Google fixes Pixel Launcher's microphone button issue that opened voice search instead of Assistant
Google has addressed an issue that impacted certain users of Google Pixel devices using the native Pixel Launcher. The problem involved the inability to launch Google Assistant by tapping the microphone icon in the search bar. Thankfully, Google has now implemented a server-side fix to resolve this issue.
Prior to the fix being rolled out, tapping the microphone icon would activate the older voice search feature, which is a part of Google Search and has been around since the pre-Assistant Google Now era. Reports of this issue surfaced and were reported by 9to5Google around the beginning of the week. According to the reports, this issue was impacting devices running the beta version of Google app 15.0 and certain Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 devices that hadn't updated to the latest version of the Google app.
The Google Assistant is a robust and flexible tool that empowers users to access information, complete tasks, manage smart home devices, and much more, all through the power of their voice. It can be accessed in multiple languages and on a wide range of devices, such as phones, tablets, smart speakers, smart displays, and wearables. Considering its helpfulness, it's great news to see that Google has addressed this pesky bug and has restored its functionality using the mic on the Pixel Launcher search bar.
At the time, it was uncertain whether this was a bug or a deliberate test by Google, but it definitely disrupted the expected functionality for numerous users who depended on the Pixel Launcher shortcut to access Assistant. Google has since then acknowledged the issue by rolling out a server-side fix to the Google app.
Microphone on Pixel Launcher search bar invoking the old Google Voice Search feature
If you're still facing the issue, try restarting your Android device and see if the microphone button now launches Assistant as it should. However, should you still be experiencing this problem, you can always use a workaround and launch Assistant through alternative methods, such as touching and holding the Home button or by simply saying "Hey Google."
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