The Google app on Android devices has just had a pretty significant upgrade.
Users now have a search bar at the bottom of the window, which makes it easier to quickly look for new information.
If you're a fan of the best Android phones on the market, chances are you're also a fan of Google. That's the company behind the Android operating system, meaning they have quite a hand in how those devices operate.
For example, you'll find a whole host of Google apps pre-installed on those devices. Those will tend to be the go-to apps as well, like Google Maps and the Google Play Store.
Now, the Google app itself has seen an upgrade – and it should make the lives of users much easier. When using the app on Android devices, users are now seeing a search bar at the bottom of the page. That appears to remain consistently on any web page or Discover article opened.
The bar features the Google "G" logo on the left-hand side, with a search bar with the words "Ask Anything" written inside of it. On the right-hand side, a microphone and a camera icon sit, allowing users to search via audio or with Google Lens.
Of course, the change does mean you'll lose a little screen real estate. The bar itself isn't too large though, so it shouldn't cause too many issues. When you click on it, though, the search page opens out into a full-page display.
So, what does this mean for users? Well, it certainly seems plausible that this could be the first step towards moving the search bar to the bottom in the main screen. We've seen similar things happen on iPhones, with the Safari app moving its search and address bar to the bottom of the display.
We wouldn't expect any changes like that to come too soon here, but it does make sense. Most people are holding devices by the lower-half, so it makes sense to have the most actionable part of the software in that same vicinity.
