Open global search as overlay

Question

I am writing a launcher and want to be able to open up a search as an overlay rather than full-screen in the Google App.

So far I only found a way to open the search in the Google App full-screen as follows (taken from AOSP Launcher3 source code):

 public static boolean openSearch(Context context) {

        SearchManager searchManager = (SearchManager) context.getSystemService(Context.SEARCH_SERVICE);
        ComponentName globalSearchActivity = searchManager.getGlobalSearchActivity();
        if (globalSearchActivity == null) {
            Timber.w("No global search activity found.");
            return false;
        }
        Intent intent = new Intent(android.app.SearchManager.INTENT_ACTION_GLOBAL_SEARCH);
        intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
        intent.setComponent(globalSearchActivity);
        Bundle appSearchData = new Bundle();
        appSearchData.putString("source", "launcher-search");

        intent.putExtra(android.app.SearchManager.APP_DATA, appSearchData);

        intent.putExtra(android.app.SearchManager.QUERY, "");
        intent.putExtra(android.app.SearchManager.EXTRA_SELECT_QUERY, true);
        try {
            context.startActivity(intent);
            return true;
        } catch (ActivityNotFoundException ex) {
            Timber.w("Global search activity not found: %s", globalSearchActivity);
            return false;
        }

    }

I know it is possible because other launchers like Nova and Action Launcher managed to do it...

Ornithorhynchus

Answer 1

Figured it out...

public static boolean showGlobalSearchOverlay(Context context) {
    ComponentName globalSearchActivity =
            new ComponentName("com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox",
                    "com.google.android.apps.gsa.queryentry.QueryEntryActivity");

    Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN);
    intent.setComponent(globalSearchActivity);
    intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);

    try {
        context.startActivity(intent);
        return true;
    } catch (Throwable e) {
        Timber.w("Unable to show search overlay");
        return false;
    }
}

Ornithorhynchus