Add & customize your Search widget

To search, add the Google app widget to your home screen to access:

• Google Search
• Lens
• Voice search
• Incognito and more

To access the Google app from any of your home screens, add the app to your dock.

Important: For iPads, the Google app widget is only available in landscape mode.

If you recently installed the Google app, you need to open the app before the widget appears in the widget gallery.

To add the Google app widget:

For iOS 18:

1. On your iPhone or iPad, touch and hold the Google app on the home screen.
2. Select the preferred-size widget from the list.
   • The Google app widget replaces the Google app icon.

For iOS 17 or lower:

1. On your iPhone or iPad, press and hold the home screen.
2. At the top left, tap Add .
3. Search for the Google app.
4. Tap the Google app .
5. To select the widget size, swipe right or left.
6. Tap Add Widget.
7. Place the widget on your home screen.
8. At the top right, tap Done.

If you're new to iPhone, learn how to add the Google app widget to your home screen.

Update your Search widget theme

1. Open the Google app .

2. Tap your Profile picture or initial  Settings  Widgets  Widget theme.
3. Select a theme.

Update your Search widget shortcuts

1. Open the Google app .
2. Tap your Profile picture or initial Settings Widgets.
3. To add or change favorite shortcut to widget, under "Medium-widget," select a button number.

Tip: You can choose 4 shortcuts to Google app features you use most often. Here's the list of shortcuts you can choose:

• Activity
• Gemini
• Homework
• Incognito
• Lens
• Screenshots
• Song search
• Translate
• Translate - Camera
• Translate - Voice
• Voice Search

If you have the medium Google widget, you can get helpful info about popular topics or interests such as relevant stocks, sports, and weather.

1. Open the Google app .
2. Tap your Profile picture or initial Settings  Widgets.
3. Turn on Dynamic widget.

1. On the home screen of your iPhone or iPad, swipe right until you find a list of widgets.
2. Scroll and tap Edit.
3. Under “More widgets,” next to the Google app, tap Add .
   • For iOS 14 and up and iPadOS 14 and up, at the bottom, tap Customize.
4. At the top right, tap Done.

To open the Google app later, you can add it to your dock:

1. On your home screen, touch and hold the Google app .
2. Tap Edit Home Screen.
   • If your dock is full: To make space for the Google app, then drag a docked app to your home screen.
3. Touch and hold, then drag the Google app  to your dock.
4. Tap Home button or Done.

When you add widgets, you can access Google apps from the Lock Screen on your iPhone.

Important:

• This feature is only available for iPhone on iOS 16 and up.
• You can only create widgets for Google apps that are already in your iPhone.

1. On your iPhone, go to the Lock Screen.
2. Unlock the Lock Screen.
3. To find customization mode, touch and hold anywhere on the Lock Screen.
4. Tap Customize.
5. To customize the Lock Screen, tap Lock Screen.
6. To find the Lock Screen widget gallery, tap Add widgets.
   1. Find and select the widget that you want.
   2. Touch or drag the widget to the Lock Screen widget bar.
   3. To set up the widget, tap the widget after you add it to the Lock Screen.
   4. Select the configuration that you want.
   5. In the widget gallery, tap Close .
7. Tap Done.
8. To exit customization mode, tap Lock Screen.

If you're new to iPhone, learn how to add the Search widget to your Lock Screen..

1. On your iPhone, go to the Lock Screen.
2. Unlock the Lock Screen.
3. To customize your widget, touch and hold anywhere on the Lock Screen.
4. Tap Customize.
5. To customize the Lock Screen, tap Lock Screen.
6. To access the Lock Screen widget gallery, tap the existing widget.
   1. To set up the widget, tap the widget again.
   2. Select your preferred configuration.
   3. In the widget gallery, tap Close .
7. Tap Done.
8. To exit customization mode, tap Lock Screen.