Introducing Nearby: A new way to discover the things around you

The Play Store offers over one million apps - many of which are created to be used in specific locations or situations. The right app at the right moment lets you get more done. For example, at a store, you may want a barcode scanner to check prices and reviews for an item. Or when you're at a museum, an audio tour would enhance the experience as you make your way around the exhibits.

But, getting the right apps at the right time can be tough if you don’t already know about them. So, we're introducing a new Android feature called Nearby, which notifies you of of things that can be helpful near you.

For example:

Print photos directly from your phone at CVS Pharmacy.
Explore historical landmarks at the University of Notre Dame.
Download the audio tour when you're at The Broad in LA.
Skip the customs line at select airports with Mobile Passport.
Download the United Airlines app for free in-flight entertainment while you wait at the gate, before you board your flight.

Select Google devices, including Google Cast and Android Wear watches, will also let you set them up simply by tapping a notification when you're near them.

Earlier this year, we started experimenting with surfacing websites relevant to a place in Chrome through the Physical Web project. In addition to displaying relevant apps, Nearby will surface these websites directly from Android. To deploy your own beacons that work with Nearby, check out our developer blog post.

To use Nearby, just turn on Bluetooth and Location, and we'll show you a notification if a nearby app or website is available. Once you’ve opted-in, tapping on a notification takes you straight into the intended experience. If you're not interested, just swipe it away to give us a clear signal.

Nearby has started rolling out to users as part of the upcoming Google Play Services release and will work on Android 4.4 (KitKat) and above.