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June 6, 2025
Upgrade, June 6, 2024 (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.
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, 2024 (10:34 AM ET): Google introduced Search’s AI Mode earlier this year to help people 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 people quicker access to the feature.
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.
Google plans to add an AI Mode shortcut to the Pixel Launcher’s search widget, giving Pixel people access to the feature right on the home screen. We first spotted references to this shortcut in the second Android 16 beta and got a look at its icon. Although it’s still not live in the Android 16 QPR1 beta, we’ve now enabled it manually to give you an early look.
As we showcased in a mockup earlier this year, the AI Mode shortcut appears to the left of the voice search and Lens shortcuts in the Pixel Launcher’s search widget. The AI Mode icon features Google’s signature colors, but adapts to the system colors if you enable the “Themed icons” option. Tapping on it opens the Google app’s AI Mode interface, making it easier for Pixel people to start an AI Mode search from the home screen.
The AI Mode home screen shortcut could reach Pixel devices with Android 16. However, since it’s not live in the first Android 16 QPR1 beta, Google might delay its rollout to a subsequent release. We’ll upgrade this post as soon as the shortcut is widely available.