Inside Search
The official Google Search blog
The latest updates and improvements for the Google app for iOS
September 27, 2016
Earlier this year,
we announced
that your Google app for iOS got faster. Now buckle up, because today, we’re adding three new features that will make your app more private, video-friendly and stable.
More control with incognito mode
Your searches are your business. That’s why we’ve added the ability to search privately with incognito mode in the Google app for iOS. When you have incognito mode turned on in your settings, your search and browsing history will not be saved. And for added security, you can enable Touch ID for incognito mode, ensuring that only you can re-enter your existing incognito session if you exit the app.
Watch YouTube videos in Search
Watching YouTube videos right from Search has never been so simple. Skip the extra step before you break into dance to your favorite music video or before you learn a thing or two in the latest how-to. No new web pages + less load time = more fun.
Keep your searching stable
Finally, we have made some improvements under the hood of your app. These updates will make the app twice as reliable and less likely to crash, which means more searches and fewer sighs.
We hope you enjoy these latest updates to your Google app for iOS. As always, we welcome feedback to help make your app even better.
Posted by Unni Narayanan, Director, Product Management
#IRegistered to vote. Have you?
September 26, 2016
¡Hola! Desplazarse hacia abajo para leer este mensaje en español -Ed.
On the eve of National Voter Registration Day, we’re doing our part to encourage American voters to get registered for the 2016 election. We've already added in-depth information in Search for
registration
and
how to vote
, and now we're adding this same information in
Spanish
. Now both Spanish and English speakers will be able to get custom, state-by-state information on key registration deadlines, when to get to the polls, and even steps on how to vote early or by mail. We hope this feature helps simplify the registration process for more American voters.
By helping more people get registered, we're also helping ensure more people get to the polls and vote. The majority of Americans who register to vote end up voting — according to the
US Census Bureau
, in 2012, 86 percent of those who registered also voted in the November election.
Today's Google Doodle encourages people to get registered in time for National Voter Registration Day
YouTube creators also want you to
head to the polls and #voteIRL
. Tune in to
this playlist
to see how you can register to vote in the amount of time it takes
Ryan Seacrest to host a radio show
or
The Fung Bros to shoot hoops
. Surprising fact: it only takes one minute and 34 seconds! Once you’ve registered, join us in encouraging others along the voting process by sharing a post with #IRegistered on social media.
Registering to vote is just the first step toward casting your ballot in this year’s election. We hope that you’ll be inspired to learn more about the candidates, the issues, and the voting process — and make your voice heard in 2016!
Posted by Jonathan Betz, Engineering Manager, Civic Engagement
_________________________________________________________________________________
Yo me registre para votar. ¿Y tu? #IRegistered
En la víspera del Día Nacional de Registro de Votantes, estamos haciendo nuestra parte para animar a los votantes estadounidenses para registrarse para las elecciones del 2016. Ya hemos añadido información detallada en búsqueda de como
registrarte
y
cómo votar
, y ahora estamos añadiendo esa misma información en
español
.
Ahora, tanto los hablantes de español e inglés podrán obtener información personalizada, estado por estado sobre las fechas clave de registro, horarios para llegar a las urnas, e incluso los pasos necesarios para votar temprano o por correo. Esperamos que esta función ayude a simplificar el proceso de registro para más votantes estadounidenses.
Al ayudar a que más personas se registren, también estamos ayudando a asegurar que más personas lleguen a las urnas y voten. La mayoría de los estadounidenses que se registran para votar terminan ejerciendo su voto - según la
Oficina del Censo de Estados Unidos
, en el año 2012, el 86 por ciento de los que se registraron también votaron en las elecciones de noviembre.
