Google has announced the removal of 17 “underutilized” features, including the microphone shortcut in the Pixel Launcher. The multi-colored microphone icon used to open Google Assistant in the Search bar will now open “Voice Search,” which triggers search results in response to queries. Previously, this icon allowed users to perform actions like “turn on the lights” or “send a message,” but these functionalities are no longer available.
Some Pixel devices already display a notification prompting users to use “Hey Google” or “press and hold the power button” to access Google Assistant, without mentioning the alternative method of scrolling from the bottom left/right of the screen. As a result, users will lose the ability to open Assistant from anywhere with a tap if the 3-button search is implemented.
To mitigate the inconvenience, users can add the Google Assistant icon to their home page for quick access. Overall, this change disrupts the user experience without providing a clear rationale. One possible explanation for this change could be a future integration with Bard. Despite this change, the Google Assistant remains a popular feature among users.
