Google appears to be quietly formulating a new strategy for China where the bulk of its services still remain blocked by the country’s great firewall. The company has launched its popular Files Go file management app for Android devices in the country. The app was originally developed for India where budget Android smartphones are at the top of the smartphone market but the app received so much interest that Google eventually released it to all users across the globe. The U.S. now happens to be the third-largest market for its Files Go app. Google has now brought the app to millions of Android users in China.
This is the third Google product to go live in China recently after ARCore and Google Translate. Since Google’s own Play Store is restricted in China, the company has launched the app through four third-party app stores in the country. It recently rolled out ARCore to China as well in a partnership with Xiaomi.
The app will help users manage the storage limits of their device by suggesting files that they should delete if they’re running low on space. The app will also let users find files and share them to local devices without an internet connection.
The strategy to select third-party apps stores for the launch will help Google get a better understanding of the app landscape in the country where the Play Store remains banned. It’s distributing the Files Go app through Tencent, Xiaomi, Baidu, and Huawei app stores in China.
Filed in . Read more about Apps and Google. Source: techcrunch