Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

[Dayvidpriddy]

I really prefer it not be there but dragging it to the trash is not an option. Is there a setting in settings where I can turn it off? I'd rather have a app icon then using that long bar, to me it's looks tacky. If not oh well but thought I would ask, it seems to be able to be removed on phones so why not tablets?

 

[Slender Troll]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

I really prefer it not be there but dragging it to the trash is not an option. Is there a setting in settings where I can turn it off? I'd rather have a app icon then using that long bar, to me it's looks tacky. If not oh well but thought I would ask, it seems to be able to be removed on phones so why not tablets?

Use a launcher like Nova or Apex.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[neonworm]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

I would use nova launcher.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[mr_nobody]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

I would use apex launcher.

 

[asus_usa]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

Agreed with everyone else up there; get a different launcher. I like the Nova, but you can't go wrong with the Apex, either. Both are free.

 

[Dayvidpriddy]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

I have no clue what any of you are talking about lol, can you explain? Do you mean chose another widget in it's place? Remember I'm new to Nexus

 

[Slender Troll]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

I have no clue what any of you are talking about lol, can you explain? Do you mean chose another widget in it's place? Remember I'm new to Nexus

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ls?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher&token=ZFQ7fnAe

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[MJKearney]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

I have no clue what any of you are talking about lol, can you explain? Do you mean chose another widget in it's place? Remember I'm new to Nexus

The answer to your original question is that no, you can't remove the persistent Google search bar that appears at the top of your home screen. You can't, that is, as long as you are using the stock "launcher" that your Nexus 7 came with. What, I'm sure you are asking, is this thing called a launcher? Well, until I tried an alternate launcher, I, too, didn't quite understand what it was or did.

Basically, the launcher is the interface that you see and use on your device. Per a Wikipedia description, "A launcher presents the main view of the phone and is responsible for starting other apps and hosting live widgets." It's the home screens, app drawer, app shortcuts and folders, and a place for your widgets to reside.

As for alternate launchers, first think of them as just another app. They don?t do anything to permanently change your device. You CAN install and uninstall a launcher, just like you can install and uninstall any app. Or you can have a launcher installed, but simply choose not to use it, just like any other app. You can have multiple launchers, and use the one you want, depending on your mood. It's up to you. But, of course, you can only use one launcher at a time.

An alternate launcher allows you to more extensively customize your home screens and app drawer and how you place widgets, as well as change the overall "feel" of how you interact with your device. Here are some examples that apply to many launchers, but certainly to Nova, the one I use.

The standard Android launcher gives you five home screens, and you can't increase or decrease that number. Nova lets you vary that number, and also lets you reorder which home screen goes where. I currently have nine home screens, but I could change to only one if I wanted. When I swipe to go to a new home screen, I can change the visual effects to something different - mine is kind of a 3D effect as I swipe to another screen. I can also make the home screens a continuous loop, so there is no end or beginning - I can swipe left forever and ever! I can choose to have more or fewer columns and rows available for placing shortcuts. I can rename my shortcuts, and change the shape of folders that contain multiple shortcuts. Widgets can be overlapped. The app drawer can be set up with folders and tabs. I can hide the notification bar, the persistent search bar , and the dock, as well as change the number of shortcuts in the dock, and the number of docks, which can be swiped left or right, independent of the home pages.

That's just a sample. There are a bunch of other tweaks and adjustments, way too many for me to describe. The best way to get a taste of it is to install the free or trial version of a launcher, and see for yourself. There's a little bit of a learning curve, but once you figure it out, you'll never want to go back to the stock launcher (but easily can at any time)!

 

[Diknak]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

When you press the home button, it goes to an "app" called Launcher; it feels like it is an embedded part of the OS, but that actually isn't the case. You can replace this launcher, kind of like how you can replace the browser. If you install a new launcher, as soon as you press the Home button, it will ask if you want to open Launcher or the new app that you downloaded.

They provide new options and will completely change the look and feel of the OS. I personally prefer the stock, but I have tried Nova and it was nice. I just had problems with Nova lagging after about a week of using it, so I just reverted.

 

[nelhop]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

MJKearney, once again I found myself reading the posts and wondering just what a launcher was. Once again, your clear explanation was very welcome!