El Google Doodle de hoy anima a la gente para que se registren a tiempo como parte del Día Nacional de Registro de Votantes
Los creadores de YouTube también quieren que
acudas a las urnas y voten en vida real con la campaña #voteIRL
. Te recomendamos sintonizar esta lista de
videos
para aprender cómo puedes registrarte para votar casi en la misma cantidad de tiempo que le toma a
Ryan Seacrest presentar su programa de radio
o a los
Fung Bros
jugar baloncesto. De hecho, te sorprenderá saber que: ¡sólo te tomará un minuto y 34 segundos! Una vez que te hayas registrado, te invitamos a acompañarnos a animar a otros a lo largo del proceso de votar, compartiendo un post utilizando #IRegistered en tus redes sociales.
Registrarse para votar es sólo el primer paso para emitir tu voto en las elecciones de este año. ¡Esperamos que te inspires a aprender más sobre los candidatos, los temas, y el proceso de votación - y al mismo tiempo hacer oír tu voz en el 2016!
Publicado por Jonathan Betz, Gerente de Ingeniería, Participación Cívica
Search Results are officially AMP’d
September 20, 2016
Along with many others in the open source
Accelerated Mobile Pages Project
, we’ve been working to make the mobile web experience faster. In February, we launched AMP in the
“Top Stories” section
of Google Search, delivering news in a fast and reliable way. In August, we
previewed
linking to AMPs across the entire mobile search results page. Today we’re excited to announce that we’re rolling out that faster experience to users across the world.
Now when you search on your mobile device, you’ll see a label that indicates a page is AMP’d. This doesn’t change Search results but will show you which sites have pages that are ready to load lightning fast.
Today, the median time it takes for an AMP page to load from Google Search is less than one second. Beyond just saving you time with fast loading pages, AMP will also save you data -- AMP pages on Search use 10 times less data than the equivalent non-AMP page.
To date we have over 600 million AMP documents created by sites such as
eBay
(US),
Reddit
(US),
Shopify
(CA),
Konga
(Nigeria),
WikiHow
(US),
Cybercook
(Brazil),
Skyscanner
(UK), and many more from all over the world (232 locales and 104 languages). These pages cover retail, travel, recipe, general knowledge and entertainment. That’s a lot of fast-loading pages!
To find out more about AMP, check out
ampproject.org
.
Posted by David Besbris, VP Google Search
T Minus 54 Days Until the Election: Introducing the Google Trends Elections Hub!
September 14, 2016
With only 54 days until Americans head to the polls, interest in the U.S. presidential election is at an all-time high. In fact, election-related search interest is up 240% in 2016 compared to a similar point during the 2012 election cycle. And those trends around search interest tell an interesting story, revealing the candidates, moments and issues people are most interested in. To make it easier to explore this data, we created the
Google Trends Election Hub
.
Starting today, the Trends Elections Hub will offer a real-time pulse of the U.S. elections based on Google Trends. On the Hub, you can explore how people are searching for the candidates and political issues across the country. For example, if you explore search interest in the
Libertarian party
, you’ll see that it’s more searched now than in the 2008 and 2012 elections. The Hub also will help you to find insights about this election at a new, granular level. For instance, while the economy is the most searched issue on average across the swing state of
Florida
, immigration is more searched in southern counties in the state.
At the top of the Hub, you can click to explore the Presidential candidates, Vice Presidential candidates and campaign tickets.
Each candidate and ticket page displays search interest in the candidate or set of candidates across the U.S., as well as top trending related searches and featured insights.
The Election Hub also features county-level data for the first time.
Click on a state
on the U.S. map, and you can find data around search interest for a Presidential candidate and issues at the county level.
We’ll also be sharing search trends around the biggest questions Americans have about the voting experience.
The map below
shows a breakdown of how -- and where -- people across the country are searching for voter registration.
Beyond the Hub, you can see Google Trends data across some of your everyday news sites, including
AP Election Buzz
,
RealClearPolitics
and
ProPublica’s Election DataBot
.
With record online engagement around this historic 2016 election, we have a unique opportunity tell a story about the U.S. electorate through top of mind interests and questions in Search. And as Americans all across the country get ready to head to the polls, we are excited for the Trends Elections Hub to play a role in telling that story. We hope you check it out!
