14 DAY TRIAL // Google has been updating many of its main applications lately, as the company prepares for the release of its next Android OS version, Nougat 7.0. The company has also decided to do the same thing for its titular app, the Google app, which was originally known as “Search.”
The Google app incorporates a launcher, the Now stream, Now on Tap, and voice commands. Google's Assistant will also be integrated into the Google app, as Android Police has found during the APK teardown of version 6.2 of the Google app.
Google has made voice commands a fundamental component for both the Maps app and Android Auto, and it is now looking to improve voice commands and will provide three choices for hotword detection. The options include Google Maps, Android Auto or both. The feature could allow users to enable Ok Google only when active, so it wouldn't be active on any screen.
Google announced Assistant just recently, and it seems that the feature was spotted in the Google app v6.2. The new Assistant feature will allow users to make queries and get answers even after asking multiple questions. It will be a competitor to Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri. Google Assistant is expected to come integrated into Google Home and Allo, set to launch later this year.
Aside from this, Google has made some new changes to the preferences screens in the Google App, and a line for Google Assistant has been added in the settings screen. Version 6.2.27 beta of the Google App is available for download as an APK.