Google app goes UWP - quietly include many apps like YouTube, Maps, Photo, Drive

[ananve]

Today, I have found out that Google has updated their official Google app as UWP.

I do not know when they did this but seeing the description was still the same, I guessed it was changed recently.

So, now you can use their services on 5 platforms. See the photo here:



The Google UWP is pretty impressive because it includes most of their app suites like YouTube, Google Maps, Google Photo, Google Drive, etc. all in this one app.



As UWP app, the performance in opening and switching pages inside the app is pretty impressive. Although it looks like a web wrapper, that seems like a good start to me. At least Google does not totally ignore Windows platform as much like they used to do. :excited::excited:

 

[Boris NevermorE]

That's good, but i never understood web wrappers. Why you need them when you can do the same on Edge, Monument or BlueSky browsers? Why taking space on your phone installing an app which is a web wrapper, right?

 

[Drael646464]

I just searched for this in the store, on my phone and PC - I swear it used to be there on my PC, but I can't see any sign of it.

Not that I want it, I was just curious

 

[MDK22]

I searched also (on Phone & PC) ...
Can't find what you reference.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I just searched for this in the store, on my phone and PC - I swear it used to be there on my PC, but I can't see any sign of it.

Not that I want it, I was just curious

It's there. Of course in a MS store, a search for the exact spelling of the app puts it on page 3 or 4 of the results. Nah, there's no feuding

 

[Doug_M]

Nah, there's no feuding

DOS ain't done 'till Lotus won't run!

I couldn't find it in the store app and had to google from the browser. Sure enough it was there.

 

[ananve]

It is very well hidden!
Try this link from my library~

https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...oogle%2F9wzdncrfj2gk%3Frtc%3D1&token=-OlMgma9

 

[ananve]

DOS ain't done 'till Lotus won't run!

I couldn't find it in the store app and had to google from the browser. Sure enough it was there.

That's Windows store for you. What I did was typing 'Google' and then scroll through pages for a loooonggggg time until I find it. It's there, well hidden.

 

[T Moore]

I found it. Says it is just for PC.
You probably cant find it because the default search is for all devices. Have to switch to PC. Even then it is on the second page.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/google/9wzdncrfj2gk

 

[libra89]

Hmm that's really interesting. I'm very curious now.

 

[nate0]

Will give it a whirl again to see what is going on with it.

Update: is not able to run on my 950XL, but I have it in my library now. x86 x64 only still. Wonder when they will add the ARM support? Mobile is listed as a supported device in the description Available on

 

[Drael646464]

Will give it a whirl again to see what is going on with it.

Update: is not able to run on my 950X, but I have it in my library now. x86 x64 only still. Wonder when they will add the ARM support? Mobile is listed as a supported device in the description Available on

Yeah I see some people put in the wrong supported devices by mistake, but it didn't use to have all those, so they have been added. Only a web wrapper, but its kind of curious. Wonder whats going on here....

 

[nate0]

That's Windows store for you. What I did was typing 'Google' and then scroll through pages for a loooonggggg time until I find it. It's there, well hidden.

It has a handful of ratings only from what I saw. Looks to be untouched by users for quite some time too.

 

[dov1978]

Pretty sure this is an old WP8 app that's still hanging around. It's not UWP

 

[nate0]

How do you tell the difference from just looking at the store? Or what is the real way to make the judgement whether it is a UWP app or not?

 

[Boris NevermorE]

first sign is if it's available for both PC and Mobile and holo lens, xbox, etc.

 

[nate0]

^^Thanks. That is what I figured. Since it lists available for it (mobile/holo lens) but unsupported in the latter details, I wanted to make sure we knew if this was in fact UWP just not downloadable from the store on other platforms.

 

[ananve]

My analysis on the chronology of this app is like this:
- Google has Windows 8 Search app for PC only.
- Google updated it to UWP, extended the availability to 5 platforms
- Google forgot to update the app description!
- Google also forgot to update the requirement section to make it actually available to 5 platforms

My take on Microsoft:
- Why Microsoft somehow allow an app to be available for mobile but allow the requirement of 'X86, X64' is beyond me. Some validation criteria must be added to make sure this does not happen.

 

[nate0]

I tried looking for the cache install package, but only found the metadata and xml files under the windowsapps folder. Figured I would copy it to my phone or see for myself if it really was missing the supporting files necessary for the other platforms.

 

[ThePyrobri]

Doesn't work like that from my experience.
I have submitted apps to all platforms and they actually are tested on every one of them.
My latest submission was rejected for xbox, and as I don't have an xbox set up for dev at home right now I can't test/fix it so I had to resubmit without xbox ticked on the supported list.
So they must test on every device you submit an app for..