Google is reportedly developing a new app which will detect and automatically log users into available wireless networks.
Sources inside the company told Engadget that Google has developed Android and iOS versions of an app that is able to automatically connect to free Wi-Fi hotspots, like those inside Starbucks stores, via a user’s Google Account. The search engine giant took over from AT&T as the Starbucks wireless network provider last year, offering a speedy connection to coffee drinkers in the company’s 7,000 branches across the US.
To ensure users remain secure, the app would install a dedicated security certificate on their device to automatically authenticate devices when a connection is available.
The app is reportedly currently being tested by Google, with a view to rolling out the service later this year.
The sources also claim that Google has “specific plans” to roll out more Google Wi-Fi hotspots in the US and Canada as part of the ongoing Google Wi-Fi effort it first launched at its headquarters in 2006.
Google announced this week that it is extending the roll-out of its superfast Fibre wireless network to a further 34 cities across the US. This follows a successful trial period in which the company’s networks were installed in three initial cities, as Google looks to establish itself as a major player in the wireless industry.
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