search for Android now finds info hidden inside apps

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Published 31 Aug 2016

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First created a centralized place to search the web, now has a centralized spot to search your Android phone. The company just announced a new feature for the App called In Apps. As its name implies, In Apps lets you search for content inside your Android apps, such as a specific song, contact, or note in Keep.

To start, the new feature will only work with a select number of apps, including Gmail, Spotify, YouTube. also has plans to add Evernote, Facebook Messenger, Glide, Keep, nkedIn, Todoist in the coming months.

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l app searches happen on your device itself, not ’s servers, which means you don’t need an Internet connection to use the feature. It’s not clear how often the app will index your content or how much of a hit it will take on your battery or device performance.

ile anyone can get In Apps on a modern Android phone with the latest version of the App, the company is also highlighting the feature on new phones. ’s upcoming V20 smartphone will feature a dedicated shortcut on the home screen to In Apps. ’s new feature will also work with ’s pre-installed apps on that phone.

The story behind the story: ile In Apps searches happen on your phone, the company is probably gaining some information from the new feature. By studying those search terms, can better underst what people typically search for on their phones then use that data to improve Now or better tailor their apps for users. That’s just speculation, however.

Regardless, the App is now even more central to the Android experience as the go-to spot to find everything from online content to that oven roasted chicken recipe from your mom.