Google search: Android app now saves queries if you have bad signal and produces results when internet returns

Google claims it minimally impacts data usage and won't drain your battery

The feature is only available on the latest version of the Google app on Android (REUTERS/Morris Mac Matzen - RTSHOA0)

Google has announced an update to its search app for Android, designed to make spotty connections easier to deal with.

Whether on a rural road, in a train tunnel or a lift, we’ve all tried to perform a Google search in an area with patchy mobile signal, proceeding to land on a broken page instead of that familiar blue and white list of results.

Until now, the only course of action had been to wait for your phone’s signal bars to fill up before performing the search again.

However, the latest version of the Google app on Android saves your search queries whenever you have no signal, automatically delivering your results as soon as it detects a connection again.

It’s a slick solution that should save your eyeballs from lengthy periods spent glaring at your phone’s signal bars.

“And if you’re worried about data charges or preserving battery life, don’t fret,” wrote Google product manager Shekhar Sharad in a blog post announcing the new feature.

“This feature won’t drain your battery, and by fetching streamlined search results pages, it minimally impacts data usage.”

Any pending searches sit in the ‘Manage Searches’ section of the app’s hamburger menu, and you can clear them as you see fit.