TL;DR: Adding an additional Search Only Widget could clean up the UX even further, while driving engagement with Brave Search.
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iOS Widgets are the best UX improvements to iPhone in recent memory.
Was super excited to see Brave release the Search Widget, that removed 2 additional taps from my workflow.
Its the most used workflow on my iPhone, by a landslide.
I was hoping however, that there would have been an iOS widget that only included the search functionality.
On mobile, I never use bookmarks. Desktop is a different story, but I find it’s easier to search for things than have to navigate to find something on mobile bookmarks.
My workflow with the browser exclusively begins with Search. I bet y’all have data to back up that most users do the same.
On the current search widget, I’m finding myself often accidentally fat fingering the buttons and clicking to open a new tab or bookmark.
Additionally, it adds a bit of unneeded clutter to my screen, considering I do not use Mobile Bookmarks.
Also, if I’m going to open a new tab in Brave, I’m usually doing it as a secondary workflow when I’m already inside of the app (after having first initiated a search).
In that case, the UX workflow of opening a new tab while within Brave app already makes sense.
I understand that you probably have engagement metrics that show users engage with the New Tab features, and Private tabs, etc., but that from initial launch (meaning my 1st engagement with the app after a period of inaction) they likely represent a lower percentage or overall engagement.
Nonetheless the use case remains. For that reason, I understand you can’t completely kill the current search widget.
Im requesting that you add a new, additional Search Widget that is ONLY search.
A nice feature would to be able to select the type of search below the search box (from
The enabled search engines), but this doesn’t seem crucial to me.
Lastly, this could serve to drive more Brave search engagement for users who don’t see the need for the new tab/bookmark quick actions.
And I know in my case, adding the different search engines as options beneath the bar would make me more likely to engage with Brave Search, and grow my adoption of it over time.
Right now it’s a more of a binary decision, as I’m quickly opening Brave to search something on the spot. I still tend to use Google as I know the results are reliable.
Not saying Brave Search is not, but I’m terms of my adoption, I’d be more likely to give certain searches a chance on Brave Search if I had the option to choose quickly.
Right now with Google my default, I have to take multiple steps to even try to use Brave Search, and when I’m on the go, with speed my priority, I don’t end up engaging with it as much as I’d like to try.
Anyways, I hope I made a valid argument for adding an additional Search Only Widget that could clean up the UX even further, while driving engagement with Brave Search.