Google has updated its eponymous voice-recognition search app with speed improvements the company claims will save users "a combined 6.5 million hours" this year.

"Each time you open the app or do a search, everything will load just a bit quicker," said Google VP Tamar Yehoshua in a blog post.

Google Search iOSNot only should the app feel faster overall, says Yehoshua, news articles that show up in searches should load almost immediately, thanks to wider adoption of the company's open source Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) project.

Introduced in February, the project aimed to make pages using AMP load four times as fast and use 10 times less data than traditional web pages. AMP-optimized stories are indicated by a lightning bolt icon and show up in the top stories section of search results.

In addition, the app now includes video highlights in select Google Now cards for NBA and NHL games.

Google for iOS is a free download on the App Store for iPad and iPhone. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

LovingTeddy Avatar
96 months ago
Now... If there is anyway to complete replace Siri suggestion with Google now and replacing all Apple services with Google services, that would be cool... Would happy install Google Play Services on iOS devices...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
usamaah Avatar
96 months ago
They load even faster if you have an ad blocker on Safari.
I do have one on my iPad Air 2, loads faster than Safari without an ad blocker but these Amp pages are still faster.
[doublepost=1464787920][/doublepost]
They load even faster if you have an ad blocker on Safari.
So is it snappier...than Safari?
It occurs to me now people's prejudice to Google may be hampering their ability to understand what this is.

AMP is an open-source project designed to make the web faster for static data ('https://www.ampproject.org/docs/get_started/about-amp.html'). Google AMP Cache (which is a separate thing) then takes these files and preloads them on their servers so they can serve this reduced-size, browser-friendly HTML file even faster. Apple can host AMP files too, if it wanted. Anyone can.

Any browser that supports AMP will recognize that there is a faster version of the same content you care about, and be able to load the page faster. Soo this isn't a Chrome vs Safari argument, not really. Google simply added support for AMP in their Google Search app on iOS so now when you use it (or more correctly, when dumb people like me who don't realize that OMG I'm the product, use it) the special pages will have the AMP icon next to them and I can choose to load that page over another, and get content faster.

EDIT: Here's more information ('https://www.distilled.net/resources/how-do-accelerated-mobile-pages-amp-from-google-work/').
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
v0lume4 Avatar
96 months ago
Just for USA or ROW/UK?
Checking out some stores, pretty sure it's a global update.
If this were Apple, it'd be more like, "Available in select markets. Wider availability coming soon (years)." :p
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LovingTeddy Avatar
96 months ago
Just get an android phone and be done with it
I have bunch of Android phone. I like iOS better, but I prefer google services and Google Now
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zirel Avatar
96 months ago
No, thank you.


I'm not giving away control to Google. They try everything to stop me using Safari (can havve ad blocking)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jdillings Avatar
96 months ago
Now... If there is anyway to complete replace Siri suggestion with Google now and replacing all Apple services with Google services, that would be cool... Would happy install Google Play Services on iOS devices...
Just get an android phone and be done with it
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Mock Header With Dynamic Island

Skipping the iPhone 15 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro

Friday September 22, 2023 9:29 am PDT by
Are you skipping the iPhone 15 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 16 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap new features rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models so far:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain...
Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17

Warning: Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17.0.2 Before Transferring Data From Another iPhone

Friday September 22, 2023 6:36 am PDT by
If you are unboxing an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max today, make sure to update the device to iOS 17.0.2 before transferring data to the device from another iPhone, or else you might encounter issues. iOS 17.0.2 is only available for the iPhone 15 lineup. Apple says the update fixes an issue that may prevent transferring data directly from another iPhone...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 double tap gesture 230912

watchOS 10.1 to Enable Apple Watch's New 'Double Tap' Gesture

Thursday September 21, 2023 12:52 pm PDT by
The new Double Tap gesture for the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be enabled starting with watchOS 10.1, according to Marques Brownlee, host of the popular tech-focused YouTube channel MKBHD. The first beta of watchOS 10.1 will likely be available by next week, and Apple announced that the software update will be released next month. Brownlee shared his impressions...