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This could be the best thing that ever happened to Google Now… or the worst

Published Mar 17th, 2015 10:18AM EDT
Google Now Developer API

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Despite not being as talkative as its competing virtual assistants, Google Now is one of the best tools available for mobile and desktop users. Unfortunately, its functionality is limited a few select apps at the moment, but that might be changing sooner rather than later.

RELATED: Expect Google to panic like crazy if Apple switches the iPhone’s default search engine

The Next Web reports that Aparna Chennapragada, Director of Product Management for Google Now, told attendees at SXSW that Google is planning to release an open API for Google Now in the future, allowing any developers to build Google Now functionality into their apps.

When asked how Google Now would determine which apps to pull data from, in a case where multiple apps are providing the same data, Chennapragada said that app usage patterns will determine which apps comes out on top. So if you find yourself using WeatherBug more often than AccuWeather, that’s the app that Google Now will use as well… at least, that’s the plan.

Depending on how well Google can manage an endless influx of new apps that take advantage of Google Now, this could either be the best or the worst thing to ever happen to the service.

Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.