Google frees phone memory

Run out of space on your Android smartphone? Struggling to locate a file that you saved? Google just launched an app, Files Go, that will help free up space, find files in a jiffy. The file transfers are encrypted and could be as quick as 125 Mbps provided both the devices have the same app installed. Using its mobile vision technology, the app also suggests deletable files such as unused apps, duplicate files, low-resolution videos, memes or even ‘good morning’ WhatsApp messages.

So, what prompted Google to go live with an app the beta version of which it had launched in November? In a blogpost, Caesar Sengupta, vice president, Next Billion Users, Google explains: “Every day, millions of smartphones run out of space. While phones with 16GB or 32GB of storage are becoming more popular, many phones around the world have much less storage, often as low as 4GB. Users often struggle to keep on top of the storage space on their phones and are constantly having to choose between what to keep or delete.”

In the testing phase, Google analysed that the average Android phone user saves 1GB of space. The new app lets you backup selected files to the Google Drive or any cloud storage option. Available globally, Files Go can work with any Android device running Lollipop (5.0) or higher.

Google Go

To cater to internet users on low-end handsets, another app, Google Go has also gone live. Google services including Search, Voice Search, YouTube, GIFs, Maps and Translate are bundled under this app to give a unified experience. Also on offer are search trends and top Web stories.

Optimised for devices with less than 1GB of RAM, Google Go uses 40% less data to also offer access to Instagram, Facebook and CricBuzz. For smartphones, Google has proposed to launch Oreo Go.