Google app on Android tests bottom search bar placement, again

Google’s app on Android is no stranger to interface tweaks, and it seems the search giant is once again revisiting the idea of a bottom-placed search bar. This design choice has a rocky history within the Android version of the app, with initial tests as far back as 2021 and a more recent flirtation in late 2023. But now, it’s back – this time with a Material 3 design twist, as highlighted by 9to5Google.

The latest redesign aims to modernize the Google app’s look and feel. It introduces Material 3 elements, notably the pill-shaped tab indicator that iOS users have already enjoyed. This change alone promises to boost consistency across the app on different platforms. Here’s a screenshot shared by a user on X:

Notably, the search field, previously a fixture at the top of the Discover feed, now gets promoted to occupy a prominent position above the bottom bar. Unlike the older iterations, this search field remains persistently visible even on the search results page.

The redesign has a fresh aesthetic and could improve one-handed usability on larger phones. The trade-off is a slight decrease in usable screen space for search results and the search field’s somewhat oversized appearance. Additionally, ditching Dynamic Color in favor of a standard blue tint might feel less integrated with the rest of the phone’s theme.

Nevertheless, apart from the bottom search bar placement, we also spotted Google testing a new Gemini toggle in the app. The toggle was first added to the Google app on iOS when the company rolled out a dedicated Gemini app for Android.