Google today updated its main Search application for the iPhone and added a widget for the home screen.
Yes we know technically iOS doesn’t support true home screen widgets but yes a notification panel. In order to make it work, a 3D Touch of the Search app brings up a “Trending on Google” widget directly on the screen with breaking news, trends, and hot topics. A quick press of any of the cards takes users to the content in question. The widget doesn’t support users’ customized Google cards, which are still located in the main Google app.
People interested in using the widget will need to turn it on manually in the app’s settings. Google added other 3D Touch actions, as well. A hard press on the Google app icon opens a set of quick search actions from the home screen, but it now also lets people start a new search from within the Google app itself. A hard press of the G button on the bottom of the screen opens a new search immediately, and a hard press on search results can provide a preview of the content before opening it fully.
The Google Search app also now works more seamlessly with Google’s GBoard keyboard for the iPhone. Google Search is free to download from the iTunes App Store.
