and open pages in Chrome browser.
This is what makes it a good alternative to Google search bar.
Pixel Pill Widget
Another alternative to Google’s search widget is the Pixel Pill widget that brings search bar from Google Pixel to all Android phones, without using a third party launcher.
The Pixel Pill widget is a simple app that integrates Google search and weather widget and can feel like a nice change of pace.
Simple Search Widget
Even if you use Google search bar, the widget is placed so far off from the bottom that it’s just impossible to access using one hand on big phones. Simple search widget solves that problem.
It might not be a very fancy widget around, but it’s surely light and fast and serves the purpose well. The simple magnifying glass widget can fire google search and the one with the voice option can be used to trigger Google assistant.
Also Read: Top 12 Cool Google Maps Tips and Tricks You Should Know
Increase Productivity with these Google Search Bar alternatives
So, these are some worthy options to replace your Google Search widget with. We have tried many, and these are the best Search bars that work. So go ahead and give them a try.
