If you’re a Bing Search user, hold onto your hats. Microsoft has debuted a major update for the Android version of its Bing Search app, offering a “whole new look” to the tool and some pretty cool augmented reality features.
The new version of the app now integrates augmented reality with its Near Me-Camera Search tab, which allows you to point your smartphone camera at the world, and find results about the world around you. You can search by image, voice, photos, or barcodes.
Furthermore, the app certainly appears much more aesthetically pleasing than it has in the past. With a simplified interface, using Search could be a lot easier — plus, Microsoft has done away with that loud teal-colored design that was first rolled out in the iOS version of the app back in 2015. While Android users have only been using that particular design since February 2016, it seems that Microsoft decided it has been long enough.
There are also improved location-aware features, which is meant to make the process of finding local companies and services a bit more straightforward. Bing Search also has newly-enhanced shopping search features.
“Find when new movies are showing and get tickets, and know what films are available and trending on your favorite streaming services,” Bing notes on its new app description. “Explore restaurants and book a table, and discover offers, discounts, and coupons at shops near you.”
Also new is the ability to search for animated GIFs on Bing Search. Finally, you’re able to keep tabs on trending GIFs and save them, and you’ll also have quick access to other images, videos, and search results.
Bing has also improved its customizability, which means you can now set your individual preferences when it comes to font style, size, and background. Hopefully, that will lead to a better reading experience, regardless of what device you’re using. And of course, Bing says that it has fixed a number of bugs, and improved the speed and performance of the app overall.
The updated app is now available on the Google Play Store, where you download Bing Search for free.
