Inside Search
The official Google Search blog
The Knowledge Graph for mobile and tablet search
May 16, 2012
Have you ever had a question pop into your head at an unexpected time? Maybe when you’re talking with a friend over lunch, watching TV at home, or reading a magazine on the bus? On smartphones and tablets Google is great for these types of situations because it puts the information of the entire web at your fingertips. Today, we’re making it even faster and easier to get answers and explore no matter where you are, with the
launch of the Knowledge Graph
on desktop, smartphones, and tablets.
On wireless networks and on small screens, every page load and every pixel matters when it comes to speed and ease-of-use. So we strive for efficiency and try to make the most of touch-based interactions when integrating information from Knowledge Graph into our mobile and tablet search experiences.
For example, say this fall I’m heading to Chicago for a friend’s wedding, and I’ve heard I should check out
Millennium Park
while I’m in town. A quick search on Google brings up Knowledge Graph information embedded within the results. This initial peek shows what people are often interested in about Millennium Park.
Tapping or swiping on the content from the Knowledge Graph instantly shows me more useful information. I can see if there’s an event going on while I’m in town, and get some ideas for other Chicago attractions I might want to visit based on what other people have searched for on Google.
When searching on my tablet, I can swipe the rows of images to explore more related content.
Now let’s take another example. Say I’m searching for [andromeda], which could be the
galaxy
, the
TV series
, or the
Swedish band
. The Knowledge Graph distinguishes between each of these meanings and shows me an interactive ribbon at the top of the search results that I can swipe and tap to select just what I’m looking for. That means less typing.
These features are currently rolling out to most Android 2.2+ and iOS4+ devices. On Android, the feature is available through Google in the browser and the Quick Search Box. On iOS, the feature is available in the browser and will be coming soon to the Google Search App.
Posted by Junyoung Lee, Engineering Manager
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