Apple may have done its level best to minimise the impact of Google-made apps on iOS by ditching the YouTube and Google Maps from the core iOS experience, but in doing so may have created a monster that’s eating up iOS from the inside out.
A new version of the Google Chrome browser for iOS app now enables users to open links content natively within other Google applications like Maps, Google Drive, Google Plus and YouTube, rather than within the browser.
So, for example, when users can click on a link to Google Maps within a browser page they can select from a tab giving them the option to open in Google Maps “Just Once” or “Always.”
As you’d expect, selecting the later will automatically open Google Maps next time you tap a link for a Maps page within Chrome. The same goes for YouTube and the other Google apps listed above.
In effect, what that means is that Google has set up its own inter-linked ecosystem of applications within iOS that allows users to easily circumnavigate staple iOS apps like Safari, Apple Maps and more.
Other improvements to the app includes the ability to hold down the back button to see other pages visited using a particular tab. There’s also a full screen mode for iPad users and new data compression tech which reduces the amount of mobile data consumed when using the app.
The free update is available to download from the App Store now.
Do you find yourself using Google-based apps more often than not on your iPhone or iPad? Has Google Managed to set up its own little empire within iOS? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
