Story by
Owen Williams
Former TNW employeeOwen was a reporter for TNW based in Amsterdam, now a full-time freelance writer and consultant helping technology companies make their word Owen was a reporter for TNW based in Amsterdam, now a full-time freelance writer and consultant helping technology companies make their words friendlier. In his spare time he codes, writes newsletters and cycles around the city.
Google announced today a new ‘Now on Tap‘ feature which makes it possible to ask questions and proactively search for information without leaving apps.
You can get information from any app by pressing and holding the home button, which brings up contextual suggestions based on the apps you have installed and what you’re trying to do.
One example given at the conference demoed the ability to press and hold the home button inside a messaging app after receiving a message about dinner. A card appears that offers various options, such as calling the restaurant, pulling up a map or the choice to reserve a table in seconds.
You can also say ‘OK, Google’ anywhere in the OS and get information about what you’re looking at without pulling away from the app that you’re using. The rollout is expected to come alongside Android M.
Read next: Everything Google announced at Google I/O 2015 in one handy list