HMD has long been a Google partner, wherein the Google search bar on the homescreen was enforced for all users. Some users actively use it to search, while for others, it remains an annoying, unutilized widget on the homescreen. Not only is the bar non-removable, its position on the homescreen is locked as well.
Lately, even Google has started offering the option to remove the Google search bar from the homescreen dock. That left HMD as one of the select few OEMs that were not allowing this choice to the users. Luckily, if you own an HMD device such as the HMD Fusion, Pulse, or Skyline, HMD is now letting you remove the search bar. It is also made available to some older smartphones, such as the Nokia G42. Here’s how.
- Tap and hold on an empty area of the homescreen.
- Choose Home settings.
- Look out for the last item called “Search bar – Display search bar on the dock”.
- Turn off the toggle to hide the search bar on the homescreen.
The search bar will no longer show up at the home screen dock, i.e., below the app icons. You can still manually add the Google search widget to any place on your home screen(s) – useful if you want a search widget but not at the default location.
Tip: You can also change the search provider used for the search bar on the dock.
Help! I don’t find this option in the ‘Home settings’
The feature is not available on all HMD devices, especially the Nokia-branded ones. Even on HMD-branded devices, the feature is rolled out through recent software updates. So, make sure that you have updated your HMD smartphone to the latest software release. For example, for the HMD Fusion, the option is added with the July 2025 security patch update.
If you are fully updated and the option is not available, then your only option is to use a custom launcher from the Play Store. Nova Launcher and Lawnchair are some well-known launchers that provide a clean and simple user experience.
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