Google is trialing a lightweight Search app on Android with some users in Indonesia, that should work better than the default tool on slow mobile networks.
First spotted by Android Police, the app is currently labeled ‘experimental’ and features a search bar along with customizable shortcuts to get to various kinds of content, including news, weather, popular sites, and Google’s translation service.
‘Search’ works blazing fast when it comes to surfacing results, and you can use the baked-in browser, which seems to be delivering pages in Google’s Lite Mode to reduce load times. There’s even an option to switch between languages for search by simply swiping sideways on the screen.
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You’ll also find shortcuts to take you straight to different categories of content, like motoring and entertainment news; for ‘fashion’ and ‘beauty’, the app simply displays an endless stream of images, which you can share, download or follow through to the pages they’re from.
It’s an interesting move for Google, as this app appears to be more of a launchpad for all sorts of web content rather than just a search tool. It’s not yet clear if this will roll out globally or only be available in countries with limited connectivity; the company previously launched an app called Triangle to help Android users save data, and it looks like its new experiment is another effort in this vein to make its services accessible to people in developing countries.
You can give the app a try yourself by downloading the installer from APKMirror and sideloading it onto your device; when prompted to choose a second language, pick any one and you’ll be on your way.
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