As with all the best stuff, it’s only Pixel
It wasn’t that long ago that the concept of an Android launcher was pretty straightforward – a homescreen where you can quickly start your apps or add a few widgets to see information at a glance. Nowadays, we expect a lot more from our launchers, such as the Google Discover pane and a strong search feature. The Pixel Launcher is probably the best example of a modern launcher, and thanks to a new update, it can now also search your phone for screenshots, without needing to open another app.
The feature was first reported by the Telegram channel Google News, who shared a video showing how screenshots now appear in the launcher’s search feature. It’s an extension of the device search feature that Google brought back with Android 12. In this case, it’s an integration with the Google Photos app – searching for the term “screenshots” will display the app icon along with the last three screenshots the user took, and holding down any one of them also lets you quickly share them through other apps.
Before, it wasn’t that hard to access screenshots (just launch your favorite gallery app and look for the screenshots folder), but it’s arguably a faster method.
We need to clarify, in case you haven’t already noticed, that this is Pixel only, as this is exclusive to the Pixel Launcher at the moment. However, we may soon see a similar feature making its way to other launchers, be they OEM launchers or third-party launchers like Nova Launcher.
Depending on the original coverage, the feature is being rolled out, but as with every Google rollout, your mileage may vary. If you don’t see it on your device, make sure your app is up to date and your Pixel is running the latest OS update.
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