Android 13 is shaping up to be a different experience compared to Android 12. We’re seeing both aesthetic and functional changes coming, and that’s just from the two developer previews we’ve gotten so far. Now, a new feature will let the Pixel launcher in Android 13 search for widgets.
Right now, there are two developer previews out for Android 13, and people are already finding a ton of changes in the software. While there are some visual changes, the overall look and feel of the software will be identical to Android 12. Google introduced the Material You aesthetic, and it will carry over.
The Pixel launcher in Android 13 will let you search up widgets
There was a previous report about the search bar in the Pixel launcher. This isn’t the Google search bar on the bottom of the screen; this is the one that you get when you pull up the app drawer.
Doing so will summon a search that you can use to search for content on your phone. For instance, you can look up different apps on your phone. Recently, it was discovered that you can also look up photos from Google Photos using that search bar.
Now, we have a tweet from Mishaal Rahman that tells us about more of the functionality. When you use the search bar in the app drawer, you’ll also be able to search up widgets. Not only that but you’ll also get Google search suggestions. When you type in a search, those items, along with the Google Photos results, will appear in a short list.
Rahman saw this in the Android 13 developer preview 2. Those who have the preview may have to dig into the system and enable this feature before you can use it.
More Android 13 features are coming soon
Right now, we’re only two developer previews in, so there are plenty of updates coming down the pipeline. For starters, the official beta for the platform will come out next month. This is early compared to previous years, as Google would usually wait until Google I/O to launch the beta. We expect May to be the month when we see the most new features added to Android 13.