3 Ways Google App Search Will Influence Android App Development

Currently, the activities of the applications are limited to Google applications which are YouTube, Spotify and Gmail, and will soon be extended to popular applications such as LinkedIn and Facebook Messenger.

How does it work?

In-app is an offline feature, as it searches on the Android device, and not on the internet or cloud storage. It is similar to Apple’s Spotlight that allows the user to search for data directly on the phone. Until now, Google used Firebase App Indexing to help application developers make it easy to search Google for information online and be redirected to the application. This type of search allows the user to view the content of the application directly. With in-app search, the user’s search becomes more focused as they will only find relevant information about the app that is stored on their device.

We discuss 4 ways that Google app search will influence Android app development.

Direct access to the application

When a user enters a relevant search keyword in the in-app search, all the offline data that is stored on their device in the app is displayed in the results. This not only makes the results more concise, but also allows the user to open the application and go directly to the function they are looking for without making multiple entries.

Find relevant content where it is stored

Often times, the content that is searched for is saved in mobile applications and the user does not need to search the web to find it. In the past, Google has created indexing applications for web search, with In Apps, this function has been brought to the limited field of the user’s device. User can search for tasks, messages, multimedia, contacts and other specific information related to the application in one place and get faster results. For example, like the search function in WhatsApp, if the user is looking for specific information, such as information shared with a friend on Facebook Messenger or a specific passage of a note stored in Evernote, they can find it directly in the application.

Decide which apps apps will work on

The user has the option to decide in which applications the In App function will work. Users also have the option to add to which applications they would like the search function to be extended by activating or deactivating the different applications in the Google Application Settings . Since, the application will work offline; The user is protected from sharing their data with Google, since private information will not be sent to its server. This gives the user more effective control over their personal data and allows them to decide what information they would like to share and what not. This is crucial, especially in the case of sensitive applications such as payment gateways, mobile commerce applications and banking applications where the user can safely save their financial details.

Concentrated search efforts

In the past, Google provided a host of search indexing options that were heavily reliant on the web. With the new in-app search option, they have finally entered a more concentrated search spectrum that gives users greater control over data. In App is currently only available on specific Android devices, but will be rolling out on a larger scale soon.

Android developers can take advantage of in-app search by integrating this Google device feature into their app directly instead of creating a separate search feature within their apps. this will also create easier access for the user and help the app blend organically with the device.