Posted By, Lisa Creed, Product Manager
Start sketching what you see for the future
September 14, 2016
If it ain’t
Baroque
, don’t fix it: your favorite art contest is back! Today we’re kicking off the 2016
Doodle 4 Google contest
, where art-loving K-12 students from across the U.S., Guam and Puerto Rico are invited to bring their imagination to life in a doodle of the Google logo, using any medium they choose. The winning masterpiece will hang on the Google homepage for a day, where millions will enjoy it.
We like to think about what’s next. So we’re asking kids to imagine what awaits them in the years to come and represent that vision of this year’s theme: “What I see for the future…” Yes, that means anything they see — even if it includes flying dogs, living on a shooting star, the trip of their dreams, or for the true
Futurists
out there — perhaps a distant world filled with dazzling new technology of all shapes and sizes.
This year’s contest is going to be one for the record books; the future and the ways to depict it are limitless. That’s why we’ll have an all-star group of judges including our very own Google Doodlers help select the National Winner. In addition to the homepage showcase, the winner will receive $30,000 towards a college scholarship, and the opportunity to work with the Doodle team at the Googleplex in Mountain View. As an added bonus: Their home school will get to spend $50,000 on technology to help foster the next generation of professionals (and who knows, maybe future Googlers, too!).
Submissions are open until December 2, 2016. So for you parents, teachers, babysitters, camp counselors or non-profit leaders out there: Encourage your kids and students
to apply
. We can’t wait to see what wonders await in their dreams for the future.
And now, we bid you farewell as we’re Van Goghing, Goghing, Gone.
Posted by Ryan Germick, Google Doodle Team Lead
Get a front row seat to Fashion Week with Google Search
September 1, 2016
Fall fashion season is here — from New York to London, Milan and Paris, the big trends are about to debut at Fashion Weeks around the world. And this year in Google Search on your mobile phone, you can see the latest styles straight from the runway, hear directly from the designers, shop your favorite looks, see the schedule of events, find related news and follow the action like you’re sitting in the front row — or even backstage.
Straight from the runway and beyond
With partners like BFA and firstVIEW, we’ll not only be showing looks from the runways, but highlights from the entire spectacle, right in Search. From backstage snapshots of the biggest shows, front-row images of your favorite celebs, street scenes, and of course, the parties, you won’t miss a moment.
Hear from the designers
Fashion Week is all about the designers: their inspiration, their creativity and their new collections. As part of an experimental feature, dozens of international designers and brands like Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney will be posting on Google Search, sharing inside information before, during and after the shows.
Shop your favorite looks
You'll also be able to shop the latest styles from Fashion Week in Search. Not only can you buy directly off the runway from designers like Burberry and Tom Ford, you can shop the current season by Prada, Christopher Kane and others. And you’ll be able to get inspiration on what to wear from images of front row looks, runway shots and insiders attending the shows.
As Fashion Week ramps up over the next week, you’ll start to see these fashion experiences appear in Search.
So this year, let Google be your “ticket” to Fashion Week, right on your mobile phone.
Posted by Cameron Mcknight, Product Manager and Ankita Goel, Product Manager
A new way to search for content in your apps
August 30, 2016
We use apps to call friends, send messages or listen to music. But sometimes, it’s hard to find exactly what you’re looking for. Today, we’re introducing a new way for you to search for information in your apps on your Android phone.
With this new search mode, called In Apps, you can quickly find content from installed apps. To access this feature, go to the Google app on your Android phone and find the In Apps tab.
A new search mode in the Google app, showing current and upcoming apps
Here are a few examples of what you can do with this new search mode:
Find your contacts and messages
. Easily find the friend you want to catch up with, or the name of the new sushi place that your friend told you about last month — just search for [sushi] and find the message.
Listen
to your favorite running song or
watch
that sneezing panda video for the 15th time — all in one place.
Stay organized
with your tasks and notes. Want to check off items on your grocery list? No problem, just search for [groceries].
