Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Pixel units may quickly obtain a shortcut to Search’s AI Mode on the house display.
- The shortcut will seem throughout the Pixel Launcher’s search widget and launch the Google app’s AI Mode interface.
- We’ve enabled it in Android 16 QPR1 beta to present you an early look.
Replace, June 20, 2025 (1:55 PM ET): After slowly getting began earlier this month, this week it seems that the brand new Pixel Launcher AI Mode shortcut is rolling out extensively. Right here’s the brand new possibility popping up on one among our Pixel 9a handsets working Android 16:
Joe Maring / Android Authority
Replace, June 6, 2025 (10:35 AM ET): We’re nonetheless not seeing this AI Mode shortcut actively showing in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 on any of our units the place we haven’t manually pressured this early look, however we’ve now heard from at the least one person who claims to already be seeing it dwell.
Discord person scuttlefield experiences getting their AI Mode button forward of what appears to be almost everybody else. For the second, we will’t say if that’s a glitch, they’re simply very fortunate, or if Google is being positively glacial with its strategy to creating the change out there. Should you occur to see it on any of your telephones, too, give us a shout down within the feedback.
Unique article, June 5, 2025 (10:34 AM ET): Google launched Search’s AI Mode earlier this 12 months to assist customers discover solutions to advanced, multi-part questions. At present, you may entry it on the net or by heading to the Google app in your cellphone and tapping the AI Mode button. Nevertheless, Google is engaged on a brand new shortcut to present Pixel customers faster entry to the characteristic.
An APK teardown helps predict options that will arrive on a service sooner or later based mostly on work-in-progress code. Nevertheless, it’s doable that such predicted options might not make it to a public launch.
Google plans so as to add an AI Mode shortcut to the Pixel Launcher’s search widget, giving Pixel customers entry to the characteristic proper on the house display. We first noticed references to this shortcut within the second Android 16 beta and bought a have a look at its icon. Though it’s nonetheless not dwell within the Android 16 QPR1 beta, we’ve now enabled it manually to present you an early look.
As we showcased in a mockup earlier this 12 months, the AI Mode shortcut seems to the left of the voice search and Lens shortcuts within the Pixel Launcher’s search widget. The AI Mode icon options Google’s signature colours, however adapts to the system colours in the event you allow the “Themed icons” possibility. Tapping on it opens the Google app’s AI Mode interface, making it simpler for Pixel customers to start out an AI Mode search from the house display.
The AI Mode dwelling display shortcut may attain Pixel units with Android 16. Nevertheless, because it’s not dwell within the first Android 16 QPR1 beta, Google would possibly delay its rollout to a subsequent launch. We’ll replace this submit as quickly because the shortcut is extensively out there.
