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How do I remove the Google search bar from my Android home screen?

By the AndroidAnswers Editorial Team · Updated

About 4 minutes · Basics & setup

Steps written for Android 16 and 17, including Samsung One UI 8 and 9, Google Pixel, and Motorola. Menu names can vary a little by model and carrier.

Illustration of a phone showing a grid of four app squares, with a magnifying glass on one side and a trash can on the other

On most phones the Google search bar is a widget: touch and hold it, then tap Remove or drag it to Remove. On Samsung phones with One UI 9, touch and hold an empty spot, tap Settings, then Show search on Home screen, and turn search off. On Pixel phones the bar is built in and cannot be removed.

Steps to check

  1. Know that removing the bar does not remove Google

    Taking the search bar off your home screen only hides that shortcut. The Google app stays on your phone, and you can still search by opening the Google app or Chrome. You can also put the bar back later. You do not need to turn off (disable) the Google app to get rid of the bar, and the steps below are the gentler way.

  2. Samsung with One UI 9: turn off Show search on Home screen

    After the One UI 9 update, many Galaxy phones show a search bar just above the row of apps at the bottom of the screen. It is controlled by a setting, not by touching the bar itself. Pinch the home screen with two fingers, or touch and hold an empty spot, then tap Settings at the bottom. Scroll down and tap Show search on Home screen. Turn off the switch for Google search. The same menu has a switch for Finder, Samsung's own search bar, so you can turn that off too or keep it. If you cannot find the menu, open the Settings app and type "show search" in the search box at the top. To check your One UI version, open Settings, tap About phone, then Software information.

  3. Samsung with older software, or a Google widget you added: remove it

    If your Google search bar is a regular widget, it can be removed like any other. Touch and hold the search bar until a menu appears, then tap Remove. This takes it off the home screen without uninstalling anything.

  4. Motorola: drag the search widget to Remove

    Motorola phones put the Google search widget on the home screen. To remove it, touch and hold the search bar until it vibrates, then drag it to Remove at the top of the screen and lift your finger. Motorola's help notes that if you cannot delete it, a different home screen (launcher) app without the widget is the other choice.

  5. Google Pixel: the bar is part of the home screen

    On Pixel phones using the standard Pixel home screen, the search bar at the bottom is built in. Google's Pixel help explains how to change it, for example by touching and holding the search bar and tapping Widget settings to pick a different look and shortcuts, but there is no setting to remove it. Google's Search help also notes that on some older devices you cannot remove the Search widget. Removing it on a Pixel means switching to a different home screen app, covered in the next step.

  6. Only if you really want it gone: try a different home screen app

    A home screen app (also called a launcher) controls how your home screen looks. You can download another one from the Play Store, then go to Settings, Apps, Default apps, Home app and choose it. This changes the whole look of your home screen and where your apps sit, so it is a bigger change than most people need. You can always switch back the same way: on Motorola phones, choose Moto App Launcher. Only install home screen apps you trust, from the Play Store.

  7. Want the bar somewhere else instead? Add it back where you like

    If the update only moved your search bar and you liked it where it was, first turn off the fixed bar (Samsung One UI 9 step above). Then touch and hold an empty spot on the home screen, tap Widgets, find Google, and touch and hold the Google search widget. Drag it to the spot you want and lift your finger. You can resize it by touching and holding it and dragging the dots on its outline.

Normal vs. not

Usually normal

A Google search bar appearing in a new place after a system update, or a second bar showing up next to one you already had. Updates sometimes change the home screen layout, and the settings above put it back the way you like.

Worth a closer look

Search bars, ads, or shortcuts you did not add that keep coming back after you remove them, or that open unfamiliar websites. That can be a sign of an unwanted app, and it is worth checking your recently installed apps.

What people are saying

Common questions

Will removing the search bar delete the Google app or my search history?
No. Remove only takes the bar off your home screen. The Google app, your account, and your search history stay as they are.
I turned off Show search on Home screen on my Samsung, but I still see a search bar. Why?
You may also have a regular Google search widget on the screen, or Samsung's Finder bar may still be on. Touch and hold the remaining bar and tap Remove, or check the Finder switch in the same Show search on Home screen menu.
Can I turn off the AI Mode button in the Pixel search bar?
Yes, in places where AI Mode is offered. Tap the G in the search bar, tap your profile picture, then Settings, then Customize Pixel Search Box, and turn AI Mode off.

Sources we checked

Menu names can differ by phone brand and Android version. See our editorial policy for how we check steps.