Today this experience works with apps like Gmail, Spotify and YouTube. In the coming months, we’ll also be adding more apps, including Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn, Evernote, Glide, Todoist and Google Keep. Searching your personal results happens entirely on your phone, so you can search even when you're not connected to WiFi or cellular data. Only you can see your personal results, and you can control what apps appear by going to Settings within the Google app.
And with the upcoming LG V20 phone, you'll be able to access the new In Apps mode directly with a dedicated shortcut on the homescreen and Second Screen. The LG V20 will be the first smartphone with this dedicated shortcut. In addition to searching apps you have downloaded, on the new LG V20 you’ll also be able to search LG’s pre-installed apps.
A new search mode in the Google app, showing current and upcoming apps
So whether you’re using the new LG V20 or the Google app on your Android phone, finding your favorite tune, that long-lost email or your to-do list is easier than ever before.
Posted by Timo Mertens, Product Manager
Search is a Jack of all trades
August 25, 2016
Today we’re dealing two new hands from the Google Search deck: solitaire and tic-tac-toe. Now you can play two of the oldest and most popular games for all ages, on desktop and in the Google app.
It’s been said solitaire’s roots are in fortune telling. If that’s true, today your fate rests on your quick wit and the luck of the draw. When you search for “
solitaire
” on Google, the familiar patience game may test yours!
If you’re looking for something a bit simpler,
tic-tac-toe
is your best bet. In this game of naughts and crosses, you can select your level of difficulty or even go head to head against a friend. Xs and Os to the winner (hugs and kisses, that is!).
For some other fun tips, try asking Google, “
what sound does a pig make
?” Or if you’re looking to settle a bet and feeling lucky, “
flip a coin
” may come in handy.
These are just a sample of the delightful surprises that await you on Google. After all, Search is for so much more than research and practical matters -- it’s for fun, too!
P
osted by Stephen Cognetta, Associate Product Manager
Your vote counts
August 16, 2016
As the U.S. prepares to head to the polls, we’re making it easier than ever for everyone to participate in the political process. Last month, we made it simpler for people to
register to vote
. Now, we’re taking this a step further and introducing a brand new, state-by-state guide for people looking for information on
how to vote
in November. We’re also sharing some search trends to track the engagement and interest of American voters around the party conventions.
How to vote
Whether you’re a first-time voter, a resident in a new state, or your state laws have changed since the last time you voted, you can now come to Google for information on
how to vote
in the upcoming election. This new in-depth search result provides information on ID requirements, deadlines, mail-in ballots and early voting. We hope this customized state-by-state guide will help you find the information you need quickly and easily to help get your voice heard.
Search trends
Since releasing our customized voter registration guide in Search last month, we’re seeing millions of people coming to Google to learn more about voting and how to register in the U.S. In fact, compared to the same time four years ago, nationwide searches for voter registration are up 190 percent nationwide.
The
map below
shows a state-by-state breakdown illustrating how — and where — searches for “voter registration” have changed between 2012 and today. You’ll find some of the highest spikes in the dark green states: California, New York, West Virginia, Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts.
We’re committed to making it easy for people to find information, and have their voices heard in November. So we're also making the data that powers our “how to register to vote” and our “how to vote” search results
publicly available
, so nonprofits and organizations promoting voter education can benefit and expand the reach of this critical information.
We hope these insights and features inspire you to register to vote, exercise your civic duty, and get to the polls in November!
Posted by Emily Moxley, Product Manager, Search
Dive (or run, swim, vault…) into the Olympics with Google Trends
August 9, 2016
This year's Olympics in Rio brings together 10,500 athletes from 200+ countries to participate in 306 events, from archery to wrestling. To help you get even more out of the Games, we've created a Google Trends Olympic Hub where you can find fun facts, data insights, feature pages on sports and athletes, and more.
