Google has updated its namesake app for Android to make it easier for people to conduct searches when hit by a spotty network. The feature basically saves a user’s searches when they go offline and immediately pulls up the results the moment they go back online.
While not exactly a true offline search tool, the new addition would be useful for individuals who experience unreliable connections frequently. Google posits a scenario where a person’s data works when entering their query but fails them before any answers come in.
In such a case, the Google app would be able to log the query and retrieve it the moment a reliable connection has been established. Moreover, search results are saved just as they are loaded. This means that it’ll be around even if the network goes through a bad patch again or the users activates airplane mode.
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All saved queries are stored safely away in a new section called Manage Searches. Google even suggests that consumers could queue up inquires when they’re offline. The application is supposed to work behind-the-scenes to detect when they go live again and deliver answers, notifying them via an alert specifying that there is a search result ready.
Google claims this unseen labor won’t cause a strain on a handset’s battery life. It further asserts that the tool minimally impacts data usage since the search results are streamlined. You can download the latest Android version of the app via the Play Store.