Key Takeaways
- The Google app is testing a new Activity tab that combines recent searches and saved items.
- This change is currently rolling out to a limited number of users, with no word on when it will be widely available.
- Users can currently access their search history in the Google app via the account switcher menu.
The Google app is among the more useful apps bundled with Android devices. In addition to offering a snapshot of the day’s headlines, weather, stock prices, sports scores, and much more, the app gives you instant access to Google’s powerful search engine. Currently, the app lets users look for their recent searches via the Search history option in the account switcher menu. An upcoming update to the app could make things much more straightforward, as per a new revelation.
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A better way to search
As detailed in a report by Android Authority, the Google app is testing a new Activity tab at the bottom, replacing the existing Saved tab. The revelation comes thanks to a tip and video shared with the publication by Telegram user Andrey (andrey4ik21pro1_q). This newly added Activity tab basically brings together both recent searches and saved items.
Quick access to your saved items and search history
The last four searches are listed vertically under the History section, as you can see in the video above, while you can view the full list by tapping the < icon on the top right. Users can also see the number of queries/items on the list. The bottom quarter of the page is dedicated to Saved items, containing a horizontally scrollable list of things and places you have saved before.
The user who discovered this feature reportedly spotted it within version 15.44.25.29.arm64 of the Google app on a Pixel 7 Pro. Interestingly, this feature appears to have popped up without activating any flags. It’s not yet widely available, though, indicating that this is part of a test among a small batch of users.
Google routinely tests changes like this, only for them to never see the light of the day. However, given how much work has already gone into this new Activity tab, we sense it’s here to stay. But it’s still a mystery as to when that will be, with very little known about the change beyond this development.
The app is also switching the position of the Notifications tab as part of this redesign. Activity is the fourth tab on the bottom bar, with Notifications being the third (previously fourth). The Home and Search tabs appear unaffected by this redesign.