Google fixes Pixel Launcher's microphone button issue that opened voice search instead of Assistant

Google fixes Pixel Launcher’s microphone button issue that opened voice search instead of Assistant،

Google has fixed an issue that affected some users of Google Pixel devices using the native Pixel Launcher. The issue involved not being able to launch Google Assistant by tapping the microphone icon in the search bar. Fortunately, Google has now implemented a server-side fix to resolve this issue.

Before the patch rolled out, tapping the microphone icon would enable the old voice search functionality, which is part of Google Search and has been around since the pre-Google Now Assistant era. Reports of this issue have surfaced and been reported by 9to5Google towards the start of the week. According to reports, this issue affected devices running Google app beta 15.0 and some Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 devices that had not been updated to the latest version of the Google app.

At the time, it was unclear whether this was a bug or deliberate testing by Google, but it definitely disrupted expected functionality for many users who relied on the Pixel Launcher shortcut to access the 'Assistant. Google has since acknowledged the issue by deploying a server-side fix for the Google app.

Microphone on Pixel Launcher search bar invoking Google's old voice search functionality

If you're still experiencing the issue, try restarting your Android device and see if the microphone button now launches Assistant as it should. However, if you're still experiencing this issue, you can always use a workaround and launch Assistant via other methods, such as holding down the Home button or simply saying “Hey Google.”

Google Assistant is a robust and flexible tool that allows users to access information, complete tasks, manage smart home devices, and more, through the power of their voice. It is accessible in multiple languages and on a wide range of devices, such as phones, tablets, smart speakers, smart displays, and wearables. Considering how useful it is, it's great news to see that Google has fixed this pesky bug and restored its functionality using the Pixel Launcher search bar mic.