Five things you probably didn’t know you can do with Google

Google specifically builds its platforms and products to be globally relevant.

Users in Nigeria also have access to these products, which will help them access information with ease.

Here are five cool things you can do with Google that you probably didn’t know about.

1. Chat or send SMS in any language…including in Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa

If you are like most Nigerians, then you probably have a grandma, uncle or family member that prefers to read messages in either Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa. Did you know that Google can help you communicate with them in these languages and more? The next time you need to type a message on SMS, Whatsapp or any other messaging app, simply click on the Google ‘G’ logo on your keyboard, and click on the translate icon and let Gboard do the translation for you. Gboard is a new keyboard from Google for your Android or iPhone and It has all the things you would expect from a great keyboard — GIFs, emojis, and Glide Typing — plus Google Search built in. No more app switching; just search and send, right from your keyboard.

If Gboard isn’t installed on your phone, you can download it from the Apple store or the Android Play store.

 2. Find information on Health Conditions

Remember the last time you searched on Google for health information? Maybe a co-worker shook your hand and later found out she had pink eye, so you looked up “pink eye” to see whether it’s contagious. Or maybe you were worried about a loved one down with malaria. By simply typing in ‘Malaria’, Google will show you health panels with information on malaria symptoms and treatments. Google has health knowledge panels available for over 800 common diseases and ailments. This is now accessible to Nigerians and Google has partnered with the University of Ibadan to ensure that answers are reviewed by Nigerian doctors.

3. Get a list and times for movies showing at the cinema near you

It’s friday and you want to spend the evening watching a movie with that special someone. Challenge is you don’t know what movies are showing at the cinema. No problem. Just ask Google. How? Just type ‘what movies are showing at the Ikeja mall’ into Google, and Google will give a list of movies showing at Ikeja mall, plus the times those movies are showing. And if you are in Ikeja, simple check for the movies showing at the cinema close to you. It works the same way. But hey, don’t take my word for it, try it out yourself!

4. Find information on Nollywood movies

Interested in finding out information about that Nollywood movies? No problem with that. Make Google do the selection for you, type the name of the ‘nollywood movie into search and let Google give you all the information, including the actors. Easy peasy!

5. Get more details on what your favourite musician, movie or sport star is up to

With Posts on Google, entertainers and businesses can share visible updates directly to Google. This means you get your favourite star’s live update alongside your search results when you Google them.

Google announced the availability of Google Posts in Nigeria at Google for Nigeria, on 27 July.

Posts makes it possible for musicians, entertainers and other public figures to share updates, images and videos directly on Google, for people to see while they explore on the web. Nigeria is the third country where we’ve made this feature available and some of the country’s popular musicians are already using it.

Posts has been available for limited use since January 2016, initially only for US Presidents, then for some businesses, and, from March 2017, for all business that use Google My Business (except hotels & B&Bs), public figures, celebrities and things like movies, museums and sports teams. It is available in the US, Brazil and Nigeria.

Google Posts allow businesses and individuals to create posts that show up in the knowledge panel on Google Search and Google Maps. So, for example, if you search for the Nigerian music star Bez, you may see something like the below:

Posts expire after a week, unless they are event-based, in which case they expire after the event date.