HOW TO REMOVE THE GOOGLE SEARCH BAR FROM YOUR ANDROID HOMESCREEN

Google has the incentive to keep users locked into their ecosystem. So, to encourage people to user their services, they put them left, right and center. That's why the Google Search bar is sitting there, taking up space on the home screen of every brand new Android device. If you don't use the Search bar and its just taking up room, here's how you can get rid of it.

Why Google doesn’t want you to remove the Google Search bar

Google wants its Google Now service to be successful. So, they've put the little microphone icon on their Search bar with the hope that you'll use it thanks to its convenient placement. If they made it easy to take the Google Search bar and its microphone button off the home screen, it would affect the success of their product.

The search bar is there because Google really wants you to use Google Now.

Why would you want to remove the Google Search bar anyway?

The most common reason is on-screen real estate: that bar takes up space that could be put to better use by displaying app icons or more of your Nyan Cat wallpaper.

How to remove the Google Search bar 

Removing the Google Search bar isn't difficult, but the process differs from device to device. On Samsung and LG handsets, for example, you just remove it like you would any other home screen widget. On Sony Xperia handsets, however, this process won't work.

Below are a couple of examples of how to do it. All devices should follow fairly similar steps, so try the first example, and if it doesn't work, move on to the next.

Samsung handsets

• Tap and hold on the Google Search bar.
• Drag it to the trash/remove icon at the top of the screen.

Just drag the Google Search bar to the trash if you're using a Samsung device.

To retrieve the Search bar:

• Tap and hold an empty space on the home screen.
• Tap Widgets in the menu that appears.
• Navigate to Google App folder and tap it.
• Drag and drop the search bar from inside the folder to suitable space on one of your home screens.

To bring it back, find the Search bar in your Google widgets.

Sony handsets

• Tap and hold the Google Search bar. A new menu will appear.
• At the top of the screen will be the Google Search bar, and on the right side it will say Hide. Tap Hide.   

Pinch your home screen then tap Hide at the top right of the screen.

• Tap your home button or return key. 
• The Google Search bar should now be hidden. 

See? No Google Search bar.

If you want to get the Google Search bar back once you’ve removed it, simply reverse the above steps and hey presto!

How to remove the Google Search bar with a custom launcher

Another simple way to get rid of the Google Search bar is to simply find yourself a custom launcher such as Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher. These can completely customize your Android device to look and work the way you want it to, and you can even get some launchers for free.

A custom launcher such as Apex (pictured) can make the Search Bar disappear.

Third party custom launchers are brilliant things, and Nova and Apex aren’t the only ones out there. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide to the best Android launchers available, and we’re pretty sure at least one of them will excite and delight you.

Have you removed Google Search from your home screen? Did the process cause problems on your Nexus, or perhaps was it smooth on your Samsung? Share your experience in the comments!