Google today announced a big new feature for Android feature called Nearby, and it’s a little different than that sharing feature called Nearby that Google introduced last year.
With the new Nearby, you’ll receive push notifications on your Android phone that will help you easily get apps that’ll be useful in the situation that you’re in. For example, you’ll be able to get the CVS Pharmacy app to help you print photos while you’re at a CVS Pharmacy. You could also get the United Airlines app for free in-flight entertainment while you’re at the gate waiting to board your flight.
To use Nearby, you’ll need to have Bluetooth and Location services enabled on your phone. You’ll get a notification when a Nearby app or website is available, and after opting in, you can tap a notification to go directly to whatever it is the Nearby beacon wants you to see. You can also swipe the notification away if you’re not interested and then go about your day.
Nearby works with Eddystone Beacons, so a store or whatever else will need to have those installed in order to get Nearby to work. Once they do, they can configure those beacons to point to a web page or a specific experience in an app.
Nearby can also be used with select Google devices to make it easy to set them up. For example, Google Cast devices and Android Wear watches can pop up a notification on your phone to let you quickly get them set up.
Google says that Nearby has already started to roll out to users as part of a new Google Play Services release. It’ll work with devices running Android 4.4 and up.