Google Search Updates: Redesigned Widgets and New ‘Activity’ Tab Roll Out on Android
Google is rolling out some significant updates to its Search experience on Android, bringing a fresh look to its Search widget and introducing a new 'Activity' tab within the Google app. These changes aim to enhance user experience, streamline access to search history, and offer more customization options.
The redesigned Search widget is now available to all Android users after a period of beta testing. The update brings a more modern look, aligning with Material 3's design language and the Circle to Search feature introduced earlier this year. The previous pill-shaped widget is replaced with a containerized design, featuring a circular shortcut icon on the right side. This allows users to quickly access custom actions, such as Translate, Song Search, or Weather.
According to reports, the new widget is slightly taller and requires a 4x1 space to display all elements, which might require some homescreen adjustments for users. To customize the shortcut icon, users can long-press on the widget and tap the pencil icon to access theme options and shortcut selections. This new Search Widget is part of the Google app version 16.19 update.
In addition to the widget redesign, Google has also launched a new 'Activity' tab within the Google app, replacing the 'Saved' tab. As revealed on May 25, 2025, this new tab provides a central location for users to manage their search history and saved items. The 'Activity' tab is organized into three sections: History, Saved items, and Collections.
The History section displays the user's four most recent searches and visited sites, complete with favicons, query or page names, and timestamps. Users can save, share, or delete individual items, or access a full history list. The Saved items section presents all saved content, including websites, images, products, Google Maps listings, movies, and TV shows, in a carousel format. Finally, the Collections section allows users to create and manage custom groupings of their saved items.
Google aims for the "Activity" tab to give a space where users can stay on top of their digital footprints, and synchronizes with Web & App Activity, effectively keeping track of all interactions across Google services, making it simple for users to handle their identities and interests.
These updates collectively represent Google's ongoing effort to improve the Search experience on Android, offering users greater control over their search history and more customization options for their home screens. The new widget design provides a more modern aesthetic and quick access to relevant actions, while the 'Activity' tab streamlines the management of search data and collections. Will these changes significantly improve your daily usage of Google Search on Android? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
