Google is giving users of Apple products greater functionality with the addition of Twitter-like features in a recent update to its iOS app. The mobile version of the search engine which was introduced in its Android app last year, now sports Trending Searches, a location based feature that lets iOS users know of the hottest searches in their location. In addition, the tech giant added Instant Answers to the app, a feature that gives some useful info at a glance.
Google’s mainland app now lets you see trending searches & get instant answers https://t.co/49WLRYvPvm pic.twitter.com/DaJq0D1SmH
— iDownloadBlog (@iDownloadBlog) August 31, 2017
Trending Searches for iOS will have an opt-out feature
With their iOS Google app updated, users will know the searches currently trending around them. According to The Tech Bulletin, merely clicking on the app’s search box will display a list of trending searches made by people near a user’s location. However, it still remains unclear just how localized the coverage of the Trending Searches feature is.
Thankfully, there is an opt-out option included in the iOS update. When Trending Searches was introduced on Android last year, it was met with criticisms with some users clamoring for Google to include an option for turning off the feature. While useful to some, there were users who found it annoying as it gave trending searches made by the masses instead of content specific to the user interests. Google relented by coming up with the opt-out option for people who wished to turn off the feature.
Google for iOS Gets Auto Complete Results as You Type, Trending Searches https://t.co/fntM8BXIHn pic.twitter.com/tRIma8H7c4
— iPhone in Canada (@iPhoneinCanada) August 31, 2017
Smarter Searches with Instant Answers
In addition, Google made some improvements to the search experience by introducing what is called Instant Answers. Basically, the app anticipates what the user is trying to type and, even before keying in the complete search phrase, the answer is displayed along with some suggestions below the search box. And that happens even before the user hits the search button.
According to Tech Crunch, the answers come from Google’s facts database known as Knowledge Graph, which in turn, sources its data from CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia.
[Featured Image via Pixabay]