TL;DR
- The Google app could be getting a new universal search feature that will allow contacts, apps, and device settings to appear within search results.
- This new feature should be independent of the Pixel Launcher and available on all Android devices.
- Users will get the choice to include or exclude these new options from their search results.
The Google app is about to become even more of a digital Swiss Army knife. Already a go-to for everything from Google Searches to Google Lens and Google’s smart assistants, the app is set to add some nifty new features that will make finding what you need on your device a breeze.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
In the Google app version 15.30.27.29 beta, we found evidence suggesting that the Google app will soon be able to display contacts, apps, and device settings directly within search results. This means that users can simply start typing their query into the app’s search bar and see matching results not only from the web but also from their personal contacts list, installed apps, and even the device’s system settings.
Notably, this feature should work independently of the universal search functionality on the Pixel Launcher. This means that it will be available to all users, regardless of whether they have a Pixel device or not.
While the ability to search for apps within the Google app is not entirely new, the addition of contacts and device settings represents a notable expansion of its capabilities. Additionally, under the Autocomplete settings in the app, users will find a toggle option that allows them to decide whether they want contacts, apps, and device settings to appear in their search results.
Currently, this universal search feature is hidden behind developer flags, indicating that it is still in the testing phase. However, its presence in the beta version strongly suggests that Google is actively working on it and may roll it out to the public in the near future.