Zerch: Search Bar Widget

HiRise Cellworks

In-app purchases

About this app

Zerch is a customizable home screen search bar widget, search engine widget, and app launcher bar for Android.
Use one search widget for web search, app search, local file search, and media controls from your home screen.

WHY ZERCH
Zerch gives you real control over your search bar widget: search engines, launcher shortcuts, layout, colors, and privacy settings.

SEARCH ENGINES
Use Zerch as a search engine widget with 13 engines:
Google, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo.jp, Baidu, Yandex.ru, Yandex.com, Startpage, Brave Search, Swisscows, MetaGer, Mojeek, Qwant, and Ecosia.

PRIVACY SEARCH
Pick privacy-focused search providers like DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, Startpage, Swisscows, Qwant, and MetaGer.
No analytics. No data collection. No tracking.

LOCAL SEARCH
Run local app search and local file search directly from the widget.
Find apps, files, and folders faster without switching workflows.

SEARCH IN APPS
Send queries to selected apps and use Zerch as a single search entry point.

APP LAUNCHER BAR
Add an app launcher bar to your search screen for fast access to your most-used apps.

MEDIA CONTROLS
Control active media from your widget: play/pause, previous, next, and track info.

CUSTOM BUTTONS
Create custom buttons for apps, saved search queries, and URLs.
Launch frequent searches and websites in one tap.

CUSTOMIZATION
Customizable search screen background.
Mappable search bar area.
App suggestions and history bar.
Widget sizes from 1x1 to 5x1+ with smart scaling.
HSL color controls, gradients, and transparency.

REQUIREMENTS
Android 12+.
Works on phones and tablets. No companion apps needed.

Ratings and reviews

Big props to the dev for quietly implementing all features I mentioned in my last review. After using Zerch for about two weeks, I feel these two additions would greatly improve the overall efficiency:- 'Close Zerch after launching an app' and 'Close Zerch when keyboard is dismissed.' Honestly because when I go back from a webpage, it takes me back to Zerch instead of the app I was using previously.

Genuinely such a fresh and great app! Really useful, even on the free tier, and the one time Pro fee isn't bad either. Only wish it offered a trial, even if short, to try out the other features because I'm not even sure if I need or want them.

Zerch is now my favorite search app! It's fast, the universal search is powerful, and the shortcuts are super handy. Plus, the UI looks amazing.

What’s new

Share selected text to Zerch to open Search prefilled.
Smoother Search launch animations and faster widget-to-search startup.
Google Keep now opens normally when no query is entered instead of starting a new note.
Bug fixes and reliability improvements, including improvements to contact action handling on some devices.