Google Search App... and So Much More

Have you tried the Google Search app on the iPad? I ignored it for a year because I had no problems using the browser based google search. I did not know what I was missing out!

On a whim, I checked it out recently in my desperate hunt for the Google Docs integration on the iPad.

Do not be deceived - this in not just a Google search platform. It's so much more (hence my title). Here's what you see when you open the app:

I immediately tried out Goggles. I think I heard about this a while ago, but I never gave it a whirl. Handy! It scanned the book I had sitting next to me, and provided relevant search results. On the iPad, this makes a lot of sense - less typing.

The little boxes on the left scrolled across the screen while Google analyzed the image. You can see the results on the right. It found accurate links for the book. Fabulous. With this one tool alone, this app is worth taking up real estate on the home screen of your iPad.

The next tool I tried out was Google Voice. I've used Google Voice on my phone before - and it worked as expected on the iPad. It had no trouble understanding me. 

I really liked the visual search results option (top right box).

Next, I tried the normal search. Works just like you would expect it to, with an option to open webpages in Safari (wish they could open in Chrome).

But wait... there's more! If you click on the Applications button, a list of common Google apps appears.

This is quite useful to have in one place. On my iPhone, I have links on my Home Screen for Reader, Docs, and Earth. 

Remember me complaining the other day about how Blogger didn't have a mobile app for the iPad? The blogger mini-app here handles most of my needs with finesse. Can you use web-based photos in your blog? Not without some coding, but you can import pictures from the camera file.

Google Docs mobile version works here, although in a limited capacity.

BUT, I did find that I could write a Doc in the mobile version, then switch to the desktop version for sharing options. That is a nice work around. You still can't collaborate on a document in real time, unfortunately.

There are many other mini-apps in this one app to explore. I highly recommend doing so.

I'm not sure why Google has branded this app "Google Search", granted the Search feature is front and center (and simple at all times to swipe back to). Instead, it should be named "Google Apps" - that seems more fitting given its functionality.