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Android 12 may allow universal device search from third party launchers
The AppSearchManager tool could allow for deep desktop-style searching
Search has always been a core component of Android — the OS is made by Google, after all. But one of the coolest tricks of the system has been reserved for Google's own launcher and widget: the ability to search through both your own apps and web search results at once. That capability may be coming to all launchers and apps in the near future, according to developer documentation for Android 12.
Google's Play Store may have a new problem that is affecting app discoverability for many developers. Over the last two months or so, some developers have been claiming that their applications aren't surfacing in the Play Store's search results as they should, with some apps that accrued hundreds of thousands of installs not even appearing in direct searches for that app's name. Thankfully, new reports within the last twenty-four hours indicate that some kind of fix may be rolling out, resolving the issue for some developers.
F-Droid, the most popular open-source app store, got a rather significant facelift last May and was further refined with the release of v1.0 in October. Now it's been updated to v1.1, which brings privacy preferences, search enhancements, UI improvements, bug fixes, and more.
One of our readers spotted this neat trick in the latest update to the Google Now Launcher (which is part of the primary Google app). A single tap on the app drawer icon will open the app drawer as usual, but a long-press will open it and immediately highlight the app search field. It will also automatically open your default virtual keyboard, quickly and easily allowing you to type and search for apps.
Nova Launcher is easily the top pick for conventional Android home screen replacements, and a "daily driver" for a good chunk of Android Police's staff. The latest update added a Material Design user interface, but there are other goodies hiding just below the surface. For example, version 4.0 includes a simple app search function hidden in the app drawer. It's especially handy if you've got hundreds of installed apps (like Artem) or just don't like organizing your apps into folders (like everyone else).