Google could give the Play Store's voice search UI a makeover

• The Google Play Store is testing an updated design for its voice search UI.

• This updated UI is reminiscent of the Google app and Pixel Launcher's voice search interface.

• The revised design is a welcome change from the Play Store's existing voice search UI, but there's no word on when it will go live.

The Google Play Store has undergone innumerable changes over the years, both in terms of functionality and design. Some of the recent changes we've seen include the addition of "Verified" badges for VPN apps , while we also saw Google testing a new "Trending searches" panel in December. A recent APK teardown of the Play Store has revealed that Google may be prepping another change to the app's search function.

As highlighted by an Android Authority report , version 44.7.24-31of the Play Store contains new material that points towards an updated voice search UI in the app. This change could be part of Google's efforts to bring the Play Store's voice search interface in line with some of its other products, like the Google app for Android. However, the Google app uses the entirety of the screen for voice search, whereas the Play Store implementation adopts a bottom sheet.

Current voice search interface vs upcoming

In addition to the Google app, this particular voice search interface can also be found in the Pixel Launcher's home screen search bar, so it's not particularly new. There are some elements of Google Assistant here that are easily recognizable, too, like the waveform in the iconic Google colors.

In addition to this revised bottom sheet design for voice search, users will also find four of the recently searched items just below. This is something we also see in the Google app, albeit in a slightly different format. While it may not be brand-new, this updated voice search interface for the Play Store's search bar is a welcome change from the existing option (pictured above), which is somewhat dull in comparison.

This voice search interface is not visible everywhere

The voice search interface in the Google app

Android Authority says this new voice search UI is only active within the app's Searchtab, which is among the two bottom bar tabs in the Play Store app to contain a search bar, with the other being Books. But as the site rightly points out, this discrepancy is likely to be remedied when Google is ready to roll out this updated voice search interface more widely.

Since the new interface was activated manually, we can't say when it will go live. For all we know, Google is only testing the waters here and has no intentions of taking this public. In any case, we don't expect this to be on the Play Store's list of priorities right now, as some of its other projects will likely attract more of the team's attention.