Google Play’s new search box with integrated hamburger menu button is starting to roll out

Quick, open up your Google Play Store! Seeing the old version with a search button in the upper right? Close the app (force close it if you need to) and open it again. You’ll likely see that a new search box is neatly squared at the top of the app. This is opposed to the old small search button that existed in the upper right of the status bar and could be hard to miss for some.

This new update should make it easier for folks to find the search box and begin looking for all the apps and games they crave. Inside the search box is a hamburger menu button that will bring up the standard Google Play menu for switching between different categories, sections and menus.

You’ll see the white box fade away as you dive deeper into Google Play’s goods, but a search button will persist at the upper right as you scroll through apps and descriptions. Press it and it’ll expand to bring the search box right back up. Intuitive, beautiful and easy — just how we like it.

This is a server side switch so there’s no updated APK to download. Let us know if you’re seeing it in the comments, and be sure to leave your thoughts on the new design while you’re at it!

Check your inboxes: Project Fi invites are starting to roll out

If you signed up to be notified about Project Fi’s availability and wanted to sign up as soon as the service was ready, you’ll want to check your inbox — Google is starting to send out the first batch of invites.

If you aren’t aware, Project Fi is the company’s new wireless service built on the backs of Sprint and T-Mobile’s networks. It features a simplified and sensible data plan, a flat rate for talk and text, and cellular technology that’ll automatically and seamlessly make sure you’re on the best available network. You can find out more in our original post about the official launch right here.

So what’s it like to be whisked into this new program? Things are as Google announced for the most part — they ask you how much data you want (after reminding you that any unused data will be refunded to you) and ask you if you want to buy a Nexus 6 or use an existing one. You sign up with all your relevant details and once you receive your phone and / or SIM card you’ll be good to go.

There is one unfortunate caveat that we didn’t foresee, though — porting your Google Voice number over to Project Fi will essentially nuke your Google Voice account. There’s a long list of features that won’t be supported if you port your number:

• Making and receiving calls using Google Talk, Google Voice apps, or Obihai devices


• You won’t be able to use Google Voice for texting or visual voicemail


• Text, voicemail and call history is no longer saved in Google Voice


• If you’ve already turned on Google Voice text messages and voicemails in Hangouts, they’ll continue to be available only in Hangouts


• These Google Voice settings aren’t available: spam filtering, call recording, call switch, conference calling on the fly,  caller ID (incoming), and outgoing caller ID (anonymous Caller ID).


• As part of signing up for Project Fi, Google Voice apps and the website won’t be available.

That’s a pretty long list. What it does come with are the absolute basics you’d expect, which is an archive of your prior calls, texts, voicemails and voicemail greeting.

That said, you aren’t required to port your Google Voice number over to sign up for Project Fi so you’re just as free to choose a new phone number while continuing to use Google Voice as you always have. It’s important to remember that many of the aforementioned features are standard features of Project Fi so you’re not actually losing much functionality — you just won’t have the functionality within the Google Voice bubble.

We’re not sure why Google had to make so many sacrifices to make this happen — and you can be certain we’ll ask — but be sure to consider everything carefully before you make any sudden moves. Knowing all that, if you have an invite and have every intention of giving Project Fi a spin let us know in the comments below!

[via Reddit]