Can you disable google searchbar on FP4?

[UPPERCASE]

It was this option in the Google app. I tapped it because I was interested in what it did. I was still hungover I guess. Expected behavior. But it sucks that there is no interactive way to switch back to DDG. It’s basically a one way street.

[UPPERCASE]

Nova Launcher is not open-source, right? Quickstep is and allows you to change it to e.g. DDG, it’s also super stable. Something I haven’t experienced yet with LawnChair. Nova is not an option for me since it’s closed-source.

[SimplyBrainy]

Yes, you’re right, Nova is closed like Fairphone OS and other things … I think that if there are no better open source alternatives, we should take that. It gives the possibility to remove the search bar and it is smooth as a rocket, what’s more?

[hirnsushi]

Yeah, that’s it , that doesn’t change the whole system to Google, but it changes selected_search_engine_aga= to com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox and that apparently means it get’s used for the quick search widget (not default search engine or Chrome though)

Edit: Interestingly enough, the DDG app doesn’t have the power to do that (or I couldn’t find it)

[UPPERCASE]

If I apply this way of thinking, which makes sense, I would be rocking a Pixel phone Pixels have open source images, just some added Google magic that make things work smarter and better. Fairphone uses AOSP. Their kernel and some components are open-source. It’s not as open as the Pixel ROMs, but you balance it of course with the eco and social responsible mission of FP.

The search bar doesn’t bother me much, it’s also great to find things quickly on the phone itself. But we should indeed use what works, balanced with what we value on top of that.

[oli.sax]

@Stanzi

Alternatively, if you want to remove the search bar, but keep the default launcher, you can sudo apt install adb (or go to Minimal ADB and Fastboot if you have a Windows computer), connect your phone to your PC and run adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox to remove the package.

Edit: I’m not 100% sure that this is the correct package, maybe you have to try a couple until you find the responsible one.

@JanVerlaan

googlequicksearchbox appears not to be the right package. It is still visible on my new FP4. How do I find other packages?

Hi @Stanzi !
If I understand well, after removing a lot a packages you managed to delete the searchbar while keeping the default launcher, is it correct? So one could play at removing one-by-one each package on your list until he found out the correct one?

[Stanzi]

Yes.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

[user0815]

I’ve uninstalled the com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox package and I can confirm that it is the search bar.

The downside of this is that it replaces the Google search bar with some useless button roughly the same size as the search bar has been before:

(Screenshot taken from another forum post)

Is there any way I could use the default launcher with a different search bar?

[AlphaElwedritsch]

No you can’t
Discussed already here more then once

[Aaanze]

Unfortunately, like Hulk said it is not possible, any reason why you wouldn’t settle for an other launcher ?

[Bristow]

Use LawnChair in F-Droid Store

[hirnsushi]

If all you want is a…

@user0815

different search bar

… just enable com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox again, use those commands…

@hirnsushi

$ adb shell settings delete secure selected_search_engine
$ adb shell pm enable com.google.android.apps.setupwizard.searchselector
$ adb reboot

… and choose your preferred search provider after the reboot.

Removing that empty search bar without major effort won’t happen for the default launcher though.

[user0815]

Optimally, I’d like to have the perfect search functionality of KISS Launcher with the default launcher.

Note: I just found out that I can use KISS launcher with widgets (Howto) which is even better than I expected. I won’t stick with the default launcher so I don’t need to disable google search bar

Edit:
I just found out that you can keep the default launcher and use KISS launcher as an assist app only.

[Benoit_Panizzon]

Probably a silly question, but I could not figure out how to do this.
On all my previous phones, first thing I did is disable all those fancy stuff on the home screen, to only have the app icons I need.

On the FP4 the left most screen probably shows a full screen size widget with google search (discoveries disabled, so basically empty).

I have not yet figured out, how to remove that. Could anyone enlighten me?

-Benoit-

[Ingo]

Hi Benoit,

I moved your post here because it’s a frequently asked question.

This pretty much sums it up if you ask me:

@hirnsushi

Removing that empty search bar without major effort won’t happen for the default launcher though.

So the only easy solution is to install an alternative launcher app. There are plenty of suggestions in this topic.

[StK]

I had Ecosia selected as the search provider for the bar, but then uninstalled the Ecosia app, which reverted the bar to Google. Is there any (easy) way to change the bar to using Ecosia again? (downloading the app again did not do the trick)

[AlphaElwedritsch]

yes, just look 4 answers upwards

Can you disable google searchbar on FP4?

If all you want is a… … just enable com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox again, use those commands… … and choose your preferred search provider after the reboot. Removing that empty search bar without major effort won’t happen for the default launcher though.

[StK]

I saw that, but unfortunately, I am not used to all these commands and how to execute them. that is why I was asking for an easier way. I take it from your answer that there isn‘t, which is a pity as Fairphone/Google allow it, but (for the standard user) only once at setup. Including that option in Settings would be nice, as one might like the option to switch anytime.

[AlphaElwedritsch]

no, sorry. no easier way

Just enable developer options for your phone. enable USB debugging in developer options. connect your phone to pc. install adb. execute the commands. that’s it.

The only esier way is to factory reset your phone

[ecip]

I suppose the LineageOS Launcher, Trebuchet, isnt just available to download somewhere, hey? F-Droid? Google play store?