One app to search anything
Search is the core of Google’s wide range of services. Simply put, it’s the company’s bread and butter. The Google App for iOS not just searches the internet but your iPhone too. Like other Google Apps, this one has a simple and clean interface backed by comprehensive search functionality.
Your go-to app for searching on the go
The perfect blend of Google Apps, Google Lens, and Voice Search
With the Google App, you have the company’s numerous internet resources at your disposal. The latest version comes with improved features, customized notification settings, and hands-free Voice Search. The app gives you everything required to look up anything you want.
Easy-to-use and familiar interface
Google App has a clean and simple layout for searches. On the home page, you’ll notice the familiar logo placed on a white background. At the bottom, three buttons make searches easier and quick. Google Apps, Google Lens and Voice Search allow you to find products, businesses, information, and anything else on the web or your iPhone.
Comprehensive search functionality
As compared to its competitors, Google makes searching way easier. Once you enter a term or phrase in the search field, Google Search displays only relevant results. Most importantly, it considers your location to provide you with localized search results. It comes in handy while looking for restaurants, gas stations, and other businesses.
If you click a website link, it opens up in a new tab. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, it’s easy to go back to the search results. All you need to do is swipe right and the app displays the original search engine results page.
Across the bottom of your search results, you can access buttons to look up news, images, places, blogs, videos, books, discussions, and shopping. Google gives you a lot of variations to filter search results as per your preferences and interests. It allows you to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Voice search integration is a big win
While the Voice Search feature looks inspired from Apple’s Siri, it uses Google’s native search engine to find answers. In fact, it’s much faster and simpler! Regardless of what you ask Google, the voice recognition is spot-on with the answer.
Instead of performing a search, the app answers your question aloud. As compared to Siri, it’s really fast! Moreover, noise in your surroundings don’t affect the app’s ability to identify terms and phrases.
Just ask Google Search about a good place for pizza, and it will provide you with a list of pizzerias immediately. In Siri’s defense, it has a cleaner interface for returning results. But speed is something that takes Google way ahead of its competitors. All you need to say is ‘Ok, Google’, and the screen lights up to help you out.
Go beyond basic searches
Google App lets you search beyond the web. In the same hassle-free manner, you can look for contacts in your address book. Google displays each result with a ‘contact’ icon. The best part is that you can call a contact directly from the app.
Google takes advantage of iPhone’s location detection capabilities. It uses your device location to search for gas stations and nearby businesses. In fact, whatever’s tagged on Google Maps can be easily found with Google App for iOS. With several search results, you’ll notice an option to type ‘search near me’. It makes your search more convenient, relevant, and contextual.
Once you tap the link of a ‘search near me’ result, Google instantly opens up the Maps application. All relevant search results will appear as pins on the map, making it easier for you to seek directions.
Without a doubt, Google App is an excellent choice! Though you can find a lot of its features in Google Chrome, the clean interface and Voice Search integration make Google App a value addition to your iPhone. It would have been good to see other Google Apps integrated with search, but Google does provide handy shortcuts for easier transition.
Where can you run this program?
Google App for iOS is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It requires version 11.0 and above.
Is there a better alternative?
If you usually use your iPhone’s camera to look up products or objects, CamFind would be a good choice. It analyzes images and returns several results based on the image’s characteristics. However, text-based searches aren’t allowed, which is a major deterrent. The next closest match to Google App is Bing. It has a simpler interface, and a built-in feature to recognize QR and Barcodes. Sadly, the app tries to push way too many Microsoft products.
For people concerned with privacy and data security, DuckDuckGo acts like a savior. The company claims that it doesn’t track your browsing and never saves any data. It comes with a wide range of features, such as short notes above search results to give you additional information about the links. Most importantly, it’s more compatible with iPhones than the Google App. However, the interface takes some getting used to.
Our take
Using its AI-backed algos, Google has become good at anticipating your searches and relevant results. Once you start typing, the intuitive interface gives suggestions as common search terms in a vertical list. It’s one of the most time-saving and helpful features. If you click a website link, you’re directed to the webpage via Safari. On the other hand, clicking a search term brings up results relevant to the query.
Should you download it?
Yes, definitely. With easy access to Google’s uncountable search results, Voice Search integration, and a clean interface, Google App is the best candidate for a standalone search app on iPhone. Though you’d be bothered by occasional lags, it’s something you can overlook for ease-of-use, simplicity, and speed.
