This is not the Google Search app but rather a search app bundled with Firefox. You can tell: it uses Firefox design language and iconography and is called "Firefox Search"; the Google Search app looks nothing like this. Because of the open intent-based nature of Android, apps can hook into the swipe up gesture. If you also have the Google Search app installed, you should've gotten a dialog to select between the two, at least the first time you activated the swipe up.
If you want to blame someone for this, blame Mozilla, but honestly, it's probably just an innocent mistake. This search app seems rather new (I just noticed it the other day, too) and probably doesn't get much usage, which I suspect is why it's not hooked into all the main app preferences yet. Jumping the gun to criticize Google here is... unfortunate.
I now understand that this app is branded as Firefox Search. However, I find it very suspicious that, at least for me, it only allows Google, even though my default search engine is DuckDuckGo. It also ignores Firefox's data clearing, as you acknowledged.
I think it was automatically enabled on my phone because I explicitly disabled the Google app (my only other search app) in my App Settings.
I updated the page to refer to it as "Firefox's Google Search app". A fair name, considering its search engine options.
Not for me. Mine only allows Google. Maybe because I'm using a custom default search engine? If so, it should just use my custom one, and should obviously give me a choice regardless.
This may also be a bug in the Firefox app: I've just observed that when I change my default search engine in Firefox, that setting isn't necessarily reflected in the search intent handler until after I force stop Firefox.
Either way, to reiterate, it's definitely Firefox you're seeing here. If you don't like the way it behaves, I recommend following the other suggestions on this thread to file a bug report with Mozilla.
this is my first time flagging a topic, i did so because the title is inaccurate - which i would not have realised without your comment. so, thank you. if the mods could rewrite the heading that would be great.
i was expecting a "don't be evil" style debate in here.
If you want to blame someone for this, blame Mozilla, but honestly, it's probably just an innocent mistake. This search app seems rather new (I just noticed it the other day, too) and probably doesn't get much usage, which I suspect is why it's not hooked into all the main app preferences yet. Jumping the gun to criticize Google here is... unfortunate.
For comparison, here's what the Google Search app looks like: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and...