On most Android phones, including Samsung Galaxy phones, the Google search bar on the Home Screen is a widget, so you can remove it by touching and holding it and tapping Remove, or move it by touching and holding it and dragging it somewhere else. On Google Pixel phones, the search bar is built into the Pixel Launcher and can’t be removed or moved; the only way to hide it is to switch to a different launcher app. On an iPhone, the Google search bar is the Google app’s widget, which you remove like any other widget.
Here are the steps for each phone, how to get the search bar back, and the alternatives if your phone won’t let you remove it.
Remove the Google search bar on Samsung and most Android phones
- Go to the Home Screen with the search bar.
- Touch and hold the search bar until a menu appears.
- Tap Remove (or drag it to Remove at the top of the screen).
On some phones, the option is under the widget menu as Remove from Home. The Google app itself isn’t affected, and you can still search by opening it.
Move the Google search bar
- Touch and hold the search bar.
- Without lifting your finger, drag it to a new spot or to another Home Screen page.
- Release to drop it.
To make it smaller or wider, touch and hold it, let go, and drag the resize handles at its edges. Not every launcher allows resizing.
Google Pixel phones
The Pixel Launcher keeps the Google search bar at the bottom of the Home Screen, and there’s no setting to remove or move it. You can:
- Customize it: Open the Google app, tap your profile picture, then Settings > Customize search widget to change its shape, color and transparency.
- Use a different launcher: Install a launcher from the Play Store, set it as default in Settings > Apps > Default apps > Home app, and arrange your Home Screen without the search bar.
Add the search bar back
- Touch and hold an empty spot on the Home Screen.
- Tap Widgets.
- Scroll to or search for Google.
- Touch and hold the Search widget and drag it onto the Home Screen.
Remove the Google widget on an iPhone
- Touch and hold the Google search widget.
- Tap Remove Widget, then Remove.
To move it, touch and hold an empty area until the apps jiggle, then drag the widget. Tap Done when finished.
Hide instead of removing
If your phone won’t let you remove the bar and you don’t want another launcher:
- Make it less visible with the Google app’s Customize search widget settings, such as a transparent background.
- Move your most-used apps to other Home Screen pages so the search bar page isn’t your main screen.
- On Samsung, turn off Google Discover or the Google feed page in Home Screen settings if that’s the part bothering you.
By phone at a glance
| Phone | Remove? | Move? | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy | Yes | Yes | Touch and hold the widget |
| Most other Android phones | Usually | Usually | Touch and hold the widget |
| Google Pixel | No | No | Customize it or use another launcher |
| iPhone | Yes | Yes | Touch and hold the Google widget |
Related: exclude words from a Google search.
Related: How to search for PDFs on Google.
Frequently asked questions
Will removing the search bar delete the Google app?
No. The widget is just a shortcut. The Google app stays installed.
Why does the search bar come back after I remove it?
Some phones restore default widgets after a launcher update or Home Screen reset. Remove it again, or lock your Home Screen layout in Home Screen settings if your phone offers that.
Can I replace it with another search widget?
Yes. Most browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox and Edge, offer their own search widgets you can add from the Widgets menu.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.