Google acknowledges bug causing its Search app to crash
Google has confirmed a widespread issue causing its Search app to crash on Android devices. The problem, which began on Saturday evening, is affecting a significant number of users who are experiencing repeated crashes when attempting to use the search function. The tech giant acknowledged the "service disruption" and stated that it is actively working on identifying the root cause of this problem.
Bug impacts various Android versions and devices
The bug is not limited to a specific version of the Google Search app or Android. It has been reported on both the latest stable (15.35) and beta (15.36) versions of the app, across Android 15, 14, and presumably earlier iterations as well. Various handsets including Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and other Android smartphones are experiencing this issue.
Bug's effect on Google app functionality
The bug is causing significant disruptions to the functionality of the Google app. When users attempt to open it via the homescreen icon, they are met with a crash and returned to their homescreen. The Google Search bar widget briefly displays past queries before crashing as well. Additionally, features like Google Discover and Voice Search microphone are also rendered non-functional due to this issue.
Some Google services remain unaffected
Despite the widespread impact of this bug, certain Google services remain unaffected. These include Google Assistant (voice commands), Gemini, Google Lens, and Circle to Search. Also, accessing google.com through Chrome for Android continues to function normally. This suggests that the issue is specific to the Google app on Android devices, and does not affect other platforms or first-party services like YouTube, Gmail, Drive, and Docs, which continue to operate as usual.
No immediate fix available for the bug
As of now, there is no immediate fix available for this widespread bug. Even older versions of the Google app are affected, making it impossible to resolve the issue by uninstalling updates. However, users can still access google.com in Chrome and other mobile browsers as a temporary workaround, until Google provides a solution for this problem.
