Google testing lighter version of ‘Search’ app for slow internet connections

17 Aug 2017

Google is testing 'Search Lite,' a lighter version of its original 'Search' app for places with slow internet connections. According to commentators, the functionality of 'Search Lite' app will be the same as Google's current cross-platform, 'Search.' The app is currently only available on Play Store in Indonesia, according to Android Police.

According to commentators the main difference between the original app and the lighter version is that the latter uses very little data. The translate feature will now help users to search for content by simply typing or speaking. Weather and businesses will come in the form of a grid of icons on their smartphone screens – similar to what a home screen filled with apps looked like.

Google did something similar with the lighter version of its YouTube app, as also with the launch of 'YouTube Go.' The company will be rolling out the beta version of its 'YouTube Go,' app globally sometime this year. It has also been working towards a low-data version of its Android software system, called 'Android Go.'

The Search Lite app is aimed at getting everything easier to get to. Users can change between a couple of languages by swiping the main app's page sideways. they can even personalise the apps and remove the ones that they do not need. It feels like the regular Google Search + Feed app that is widely known, but with less preloaded data and easier control over what users can see.