Olympics Trends Hub
Throughout the next few weeks, Google Trends will give you a unique view into the games with a new
Trends Hub just for the Olympics
. There, you’ll be able to see which athletes, events and moments are captivating audiences—and searches—worldwide. For example, which country is searching for beach volleyball the most? Landlocked Switzerland. And the title of most searched grandmother in the world goes to British swimmer Adam Peaty's nan.
Here’s some of what you can expect from Trends over the next few weeks:
Search insights revealing what the world is wondering about the events—from fencing to synchronized swimming (and every moment in between!)
Data interactives like our alternative medal table and top searched sports per country
Trending sports and athletes lists, showing what’s of interest at any given moment
Explore Trends in a new way
As you explore the site, you may notice something else—a new
Google Trends Explore page
. With a fresh design and features like a color-coded map, you can analyze search data in new ways. For example, you can compare interest in previous Olympic Games over the years:
Every four years, the Olympics captivate the world’s attention. We’re excited to be able to help fans get even more out of the Games with insights from Search.
Posted by Lisa Creed, Product Manager
Go Bananas for the 2016 Doodle Fruit Games
August 4, 2016
The summer just got sweeter. Today marks the season opener of the
2016 Doodle Fruit Games
. For the next couple of weeks in the latest Google app for
Android
and
iOS
, journey to an otherwise unassuming fruit stand in Rio, where produce from all over the market are ripe to compete for the title of freshest fruit.
The name of today’s featured game is to see who’s the fastest fruit on the track in this berry special race. Don’t be MELONcholy if your sprint turns into more of a smoothie.
If you like the taste of that, be sure to weave your way through
t
he ice cooler to see if you’re the chillest lemon around. Remember: No one likes sour losers!
We hope you find these fruits as apPEELing as we do. And don’t forget to share your cherry impressive results with friends to see who claims the top seed. These two games are just a taste of what's in store, so come back to the Google app throughout the week to catch the featured game of the day.
Posted by Matt Cruickshank, Google Doodler
Never miss a “must-try” with Google Search
August 4, 2016
Picture this: you’re in New York City for 24 hours. Making the most of your visit may seem daunting, but the latest Google tools are here to help. Starting today in the U.S., when you search on your Google app for the best spots to eat and drink, you’ll have access to reviews from top critics and best-of lists from reputable publishers.
If you’re craving dim sum, but not sure which place is a top spot, a search for “chinese restaurant” may bring up Michelin favorite
RedFarm
in the West Village. Looking further at the search result, you’ll see it also appears on more than 10 best-of lists, including Eater, CBS Local and Refinery29.
Next on the to-do list: dessert. After seeing a sweet review from Zagat, head to
Lafayette Grand Café & Bakery
for a classic Parisian pastry. Serious Eats heralds it as one of “The Best French Bakeries in NYC” and is also on Eater’s list of “15 Destinations of Holiday Sweets in NYC.”
Pro tip for you to-the-minute planners: If you’re looking for the perfect afternoon activity before meeting friends for dinner, for selected places Google shows how long people typically stay at a given location. Got a few minutes?
The High Line
is a must-see. Got a few more?
Central Park
is worth the journey uptown.
Whether you’re stopping by in a city for a weekend or just looking for a new local watering hole, we hope these latest tools from Google will hit the spot.
Posted by Ronnie Falcon, Product Manager
Olá Gboard: new languages, personal keyboards and more
August 4, 2016
In May, we
introduced Gboard
, a new iPhone app that lets you search and send information, GIFs, emojis and more, right from your keyboard. Today, Gboard is going global with international availability, and we’re adding smart GIF suggestions and a way to personalize keyboards.
Bonjour, Hallo and Ciao from Gboard
Gboard is already available in English across the U.S., Europe, Canada and Australia. Starting today, Gboard is ready to start sending GIFs, searches, emojis and more for our friends who speak French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal) and Spanish (Spain).
Gboard will default to your device language, so as long as it's set to one of these six languages you're good to go. If your phone uses a different language, Gboard will default to U.S. English. You can change the language in your Gboard settings.
