Google Search may soon get Recent tab and Lite mode
Google has spread its wings and taken on plenty of different product markets, but it is still king of Search and needs to make sure it doesn't get complacent in that space. So, Google Search has a couple new features in testing right now, including a Recent tab, an automatic Lite mode, and more...
A few users have seen some new Google Search features in testing and some look like they could add nice functionality. First is a new Recent tab in the left side slide-out menu, which as the name suggests would be an easy spot to find your most recent searches. There are ways to do that already, but having a central spot would be nice. Even better, the Recent tab would group together the pages you visited off of a certain search to make it easier to find results again.
Possibly a more useful feature for those who commute on subways and may lose internet connection, Google is also testing an Offline mode, which would save the searches you want to do while your connection is spotty and notify you when the search has completed after you're back online. This could definitely be nice on flights with bad Wi-Fi. As part of that, there is also a new Manage searches option to see the searches waiting to complete in the background and modify or delete them if you want.
Lastly, Google is testing a Lite mode for those with slow or limited data connections, which would serve up stripped-down results with no images or data-heavy content. By default, Lite mode would kick in when Google detects a slow or bad connection, but you would also be able to make sure it's on all the time, if you want to cut a bit of data usage, or turn it off completely.
These are all server-side changes, so Google could roll them out at any time, or dismiss any of the new features if they don't work out, so we'll keep an eye on it and let you know if any become official.
source: Android Police
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