Google has recently shown a trend towards improving one-handed usage in its first-party apps. We've seen this throughout its Material You rollout and on the Android 12 update on Pixel phones, where apps like Google Translate have most UI elements moved to the bottom for better reachability. Now it seems to be working on a new redesign to the Search app, which is going to see the search bar moved to the bottom, enhancing the experience on great Android phones like the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro.

First noticed by the German-language site SmartDroid, not only is the app becoming easier to use one-handed — scrolling and searching for something is now within your thumb's reach — but it's also becoming more consistent with Google's current launcher design, which has boasted a bottom search bar since 2017.

It's important to mention that this is not a proper Material You update but rather just a change in the search bar placement. An actual revamp shouldn't be too far away, though — the Discover feed on the Pixel Launcher recently got a Material You touch-up, and so have the majority of Google's apps.

The site reports that this change was spotted on beta version 12.47.12 of the Google app. Several AP writers have tried installing this version on our own phones but have yet to see the change. It's likely a slow-rollout A/B test at the moment, so don't be surprised if it doesn't work on your phone — even if Google ends up rolling this out to everyone, it won't happen for a while.

Google is also testing a version of the app that has a search bar permanently on the top (via Google News Telegram channel) that also removes the weather widget from the top left corner of the screen. Not quite as ergonomic, but it definitely looks cleaner.

If you want to try your luck, check out the latest beta on the Google Play Store or download the APK on your phone.