 

[Nick82734]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

Just go to apps -> select all apps tab -> find and click "Google Search" and disable it

 

[deadpoole]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

Disabled all search functions including Google Now?!?! I couldn't think of anything worse you could do to an Android device.

 

[Cor10mier]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

I like the Nova, but you can't go wrong with the Apex, either. Both are free.

 

[heading4tomorrow]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

Just go to apps -> select all apps tab -> find and click "Google Search" and disable it

Some people will take every opportunity point people the longest route or things they don't need to do, such as installing launchers, not knowing if they will work any better than stock launcher on users (or OP's) device.

All they had to do was just what you posted. Case closed.

It's like someone asking "where can I buy some shoes" and someone telling them to go to outlet mall 50 miles away while there is a shoe store around the block.

I have nothing against launchers, they are nice, fancy, most of them have bunch of cool features, but the question was simple, how to get rid of google search button..
Now, my next question is, now that I got rid of google search, how do I add a custom search widget or app that I can call by holding the search button (or the new 4 lines button on ICS) on device?
I would love to have the ability to choose from search engines with a little icon like firefox when the search engine window appears.

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

But Google Search is such an integral part of the Android device experience. I understand that you may not care much about it, but I would hazard a guess that most Android users would want to keep the Google Search functionality available somewhere. So I totally understand why the primary suggestions have been about launchers. These people are all trying to help, so try to give them a little credit.

 

[heading4tomorrow]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

But Google Search is such an integral part of the Android device experience. I understand that you may not care much about it, but I would hazard a guess that most Android users would want to keep the Google Search functionality available somewhere. So I totally understand why the primary suggestions have been about launchers. These people are all trying to help, so try to give them a little credit.

I am sorry if I sounded too harsh but if it was that easy to just rid of google search, they could have just said what Nick and synycal said, and then recommend another launcher. The thing is, getting a launcher does not get rid of google search if you do not want to keep it, removing/disabling it does.

Google might be an intergarl part of the experience, but not everyone wants to use Google Now or rely on google search solely and occupy space on home screen. At least google should have given an option to move/resize/hide the google search bar. When Microsoft bundled Interenet Explorer with Windows and made it pre-installed, they were hit with antitrust lawsuit and was ordered to take it off on next version of Windows. Then it was made optional and checkmark under applications screen appeared to remove it easily, why can't the same be applied to google? I guess this is not the place to ask since nobody has authority on this, but it would be nice if someone actually took this up.

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

You make some good points. But in regard to this thread, also keep in mind what the OP actually said:

I really prefer it not be there but dragging it to the trash is not an option. Is there a setting in settings where I can turn it off? I'd rather have a app icon then using that long bar, to me it's looks tacky. If not oh well but thought I would ask, it seems to be able to be removed on phones so why not tablets?

I read this as meaning that he just didn't like the search bar, but wanted to keep the Google Search function available. Hence the suggestions for 3rd party launchers, which allow you to keep Google Search, but give you the option of taking away the search bar.

And look on the bright side--at least Android gives you the flexibility to do this kind of thing, i.e., install alternate launchers and alter the look of your phone. Can't really do that with iOS or WP, right?

 

[ThurstonX]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

I tried disabling Google Search, but after rebooting it was enabled, and Google Search widget is still there. I also tried disabling the com.Google.android.googlequicksearchbox.SearchWidgetProvider receiver within Google Search using Auto run Manager, but that didn't work either.

I'm using USB ROM, which uses Trebuchet launcher. Pretty great name for a launcher ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While the disabling Google Search didn't work, I did find the launcher option to get rid of that damn thing, so a better solution in the end.

 

[stupid searchbar]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

Its called 'search bar' on 4.2.
I made it go away by unchecking: Settings\Launcher\homescreen\searchbar

 

[anon(8287587)]

Re: Can I remove the "microphone/Google search bar" tabby thing at the top of my home screen?

This is exactly what I wanted... but there's no Launcher item in my Settings. It's a plain vanilla Android 4.2.2 on a Chinese S4 lookalike; might your Setup be manufacturer-customised? Any additional thoughts would be very welcome.