Smart GIF suggestions
Joining text, search and emoji suggestions, you’ll now see GIF suggestions too. Say you’ve got a reason to celebrate so you text your friend “let’s party!” — now, you’ll see a suggestion to search for relevant party GIFs with one tap.
A personal keyboard
Whether you like a keyboard that blends into the background or shows your personal style, today’s update is for you. For those who like a more low-key style, in addition to the current light keyboard, we’re adding a dark keyboard so that Gboard can blend in with darker apps. We’re also introducing the ability to select a personal image from your camera roll to show behind your keyboard, so you’ll never be without your favorite picture from that trip to Crater Lake.
We hope our new friends around the globe love sharing GIFs, emojis and searching as much as we do. To try Gboard, go to the
U.S. app store
or to your local app store and try any of our six languages, with more coming soon.
Posted by Rajan Patel, Principal Engineer
Let Google be your guide to Rio de Janeiro
August 1, 2016
The modern Olympic Games have been a defining moment for athletes and fans alike dating back to 1896. Next week, the 2016 cauldron will be lit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where thousands of athletes will come together to represent the strength and pride of their home countries with the world as their audience.
In celebration of the next chapter in Olympics history, we’re bringing the best our products have to offer to help people around the world stay up-to-date with the Olympic Games Rio 2016:
Discover the event schedule, medal counts, and athlete information in Search
Get results and view TV schedules in 30+ countries
Watch official broadcasters’ event highlights on YouTube in 60+ countries
Explore Rio and venues in Google Maps
Keep up to date with the latest search Trends from around the world
On Google, searching for information about your favorite athletes and sports, the medal race, or your country’s schedule has never been easier. Pro tip: if you search on the Google app on Android and iOS, you’ll also see an option to get automatic updates on top event and medal wins, so you’ll never miss a beat.
To give you a glimpse into the Games, watch official broadcasters’ video highlights on YouTube in more than 60 countries around the world. And as an added bonus, YouTube is sending 15 top creators to Rio, giving you a taste of what it’s like to be there with
mobile live streaming
.
With Street View in Google Maps, everyone can enjoy
the magic of Rio de Janeiro
. Even if you’re a world away, preview the places where the world's most talented athletes will make history and explore the breathtaking beauty of Brazil.
Google Trekker operator captures 360-degree imagery from inside Rio’s Olympic Park
Great triumphs, victories and stunning surprises await us all this summer. This is just a hint of what’s to come—we hope you’ll let Google be your guide.
Posted by Jonathan Livni, Product Manager
A voice for everyone in 2016
July 15, 2016
Every election matters and every vote counts. The American democracy relies on everyone’s participation in the political process. This November, Americans all across the country will line up at the polls to cast their ballots for the President of the United States. With states’ varied deadlines and methods, the voter registration process can be tricky. So starting on Monday, we're introducing a new tool in Search to simplify the voter registration process to make it easier for you to have your voice heard.
Now when you search for “register to vote” or similar queries, Google will display a detailed state-by-state guide providing information on how to register, general requirements, and deadlines.
No matter which state you’re in or how you plan to cast your ballot, you can find the step-by-step information you need to register correctly and on time—right at the top of your Search page and in the Google app.
And for the kickoff of the
Republican National Convention
next week (and coming in time for the Democratic National Convention next week), when you search for these events on the Google app, you’ll find a summary of the event, nominees and the lineup of speakers. You’ll also find a livestream video from YouTube, and relevant social media posts, so you can stay up-to-date with both the political parties and the public.
We hope these new features in Search will help keep you informed this election season and make it easier for you to make it to the ballot box in November.
Posted by Jacob Schonberg, Product Manager
More on Tap: Translate, discover and improved Search by image
July 6, 2016
With Now on Tap, Android Marshmallow users can get quick help from Google without having to stop what they’re doing. Today, we’re introducing new Now on Tap features that surface useful content and create a more engaging experience. With these updates, users can translate text on any page, discover more about the things that interest them, and learn more about products by using QR codes and bar codes in Search by Image.
