"Missing Pixel Launcher Shortcut: Google Assistant Gone on Pixel

A Google Assistant shortcut is disappearing from the Pixel Launcher

Google Assistant is losing some of its functionality as it removes 17 “underutilized” features. One of these changes is the re-mapping of the microphone icon in the search bar on the Pixel Launcher home screen. Previously, the microphone button served as a shortcut to Google Assistant, but now it responds with Google Search results. Google stated that this change was made to create a more consistent experience and that the most popular use case for the microphone icon is to get search results. However, some users may find it more difficult to activate Google Assistant through this new method and may experience slower response times. Google is actively communicating this change to users, but muscle memory from using Assistant through the Pixel Launcher for years may still cause some frustration. This is just the beginning of the changes coming to Google Assistant as it integrates Bard and AI.

What’s going on here? The microphone icon in the search bar on the Pixel Launcher home screen, which previously served as a shortcut to Google Assistant, has now been re-mapped to respond with Google Search results. This change was made as part of Google’s removal of underutilized features in Assistant.

What does this mean? Users will no longer be able to access Google Assistant through the microphone icon on the search bar. Instead, it will activate Voice Search and provide search results. While the change is intended to create a more consistent experience and benefit users who primarily use the microphone icon for search results, it may make it more difficult to activate Google Assistant in certain scenarios and could lead to slower response times.

Why should I care? If you frequently use Google Assistant through the Pixel Launcher’s microphone icon, this change may require some adjustment. Muscle memory developed from years of using Assistant through this shortcut may cause frustration as users adapt to the new method of accessing Assistant. Additionally, this change is just the beginning of a larger overhaul of Google Assistant as it integrates Bard and AI, so more changes are likely on the horizon.

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