If you like the Bing search service, today is a good day for you. Microsoft has released a major update to their Android app for the service and it is all-but a new app. With a new User Interface, dramatically improved local search functionality and improved categories, the new Bing app is going to impress.
The first and most noticeable in the app is the UI. Bing now has a much cleaner experience with the popular Bing wallpaper in the background that changes daily, then large buttons for things like Search (in the middle of the UI), News, Movies, Restaurants and others along the bottom. It is very easy to navigate to something you are interested in searching within the app and once you tap a section, you get an immersive experience into that section.
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For example, if you go into Movies, you will see a list of movies that are in theaters now, a section on what is hot on Netflix and Amazon Prime as well as popular movies in particular categories like Drama or Action. Tap on a movie and you will get information about the movie along with ratings from IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes.
Other key tabs that have seen improvements are the Near Me and Restaurant sections. Both provide you with information about restaurants in the area and near you along with ratings while the Near Me section also provides you local attractions and other information. This is particularly handy if you are visiting a city for the first time and are looking for things to do.
Finally there is the pull-down section at the bottom of the Bing app which gives you quick access to your local weather, news and other stories. Just swipe up from the bottom of your device to see these for a quick summary of events that are going on around the world or in your area.
While Google remains the top search service, Bing is gaining momentum and with this improvement to their app for Android, it is certainly worth the free download to have a look and give it a try.