Translate text from any screen
Chrome makes it easy to translate any webpage into your native language, but what about translations in your apps?
With Now on Tap’s new translate feature, you can translate text on any screen, whether it’s an app or webpage. Just long press the home button and tap the “Translate this screen” card. Voilà, the text on screen will be translated into your phone’s language.
So if you’re using Google Maps and come across a location or a restaurant review in a foreign language, just long press the home button and continue reading. You’ll even be able to translate multiple languages at once.
The translate feature is currently available for phones with the language set to English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian.
Discover more interesting content
Now on Tap is great for getting things done, but our new discover mode can also help you learn more about things that interest you. Just tap the “Discover” icon and get a stream of visual content related to what’s on your screen — it’s perfect for browsing and exploring, rather than searching for something in particular.
For example, if you’re reading an article about Pluto and are interested in learning about NASA, discover mode will show you a stream of links to YouTube videos, news articles and more.
Search by Image - Barcodes and QR codes
Last month,
we announced
that you can use Now on Tap to search via your camera app for objects like famous landmarks. Today, we’re expanding that to include barcodes and QR codes.
Next time you’re shopping, you can simply point your camera at the barcode and get helpful cards related to that object, such as user reviews. This feature will work with packaged products, books, DVDs and more!
We’re excited to continue to bring more engaging features to Now on Tap and hope today’s updates help you get things done faster and find new and interesting information.
Posted by Aneto Okonkwo, Product Manager
Stay safe and informed in case of an earthquake
June 30, 2016
The
U.S. Geological Survey
estimates that approximately 500,000 earthquakes occur around the globe each year, 100,000 of which can be felt. Now people who feel the effects of an earthquake can ask Google directly about the disaster and get timely information to help them stay safe.
In the event of an earthquake, searches for “earthquake,” “earthquakes near me” or similar queries will give you an at-a-glance summary about the quake, right at the top of the search page.
Information will include a summary of the size of the quake, a map of the affected areas, and tips to safely navigate the aftermath. Oftentimes, you really want to know whether you just felt a small earthquake nearby, or a larger earthquake farther away. The map will show areas that shook with various intensities (known as a shakemap), so you’ll be able to quickly assess the reach of the earthquake as well as its epicenter.
You’ll also find clearly displayed tips on what to do next to stay safe from damaged buildings and during potential earthquake aftershocks. To give you the ability to confirm aftershocks in the hours and days after the event, we’ll also show information about other recent earthquakes to put the tremors into context.
We hope that by displaying this result directly in Search, people will have fast and easy access to the information they need to stay safe in the face of an earthquake.
Posted by Chris Keitel, Software Engineer
I’m Feeling Yucky :( Searching for symptoms on Google
June 20, 2016
Picture this: you woke up today with a headache. It’s been getting worse all day, and you aren’t sure if you should be worried or not. So you open
the Google app
and start searching for your symptoms. After 20 minutes digging through health forums, chances are you're overwhelmed by all the complicated medical terms and breaking out in a sweat—whether that’s related to the headache or the overdose of info is unclear!
You’re not alone. Roughly 1 percent of searches on Google (think: millions!) are symptom-related. But health content on the web can be difficult to navigate, and tends to lead people from mild symptoms to scary and unlikely conditions, which can cause unnecessary anxiety and stress.
So starting in the coming days, when you ask Google about symptoms like “
headache on one side
,” we’ll show you a list of related conditions (“headache,” “migraine,” “tension headache,” “cluster headache,” “sinusitis,” and “common cold”). For individual symptoms like “
headache
,” we’ll also give you an overview description along with information on self-treatment options and what might warrant a doctor’s visit. By doing this, our goal is to help you to navigate and explore health conditions related to your symptoms, and quickly get to the point where you can do more in-depth research on the web or talk to a health professional.
