Skip to main content

Google plugs its Field Trip app into Google Now

google plugs field trip app now
Image used with permission by copyright holder
You may not be aware of Google’s Field Trip app, the travel discovery tool that shows points of interest wherever you happen to be. The app has been around since 2012 and has just been rolled into Google Now’s functionality, though it looks to be staying as a standalone app as well. If you’re a Google Now user, it means more recommendations of places to see while you’re on the move.

The original app is available for both Android and iOS and promises to be “your guide to the cool, hidden, and unique things in the world around you.” It has earned positive reviews since its release but has a userbase of thousands rather than millions at the moment. Perhaps its new role in Google Now will encourage its developers to devote more time and focus to the project.

Recommended Videos

Related: Google’s Field Trip is a mobile tour guide that fits comfortably in your pocket

The app covers all kinds of venues and uses your phone’s location to check for nearby attractions. Everything from gigs and local restaurants to historical sites and notable architecture is covered — there are even a smattering of local deals available through the app. Of course, this all ties in very neatly with Google Now’s mission to give you the most relevant information at any particular time in any particular place.

“When you’re traveling, you can always use a little extra help to learn more about a cool landmark, or to make sure you don’t miss the most interesting local architecture or public art,” Google said in a press release reported by BGR. “The Field Trip app from Google’s Niantic Labs was designed to allow people to discover the hidden and unique locations in the world around them — and now, when you’re traveling you’ll start seeing information from Field Trip in Google Now.”

The Field Trip features should be rolling out to Google Now on both Android and iOS (via the Google Search app) immediately.

David Nield
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…
Google is preparing a cool new feature for its Pixel Recorder app
The Voice Recorder app running on the Google Pixel 7 Pro.

Smartphones are great tools for voice recording, whether it’s a simple voice memo or even an interview. If you have a Pixel phone, then the Pixel Recorder app is about to get a lot more useful with a new “Clear Voice” feature discovered in the latest update's Android Package Kit (APK).

With Clear Voice, the Pixel Recorder app will “reduce background noise while recording for clearer speech playback.” Basically, it will keep human speech while removing unwanted and distracting background noise. The feature was found via 9to5Google in some strings in version 4.2.20241001.701169069 of the Pixel Recorder app.

Read more
Google’s dead Pixel Tablet 2 could have been a solid upgrade
The Google Pixel Tablet on its charging dock.

The fate of Google’s Pixel Tablet seems uncertain at this point, with multiple leaks suggesting that a successor was put on ice. It seems, however, that a Pixel Tablet 2 moved into advanced stages of development with some neat upgrades before it was unceremoniously axed.

The folks over at Android Authority, citing internal documents, report that the second-generation Pixel Tablet would’ve arrived armed with the Tensor G4 silicon, which also powers the Google Pixel 9 series smartphones. Google was also reportedly eyeing a cellular version with a Samsung Exynos 5G modem for the slate.

Read more
Your Google Photos app is about to look different. Here’s what’s changing
The Google Photos app on the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Google is implementing a small yet significant change to its popular Google Photos app. As first noted by 9to5Google, the app's "Memories" tab is being removed. Memories is an auto-organizing, scrapbook-like feature that utilizes artificial intelligence to create an AI-powered feed.

Since its release, the Memories tab has been in the bottom bar of the Google Photos app. The Memories tab is being replaced by Moments, which will reside inside the app's Collections tab. This is where you can find People & pets, Albums, Documents, and Places.

Read more