Google’s upcoming search widget will be highly customizable [Update: rolling out now]

Update, 10/20: Following our recent report on the news that Google was testing a customizable version of the Google Search bar, it seems that this is now rolling out. According to Android Police, the functionality is included alongside the latest version of the Google App beta, version 7.14.15.

You can find this latest version over at APK Mirror, and if the functionality isn’t there as soon as you install it, it should arrive in the coming days. Find out how the feature works in our original coverage below.

Original coverage, 09/29: The guys over at 9to5Google did an APK teardown of the latest Google app last week, which revealed a customizable “Google Bar”. They have now managed to activate the feature, revealing exactly what it is and how it works.

Google Bar is a new version of the company’s search widget that you can customize in a number of different ways. You can change the logo by opting for the one found on older devices, or the one used on newer handsets such as the Galaxy S8, which is a lot more minimalistic.

You can also change the shape of the widget, its color, and set the transparency with the help of a slider. Check out what this looks like in action below.

Of course, the new widget isn’t really groundbreaking, but the new features it offers are a welcomed addition. Android has always been about customization, and bringing this option to what is probably one of the most used widgets out there is something that will be well received by users.

The new search widget isn’t live yet, and there’s no word on when it will be available. It looks like it’s more or less finished, so we probably won’t have to wait long before Google releases it via an update.