Help JB 4.1: How to change Google Search Bar color?

SHIVA77 · Sep 23, 2012

Hi, I am on 4.1 and on the home screen the google search bar is now grey and it used to be blank (no color). Does anyone know if there is a way to change the google search bar background color on the home screen?

Thanks,

idic · Sep 23, 2012

Use Nova launcher - it has an option for this. Don't worry, it's not an ugly launcher - it's based exactly on the jb launcher source code. It looks and works just the same, but there are myriad extra options if you choose to use them. (paid version has loads more again, but there's plenty in the free version to get started!)

SHIVA77 · Sep 23, 2012

Thanks, I'll look into it. But I hope Google will allow us to change the background on the 4.1 search bar soon.

Elevener · Sep 23, 2012

I just checked, Nova has the option to use ICS or Jelly Bean Google Search, but it won't change from JB...

Is this a bug maybe?

trophynuts · Sep 23, 2012

i don't see google giving you the option anytime soon to change this. The only way probably will be with a custom launcher or by rooting and putting a Custom Rom on maybe.

Elevener · Sep 24, 2012

NL free updated to 1.3.1 today, but even though the option is there to switch between ICS (Clear) and JB (Grey) Google searches, no matter which you choose, it remains grey.

nomarsgirl · Sep 24, 2012

I don't know why they turned it grey. I liked it much better clear. Oh well.

AJ McKay · Sep 24, 2012

I agree that the clear bar was much nicer. The grey bar is probably my only gripe about JB, however I can see what their reasoning for it was. Google Now is their hot new feature, and it's color scheme is very "light" (whites and greys). Other than the swipe from home, the search bar is the way to launch Google Now, so it makes sense that they would make the search widget more visually similar to Google Now.

As a clear bar, it was much more easy to ignore, which I'm sure some people liked since you couldn't remove it in stock (without disabling it).

batwings1 · Sep 24, 2012

The "Quick Search Bar" is what seems to change with the settings in Nova but the "Google Search" widget does not seem to change.

trophynuts · Sep 24, 2012

personally i like just adding the search key to the nav buttons and doing away with the on screen search box.

zebug · Sep 24, 2012

+1 to hating the damn search bar. I'd rather not have it since I can swipe up to get to the same thing.

That said, and I haven't done the root thing yet (it's a coming for me, just been lazy lol). Do you need to be rooted to use a launcher?

batwings1 · Sep 24, 2012

No need to root to use Nova Launcher. It's an awesome launcher! It allows you to remove the search bar if you want.

Deleted User · Sep 24, 2012

You can make all the necessary mods with an unlocked bootloader. As long as you can fastboot into an image of cwm you can mount the system and push the apks.

I personally prefer the stock launcher and don't want the extra features of the launchers. I have a thread started at XDA where I've put together some stock launcher edits and you can request one if you'd like.

[MOD] Stock JB Launcher (various mods) - xda-developers

You can make your request there or here:

http://androidforums.com/verizon-ga...22209-mod-stock-jb-launcher-various-mods.html

I think changing the color back to what it was on ICS might be my only issue due to not having the ICS launcher2.apk anymore. I might be able to grab it though...

I was in fact able to pull the old image and create it. http://www.mediafire.com/?34cemsure95ltd2

JB Stock Launcher with the ICS search bar style.

crosschecking · Sep 25, 2012

One other thing to keep in mind if you don't like the color is that you can re-size the google search bar to make it 1x1 or 1x2 to at least make it smaller. I have mine at 1x2 so I can google search or voice command but it doesn't take up a whole row.

SHIVA77 · Sep 25, 2012

How do you do that?

idic · Sep 25, 2012

crosschecking said:
One other thing to keep in mind if you don't like the color is that you can re-size the google search bar to make it 1x1 or 1x2 to at least make it smaller. I have mine at 1x2 so I can google search or voice command but it doesn't take up a whole row.

I do this too. You need to use Nova launcher, add the search bar as a widget and then long press to resize (you may need to enable the option to resize all widgets, even those not designed to be).

DBNissan · Sep 26, 2012

I use Nova Launcher (NL) and since I mainly use the voice search, I used NL's Nova Actions shortcut for voice search to access Google Now. It's 1x1 and clear.

breadnatty08 · Sep 26, 2012

Not that I use the search bar but just put it up and it immediately went to clear.
Nova Prime and CNA ROM if it helps.

Help JB 4.1: How to change Google Search Bar color?

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