Google Now on Tap and Future of Connected Apps

There is no big shortage of big news out of the Android camp this week. New flagship phones, the launch of Project Fi, and the release of Android 6.0, codename Marshmallow. We’ll get to all that.

But first, Google Now on Tap, the latest improvement to the already excellent Google Now feature. A nifty search feature, sure, but Google Now on Tap reveals a glimpse of a future where apps talk to each other, and one day, may even work together.

How it Works

Here’s how it works. Tap and hold the home button on your Marshmallow phone, and Google will present contextual information based on what app your using, your location, and any number of other factors. Have you been texting a friend about a movie? Voila. Rotten Tomatoes score. Do you have an upcoming flight that day? Hey, how about an updated flight status. Google’s mission is to guess what you want to know before you even ask the question. Scary smart.

Here’s where things get interesting. Android apps can open up their own data to take advantage of Now on Tap. Let’s say you’re rocking out on Pandora. Now on Tap knows that, scans your screen, sees your listening to Creed for some ungodly reason, and then recommends the appropriate “card.” In this case, it may be the totally relevant news story that your former favorite lead singer is sadly homeless. With this handy feature, you’ll soon be asking yourself, can you take me higher?

So, here we are, fancy app developers in San Francisco, and we scratch our chins and wonder how can we optimize our apps so they not only talk to Google, but to each other? As apps become increasing connected, that’s the next step.

Nexus Phones

Google unleashed two new Nexus phones, the Nexus 6P and the Nexus 5X, to show off Now on Tap and all of Marshmallow’s goodness. So far, the reviews are good, especially for the 6P, made by Chinese manufacturer Huawei. We’re big fans of the Nexus devices as they give you a pure, up-to-date Android experience without any bloatware — the experience Google wants you to, well, experience.

These phones also are available on the new Project Fi, Google’s answer to the mobile carrier. Forget deciding between carriers any longer. Fi uses the antennas from both Sprint and T-Mobile, as well as WiFi, to seamlessly provide you with the best signal at all times. And it may even be cheaper.

You’ll have to do your own personal math on this one. But triple network coverage for less? Sign us up. Apple engineers are surely kicking their cubicles, wondering why they didn’t think of that. Knowing Apple, they’re probably at work on their own competing iNetwork right now.

In Conclusion

In any event, apps are no longer walled off from the other apps on your phone. Apps that can take advantage of these new lines of communication from the OS can provide an even more profound user experience. However, it remains to be seen if Creed will ever be relevant again.

You can contact San Francisco mobile developer Appstem to learn more.