Just yesterday, we briefly touched upon a Google Search update that brought the ability to search within apps directly from within Google Search. This update, which is gradually being rolled out to end-user devices, has the potential to make Google Search significantly more powerful. Rather than having to open an application to search within the app, Google Search can now act more like global search.
Unfortunately, there are a few limitations with Google’s first party offering. First of all, there are only a few apps that are compatible with this new functionality. Some of the biggest partners so far include IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia, and a few others—though support can be added through the Content Provider API similar to what Senior Recognized Developer AdamOutler did not too long ago. The integration also still requires users to manually select the desired action from the Google Search results.
Luckily, XDA Senior Member MohammadAG came up with a solution to both of the above issues. The fix comes in the form of a third-party Google Search API that can be installed via XDA Recognized Developer rovo89‘s Xposed Framework. When installed, the API allows developers to create and run plugins that react to certain searches made in the Google Search app. A practical example demonstrating song lyrics functionality can be found on YouTube.
While MohammadAG’s API requires both Xposed Framework and this Xposed module to be installed, it also offers greater freedom and potential to interested app developers. End-users, as well as developers looking to integrate this functionality into their own apps, should head over to the module thread to get started.