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The least used app on my Android phone is... the Google app?!
AppWizard
February 20, 2025

The least used app on my Android phone is… the Google app?!

The Google app, launched over 15 years ago, enhances mobile search capabilities on Android devices and serves multiple essential functions, including powering the search widget, the Discover feed, Circle to Search, Google Lens, the Saved tab, and ad personalization options. A poll indicates that 34% of users utilize the app daily, 9% use it often, 16% rarely, and 41% never use it. Despite its perceived redundancy, the app is an uninstallable system app, crucial for maintaining various Android features and functionalities.
Google Search widget now lets you set a custom shortcut on Android
AppWizard
February 4, 2025

Google Search widget now lets you set a custom shortcut on Android

The Google app has introduced a feature for Android users that allows customization of shortcuts within the Search widget. Users can access this by going to the Google app settings and selecting "Customize Search widget," where they can adjust the theme and transparency settings. The new “Shortcuts” feature offers nine options: None, Translate (text), Song Search, Weather, Translate (camera), Sports, Dictionary, Homework, and Finance. The shortcut icon appears to the left of the microphone and camera icons in a 3×1 layout, and in a compact 2×1 view, it shows only the ‘G’ icon. This update is available for non-Pixel devices as well as Google phones and tablets, and it is part of version 16.3.34 of the Google app, which was rolled out in the stable channel.
Circle to Search is getting an app drawer, and here's what it looks like
AppWizard
November 19, 2024

Circle to Search is getting an app drawer, and here’s what it looks like

Google has unveiled a redesigned version of the Circle to Search feature in its app, with the latest beta version being 15.45.43.ve.arm64. The new interface features rounded boxes for UI elements and introduces an app drawer that replaces the standalone translate button, requiring users to tap an additional button for access to Google Lens and translation services. The app drawer aims to accommodate the growing functionalities of Circle to Search while maintaining screen space. The music search button remains next to the search bar, indicating user preference considerations. There are also indications that Circle to Search may be utilized within video content in the future.
Google for India: Android battles scammers, Gemini languages and loans on Pay
AppWizard
October 3, 2024

Google for India: Android battles scammers, Gemini languages and loans on Pay

Google unveiled advancements at the Google for India keynote, focusing on user experience and security. The Gemini Live AI assistant now understands nine Indian languages. Google Pay is expanding to include lending and credit options, while Android is piloting enhanced fraud protection to safeguard users from scams. Android holds a global market share of 71.65%, reaching 95.73% in India. The new fraud protection feature pauses the installation of unverifiable apps for user scanning. This builds on last year's real-time scanning for installed apps and aims to combat risks from side-loading apps. Google is enhancing services across Gemini, Search, and Maps with AI, including support for nine Indian languages and generative AI results. Google Pay is partnering with NBFCs to introduce credit and lending options, particularly gold-backed loans. Google.org is promoting education and AI literacy in India with grants and developing an AI-powered coaching app. Google plans to establish a Google Safety Engineering Center in India next year to focus on security and online safety products.
Google Search app on Android keeps crashing in widespread bug
AppWizard
September 18, 2024

Google Search app on Android keeps crashing in widespread bug

On Saturday evening, many Android users experienced crashes with the Google app, receiving the message “Google keeps stopping” when trying to search. The app would briefly load before redirecting users back to the home screen. Reports of the issue began surfacing, and by approximately 11:00 PM PT, some users noted that the app had resumed functionality. Google acknowledged the disruption at 23:07 PT, stating it was affecting a large number of users and that they were working to identify the root cause. The crashes affected various Android versions, including the latest stable and beta releases, and impacted devices like Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy. Other services such as Google Assistant and Google Lens remained operational, and users could access Google through Chrome as a workaround. The disruption appeared to be limited to the Google app on Android, with no issues reported on other platforms.
Google Fixes Widespread Android App Crashes After Midnight Glitch - WE News English
AppWizard
September 18, 2024

Google Fixes Widespread Android App Crashes After Midnight Glitch – WE News English

Google resolved a technical glitch that caused widespread disruptions of its Android app over the weekend, which began shortly before midnight Pacific Time and was fully fixed by 1:11 AM PT on Sunday. Users faced a "Google keeps stopping" error, affecting both stable and beta versions of the app across various Android operating systems, including Android 15 and 14. The Google app crashed upon launch, and features like Google Discover and Voice Search were inoperative. However, other services like Chrome for Android, Google Assistant, and Google Lens remained functional. Google advised users to clear app cache and data as a temporary fix and confirmed that no further updates were necessary after the issue was resolved.
Google fixes Android app glitch after users report widespread crashes | The Express Tribune
AppWizard
September 18, 2024

Google fixes Android app glitch after users report widespread crashes | The Express Tribune

Late Saturday night, many Android users experienced crashes with the Google app, receiving a "Google keeps stopping" error message when attempting to use it for searches. The issue affected both newer and older versions of the app, and uninstalling updates did not resolve the problem. Users faced crashes when accessing the app from home screens, and the Google Search bar widget and Pixel Launcher search bar also failed to function properly. The disruption impacted devices such as Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy, across Android versions 15, 14, and earlier, while other Google services remained operational. Reports of recovery began around 11:00 PM PT, with Google acknowledging the disruption at 11:07 PM PT and advising users to clear app cache and data. The issue was fully resolved by 1:11 AM PT on Sunday. The Google search status dashboard indicated that the problem had been mitigated and systems were stabilizing, with updates confirming the issue was fixed shortly thereafter.
Google app can now show contacts, apps, and device settings in search (APK Teardown)
AppWizard
July 30, 2024

Google app can now show contacts, apps, and device settings in search (APK Teardown)

The Google app is set to introduce a universal search feature that will allow users to find information across devices, displaying web search results, contacts, apps, and device settings within the search interface. This feature will be available to all Android users, independent of the Pixel Launcher’s universal search. Users can control the visibility of contacts, apps, and device settings in search results through the Autocomplete settings. The feature is currently in testing, as indicated by its presence in the beta version of the app.
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