Google has modified its Search app for Android to include related apps in search results.
The idea is that when you Google something on your Android phone, it will include responses that might previously have been locked away in one of your apps. For example, a search for an actor will offer the relevant page in the IMDb application.
The search result will include an 'open in app' option to jump your straight into the app at the correct point.
In fact, even if you don’t have a particular app installed, Google will suggest one for the job. Search results will still provide the above app suggestions, but there’ll be a shortcut to download the app in the Google Play Store.
Naturally, this deeply integrated feature is only available with a handful of apps right now. There are 13 supported from the off: AllTrails, Allthecooks, Beautylish, Etsy, Expedia, Flixster, Healthtap, IMDb, Moviefone, Newegg, OpenTable, Trulia, and Wikipedia.
There’ll be more going forward as more developers sign up to support the Google Search function.
One other snag - this feature is only available in the US at present. With no licensing issues that we can think, of, we’d hope to see the feature making its way across to UK devices (and beyond) in the very near future.
Google claims that "this is just one step toward bringing apps and the web together, making it even easier to get the right information, regardless of where it’s located." So look out for tighter and more involved app-to-search integration in the future.
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