Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR Google is pushing out a Pixel Launcher change that lets you open apps by pressing Enter after partially typing their name.
The keyboard button switches from Google Search to an arrow/Enter shortcut when an app name is detected.
After a limited test, the feature now appears to be rolling out to more Pixel users via a server-side rollout.
Google appears to be rolling out a small but meaningful upgrade to the Pixel Launcher that makes opening apps faster than before. After previously testing the feature with a limited group of users, reports now suggest the change is reaching a wider audience.
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As flagged by users to Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman on his Discord channel, Pixel owners are now seeing the ability to launch apps from the Pixel Launcher by partially typing an app’s name and pressing the Enter key on the keyboard. In other words, there’s no need to tap the app icon from the results list.
When you search for an app in the current experience, the Pixel Launcher displays the app as the top result. However, pressing the keyboard’s bottom-right button triggers a Google Search instead of opening the app. With this new change, that button transforms into an arrow or Enter key when an app match is detected, and pressing it opens the app instantly.
While this is a minor tweak, it definitely improves one-handed usability by removing an extra tap and keeping the entire interaction on the keyboard.
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