Google Go is an app that makes it easier to search the contents of your phone in a flash. It’s essentially a special version of Google Search that works with lightweight versions of websites and other documents. Rather than opening separate apps for different document types, you can just open Google Go and search for what you need. If you’re running Android Oreo (version 8 or higher) and have administrative rights, you should see the Google Go beta automatically appear as an option in your app drawer. If not, or if you don’t have any other way to install apps on your device, the download links below will bring you up to speed. Otherwise, we have more details on how to install and use Google Go (or at least its beta version) below.
How To Install Google Go
You can download Google Go from the app store of your choice. If you’re on Android Oreo, you should see the beta version of the app as an option in your app drawer. If you don’t see Google Go as an option, or if you’re on a device running an earlier version of Android, you can also download Google Go from APKMirror. Google Go is currently in beta, so you’ll either have to sign up for the beta or download a leaked version from APKMirror. You’ll need to accept a terms of service, so make sure to read it thoroughly before clicking “accept.”
What Does Google Go Do?
Google Go is designed for people with low data and/or low storage. Rather than opening separate apps for different document types, you can just open Google Go and search for what you need. If you’re on a slow connection, Google Go can help you save on data, too. It loads lightweight versions of websites and other documents appropriate for slower connections, so you can still use the app even if you’re on a 2G connection. If you’re not on a slow connection, you won’t notice much of a difference between the full version of Google Search and the lightweight version used in Google Go. You’ll just get a bit of a speed boost when the app loads. There’s also a feature that reads web content aloud, which can be helpful if you’re impaired in some way and still want to get the gist of a page.
How To Use Google Go
If you’re already logged into Google and have administrative rights to your device, you should have no problem using Google Go. Just open the app, type in a query, and you’ll see lightweight versions of any relevant documents. If you’re not logged into a Gmail account and don’t have administrative rights, you won’t be able to use the full version of Google Go. You can still use the lightweight version, but you won’t have access to the features that let you save documents to your device. If you don’t see the lightweight version of Google Go, you may need to sign out of your Google account and then sign back in. If you’re running the beta version, you can access its features by tapping the “Explore” button in the app’s main screen. Otherwise, you can tap the search bar at the top of the screen to start a query.
Should You Download Google Go?
Google Go is still in beta and we don’t know when Google might release the official version to the public. If you want to take the beta plunge now, you can use the instructions above to install it. If you prefer to wait, we recommend you check back here once in a while. If you do download the beta version, you can always uninstall it later and then reinstall the official version when it comes out. If you have a device running Android Oreo and have administrative rights, you should see the beta version of Google Go appear as an option in your app drawer. If not, you can download the leaked version of Google Go.
Limitations of Google Go
We don’t know exactly when Google will make the official version of Google Go available to the public, but we do know that the beta version has certain limitations. You won’t be able to take advantage of the beta version’s feature that lets you save documents to your device, for example. The full version of Google Go will let you do this, but the beta won’t. The beta version of Google Go also won’t let you save or bookmark web pages for later reading. You can only read them aloud. You also can’t access your browsing history, view saved items, or use incognito mode. These features should all be available when the full version of Google Go goes live.
Bottom line
Google Go is a lightweight version of Google Search that helps you find documents on your device by simply typing in a query. If you have administrative rights and are already logged into a Gmail account, you can use it right away. Otherwise, you’ll need to download a leaked version of the app and sign up for the beta. We don’t know when Google will make the full version of Google Go available, but we do know that the beta version has certain limitations. Make sure to check back here once in a while to see if the full version has come out.
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