If you live in a major metropolitan area, accessing public Wi-Fi is likely part of your daily routine. The only problem with public Wi-Fi is the exhaustive, unavoidable login process, but one of the biggest tech companies in the world is trying to simplify the process with a new app. Engadget reports that Google is working on an app for Android and iOS devices that will “automatically authenticate and connect to its free hotspots inside Starbucks stores or wherever they are available.”
Google has already begun its takeover of Starbucks franchises all around the country by replacing AT&T as the official Wi-Fi provider of the popular coffee shop, but logging into a Google hotspot still requires authentication. According to Engadget, the new app could retain your Google account information between sessions, logging you in automatically the next time your phone detects a hotspot.
The release of the app could be a long way off — it might never even see the light of day — but it would be an incredible opportunity for Google to take complete control of the public Wi-Fi infrastructure. Simplifying the process of getting online could put Google at the top of yet another field.
