SAN FRANCISCO, January 8, 2026, 02:43 (PST)
- Pixel users can launch an app from Pixel Launcher search by pressing Enter after typing part of its name
- The shortcut appears to be flipping on via a server-side change and is not yet on all devices
- The behavior revives an older “quick launch” function that Google had removed in late 2022
Google is rolling out a Pixel Launcher tweak that lets some Pixel users open an installed app from the launcher search by pressing Enter after typing part of the app’s name, Android Authority reported on Thursday. The change swaps the keyboard’s bottom-right Google Search button for an arrow/Enter key when the launcher detects an app match and launches the app when pressed, the outlet said. Android Authority said Google is enabling it through a server-side switch — a remote change that does not require an app update — and it did not appear on at least one Pixel 10 Pro XL running the stable Android 16 QPR2 update, a Quarterly Platform Release. 1
The tweak targets a daily pain point on large phones: the fastest way to get around is often to type, not tap. On Pixel devices, that habit can backfire when a keypress turns into a web search and breaks the flow.
Pixel Launcher is the home-screen and app drawer software on Google’s Pixel phones, and its search field doubles as a launcher and a web search box. In the current setup, typing an app name is often a prelude to web search, with the keyboard’s corner button acting like a magnifying-glass search key. Some users had started seeing app results highlighted with “open” appearing in the text field, and the corner button staying as an arrow that launches the app instead. 2
Google had been testing versions of the shortcut in a limited way, including reports that the bottom-right keyboard button could change to an arrow/open key and start apps directly from the keyboard, Android Authority wrote in September 2025. The outlet said earlier Pixel Launcher builds behaved similarly before Google removed that approach around late 2022, and later experiments to restore it did not spread beyond small rollouts. 3
The server-side approach fits Google’s recent pattern with Pixel Launcher changes, which can appear without a visible download. In June 2025, 9to5Google reported that a redesigned Pixel Launcher search bar and a new Gemini launch animation were rolling out as server-side updates to Android 16 QPR1 beta users. 4
Rivals have trained users to treat search as a way to open things, not just look them up. Apple’s Spotlight Search on iPhone and iPad, for example, shows results as you type and opens an item when you tap it, according to Apple’s support documentation. 5
If Google sticks with the change, it trims a tap and keeps the action on the keyboard — the kind of time-saver that adds up for heavy users. It also nudges Pixel Launcher back toward being a phone-first tool, even as the search bar keeps pulling in more web-facing features.
But the rollout looks uneven, and Google can turn a server-side switch off as quickly as it turns it on. It is also not clear which Pixel models, regions, or keyboard setups will get the shortcut first, or whether it will remain the default once the rollout widens.
