46
submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

For a search company I can't believe how terrible the Android app search is. I can't even search "bank" for my banking apps, and there doesn't really seem to be any metadata except for the title that goes into the search. Which is absolutely ridiculous given how many companies name their apps something cReAtIvE like "home" or "Resideo" or "Smart Hq." I just want to search GE for the damn GE app. Or "thermostat" for Resideo. Surely there's something beyond surface level here because obviously this is an extensively solved problem. How is there not metadata or description searching at minimum? My only guess is fear of abuse but Google has definitely dealt with that for their entire existence and up until recently, managed to handle it fine.

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[-] [email protected] 15 points 2 months ago

The search is not designed to help you. It is designed to show sponsored apps and other results, so there is a better chance for Google's profit.

[-] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago

When have you seen ads in the launcher?

[-] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

In colorOS smartphones. The default launcher shows ads when you use their search function. Fortunately, this special search can be disabled.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Not on any pixel or Samsung phones.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Wrong search 🤦‍♂️

[-] [email protected] 15 points 2 months ago

I'm not sure if that helps you, but there are plenty of search focused launchers for android that let you add keywords as tags to apps as well like KISS Launcher and Kvaesitso

[-] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

+1 for KISS You can even use Tags.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

KISS on minimal mode is the GOAT

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Kvaesitso search is pretty bad. It's unable to find the F-droid app when searching "fdroid".

[-] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

Cannot confirm. If I type in anything between "fdr" and "fdroid" it brings up F-droid for me.

[-] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I'd love to have tags on apps. So many apps have a simple minimalistic name on the app, which is impossible to remember. I make do by renaming the app with terms I might search by.

ex. "Authenticator Microsoft", or "Vancollect City Garbage Trash Recycling"

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

kiss launcher has tags

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

I'd just go with 2fa, but I guess if you wanna type out city garbage trash recycling for Microsoft auth go ahead

[-] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

My favorite is when you type part of a word and it doesn't even show all the matching apps, just a few at random

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Or then you type the next letter of the word and the result you want goes away, but only after you're milliseconds from tapping it.

this post was submitted on 14 May 2024
46 points (92.6% liked)

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