Google Quietly Slaps Logo On Gboard Keyboard, Pulls It After Unanimous Uproar
Image via Prostock-studio / Shutterstock.com
Google slipped its logo unannounced onto the spacebar of Gboard for Android users, but quickly abandoned it after users expressed frustrations over the new look.
The wordmark appeared on keyboards across many users’ devices last week. The company also removed the Google search shortcut in Gboard, which previously allowed users to perform quick web searches without leaving their current tasks.
The new look drew criticisms from many Gboard users, who took to the Google support forum to air their disagreements about the change. The thread received almost 300 replies within 15 hours.
Some users turned to Twitter to express their disproval, and one user wrote, “Good morning to everyone except the Google logo on my spacebar. I very rarely agree with r/Android but this is gross.”
Others questioned the rationale behind the addition of the icon, as there was no access to the Google search.
Google quickly removed the logo after the backlash, but its search shortcut remains missing.
Google logo appeared on the space bar in the Gboard keyboard in a server-side rollout. However, the change has seemingly already been abandoned.#techspectr #Gboard #Google pic.twitter.com/7i8razMPeD
— Tech Spectr (@tech_spectr) April 13, 2020
they updated my keyboard and now it has a google logo in the spacebar
— Alice 🌸 (@alicesblossoms) April 10, 2020
why? pic.twitter.com/lWjDhcMBtH
Gboard just updated and I hate it pic.twitter.com/JfLI1cXl3k
— ivan (@heckingmexican) April 10, 2020
Clare's phone apparently has the new Gboard. I asked her what she thought and she said
— Andrew Manganelli (@AndyManganelli) April 10, 2020
"The spacebar doesn't bring me to Google, so why the hell does it say Google on it?"
Good morning to everyone except the Google logo on my spacebar. I very rarely agree with r/Android but seriously this is gross pic.twitter.com/pWzINdXcBX
— Daniel Bader (@journeydan) April 10, 2020
Google putting "Google" on the Gboard spacebar reminds me of when Verizon put their logo on their Note 2's button.
— Zachary Anderson (@EzTech231) April 10, 2020
But why tho? pic.twitter.com/MqyQGjsLpv
[via Android Police, opening image via Prostock-studio / Shutterstock.com]
