The latest beta version of the Google app for Android has a few lines of code tucked inside that hint at upcoming features, according ton an analysis by 9to5Google.
Among other things, it looks like there may be Google Assistant could eventually add support for some new devices, the Continued Conversation feature that debuted last year could be coming to more languages, and it looks like there may be a new “Labs” option coming to the Google app.
Google has a history of letting users test experimental features in its products by enabling or disabling “labs” features. Those features may or may not eventually be deemed stable and useful enough to offer to all users… or they may be scrapped.
There used to be a Google Labs website that allowed users to try out new web apps and experiments. But Google shut it down in 2011. And there used to be a Labs section in Gmail that allowed you to do things like delay the delivery of email messages by a few seconds, giving you a chance to click “undo” before an email you hastily fired off goes out. But Gmail Labs isn’t available for regular users anymore (although G Suite customers can enable it).
All of which is to say, it’s unclear what kind of experimental features will be available to Android users once Google Labs goes live. For now, 9to5Google notes that it includes a “Pinch to Zoom in Search Results” feature — but that’s something you can already do using the Google app for Android.
I miss Google Labs. It was fun checking out experimental projects.