Google is working on a permanent search bar for the Play Store, which could spice things up for those who use the app store.
AssembleDebug discovered a hidden feature in the Play Store: a search bar that stays at the top no matter how far you scroll down (via Android Police). This functionality is not currently available to the general public, however, rooted Android phones can enable it via a feature flag. SearchHome__enable_search_home in the package com.google.android.finsky.stable.
This is useful if you’re perusing app listings and suddenly remember that one game you’ve been meaning to check out, assuming this happens. With the new search box at the top of the page, you can quickly key in a name and find it without having to scroll all the way back up.
Because the full top action bar (not just the search box) remains in place, your notifications and settings are also just a tap away, allowing you to change your subscriptions or tweak your preferences. When you scroll down on the Play Store, the search bar (along with the settings menu and notifications) plays hide-and-seek.
Google is always looking for new ways to make the Play Store more user-friendly, and the permanent search bar is just the latest example. The search engine giant launched the “sync apps to devices” option earlier this year, which lets all devices with your Google account sign in to show and automatically receive new apps that are downloaded to your primary device.
The Mountain View-based business also just added a splash of blue to the Play Store, making it the new accent color for various elements such as buttons, icons, and text highlights, replacing the old Dynamic Color theming, which used the colors of your background.
