Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR Pixel devices could soon receive a shortcut to Search’s AI Mode on the home screen.
The shortcut will appear within the Pixel Launcher’s search widget and launch the Google app’s AI Mode interface.
We’ve enabled it in Android 16 QPR1 beta to give you an early look.
Update, June 20, 2025 (1:55 PM ET): After slowly getting started earlier this month, this week it appears that the new Pixel Launcher AI Mode shortcut is rolling out widely. Here’s the new option popping up on one of our Pixel 9a handsets running Android 16:
Joe Maring / Android Authority
Update, June 6, 2025 (10:35 AM ET): We’re still not seeing this AI Mode shortcut actively appearing in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 on any of our devices where we haven’t manually forced this early look, but we’ve now heard from at least one user who claims to already be seeing it live.
scuttlefield / Discord
Discord user scuttlefield reports getting their AI Mode button ahead of what seems to be nearly everyone else. For the moment, we can’t say if that’s a glitch, they’re just very lucky, or if Google is being positively glacial with its approach to making the change available. If you happen to see it on any of your phones, too, give us a shout down in the comments. Original article, June 5, 2025 (10:34 AM ET): Google introduced Search’s AI Mode earlier this year to help users find answers to complex, multi-part questions. Currently, you can access it on the web or by heading to the Google app on your phone and tapping the AI Mode button. However, Google is working on a new shortcut to give Pixel users quicker access to the feature.
Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover You're reading anstory on Android Authority. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
... continue reading