> The search bar used to always be visible. Now I need to click search first, then click the search bar.
This is a lie. When you click "Search" in the side bar the search field gets focused automatically. It is still just one click.
This is a lie. When you click "Search" in the side bar the search field gets focused automatically. It is still just one click.
That being said, it was still much friendlier to have a search box that you could click on straight away. From a UX perspective, you need to move your focus away from where you have clicked, because the textbox is in a different area of view.
Clicking back on the search menu clears the search that you were doing. It's fine, you can click the back button, but the old Spotify client (iirc!) would keep your previous search in the search box.