We create the list of symptoms by looking for health conditions mentioned in web results, and then checking them against high-quality medical information we’ve collected from doctors for our
Knowledge Graph
. We worked with a team of medical doctors to carefully review the individual symptom information, and experts at Harvard Medical School and Mayo Clinic evaluated related conditions for a representative sample of searches to help improve the lists we show.
That said, symptom search (like all medical information on Google) is intended for informational purposes only, and you should always consult a doctor for medical advice. We rely on search results, and we reflect what’s on the web. Because of this, your feedback is especially important to us; we’ll use it to keep improving the results we show. You’ll notice in the weeks following launch that when we show symptom search we’ll automatically ask you if the results are helpful.
We’re rolling this update out on mobile over the next few days, in English in the U.S. to start. Over time, we hope to cover more symptoms, and we also want to extend this to other languages and internationally. So the next time you’re worried about your “
child with knee pain
” (even though it’s probably just growing pains), or have some symptoms you’re too embarrassed to run by your roommate, a Google search will be a helpful place to start.
Posted by Veronica Pinchin, Product Manager, Search
Google Search Autocomplete
June 10, 2016
Over the last week we've received questions about our
autocomplete feature
. I wanted to take the opportunity to clarify a few things.
The autocomplete algorithm is designed to avoid completing a search for a person’s name with terms that are offensive or disparaging. We made this change a while ago following feedback that Autocomplete too often predicted offensive, hurtful or inappropriate queries about people. This filter operates according to the same rules no matter who the person is, as you can see in
some examples here
.
Autocomplete isn’t an exact science, and the output of the prediction algorithms changes frequently. Predictions are produced based on a number of factors including the popularity and freshness of search terms. Given that search activity varies, the terms that appears in Autocomplete for you may change over time. If you come across an Autocomplete prediction you consider offensive,
please let us know
.
It’s also important to keep in mind that Autocomplete predictions aren’t search results and don’t limit what you can search for. It’s a shortcut for those who are interested. You can still perform whatever search you want to, and of course, regardless of what you search for, we always strive to deliver the most relevant results from across the web.
We welcome feedback - and scrutiny - as it helps us provide you the best services. We recognize that your trust is what keeps you using Google, so we take our responsibility seriously. From the beginning, our approach has been to provide the most relevant answers, and we’ll continue doing just that.
Posted by Tamar Yehoshua, VP, Product Management, Search
Now on Tap update: Text Select and Image Search
June 1, 2016
When we introduced
Now on Tap in Android Marshmallow last year
, our goal was to make your phone a little bit smarter and help you get things done quicker. With Now on Tap, you can touch and hold the home button for helpful info about what’s on your screen, without having to leave what you’re doing.
With today’s update, we’re taking things one step further: you can now select the exact word or phrase that you’d like help with and get info about images or photos.
Select exactly what you’re looking for
If you use Now on Tap in an app, email, chat, or news article with a lot of text, sometimes the results aren’t as precise as you’d like. Starting today, you can give Google a nudge by selecting exactly what you want help with, and you’ll get the right information, right away.
For example, if you’re reading a news article you can select a specific word, like crustacean, and get a definition and links to relevant apps.
Search by Image
You can also get quick info about images on your screen. Let’s say you’re scrolling through the Google Photos app and see a photo you can’t quite place. Simply touch and hold the home button to get a helpful card with more info. This works across all your apps, not just Photos. If you’re browsing Pinterest and want to learn more about cool artwork, just touch and hold the home button for a helpful card with more info.
And for certain images or objects, you can also search via your camera app in real time. If you’re standing in front of the Bay Bridge, you can hold up your phone, open your camera app, touch and hold the home button, and get a helpful card with deep links to relevant apps. This works for more than just famous structures like the Bay Bridge, you can even point your camera at a movie poster or magazine and get additional info about what you're looking at.
All of today’s updates are
available
everywhere you can already use Now on Tap. Word definitions are currently only available in English but will be rolling out to other languages over the coming weeks.
We hope these updates help you find what you’re looking for and get things done just a little faster than before.
Posted by Aneto Okonkwo, Product Manager
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