A new update to the Google WiFi app is rolling out in the Play Store today, bringing a somewhat minor change: App Shortcuts. The update is build BV10144 for those keeping score at home and should land on everyones account over the course of the next few days.
Once updated, you can long press the app icon and access to features of the Google WiFi app. First, you can test your Internet access to see your overall connection speed to your ISP. Second, you can open up the Family WiFi feature of the app, allowing you to quickly pause devices without having to jump through the menus within the app itself to do so.
From the Family WiFi section of the app, you can also block sites. This means that parents an with a few taps, block a site that they want to keep hidden from their children.
App Shortcuts in Google WiFi
App Shortcut support came into Android in Nougat 7.1 and while it has certainly seen more app developers leverage over the past year, it is certainly not on every app, including those from Google themselves.
Aside from this new feature, there isn’t much new to report in the app itself. There are a few bug fixes and stability improvements as you would expect but no new features.
If you are looking for a solid mess WiFi solution for your home, check out Google WiFi. Right now a 3-pack of access points is down to $288 on Amazon and that will cover up to a 4,500 square foot home.
