LawnchairLauncher/lawnchair

[FEATURE] Allow private searches for search providers

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#5913 opened on Oct 4, 2025

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 (3 comments) (1 reaction) (0 assignees)Java (7,962 stars) (1,101 forks)batch import
feature-requestgood first issue

Description

Describe the feature

The search providers list could include an option, or other entries, to allow users selecting their provider in a private browsing mode.

Why would it be useful to add?

Mobile web search often concerns quick, informative information retrieval, done "on-the-go", making it unnecessary to keep track of such history: why would I need to keep track of my web search going for the birth date of Roger Federer? In my personal routine, this kind of mobile browsing concerns 90% of my web traffic.

Indeed, I know many people, me included, having two browsers on their phones: one for such light browsing, and one for persistent sessions. On the stock launcher, my default browser is designated for such light browsing, and is always opened in private mode.

Did the feature exist in Lawnchair v2? (Play Store version)

No

Example(s)

In the case of Fennec, mainly designed to provide privacy-enabled web browsing, the application supports two types of intent:

  • org.mozilla.fenix.OPEN_TAB
  • org.mozilla.fenix.OPEN_PRIVATE_TAB

The Lawnchair search could change the Intent value based on users' preferences.

Additional context

Related to #5227 or #5146

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javaandroid
Domain
mobilesearch
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
half day
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Android development basicsJava or KotlinUnderstanding of Android IntentsFamiliarity with Lawnchair's search module
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
65
Research direction
Examine the search provider implementation in Lawnchair, likely in the search module. Investigate how intents are currently constructed for search providers. Implement a new setting to toggle private browsing mode, which would modify the Intent flags or action to open a private tab instead. Refer to Mozilla's Fennec intent shortcuts for reference. Consider adding a boolean preference per search provider or globally. Check related issues #5227 and #5146 for context.