Yahoo Aviate Adds New Smart Stream But Still Needs Breakout Features

The latest feature upgrade to Yahoo’s Android launcher and smart assistant Aviate is called “Smart Stream.” It’s a personally relevant and context-aware content feed throughout the day:

Now Aviate assembles relevant information front and center so you can take action right away. The Smart Stream adjusts the content it surfaces throughout your day, based on where you are and what you’re doing, allowing us to guide you to the information you want. And, the Smart Stream becomes smarter and more personalized as you use it.

I’m a fan of Aviate and its potential to drive engagement and search queries for Yahoo. I was an early user (prior to the acquisition) and I used Aviate quite a bit but later stopped because I felt it wasn’t sufficiently differentiated from Google Now and I preferred aspects of Google Now.

Indeed, Aviate is effectively Google Now’s fraternal twin. And that’s the problem: it’s not different enough. There may be areas where Aviate offers a superior experience in context — such as the launching of music apps when users plug in headphones — but those features are not entirely obvious to non users.

Google Now is the default on Android devices and so users need to be convinced to install and use Aviate. I would love to see features and capabilities that made Aviate a clear choice over Google Now. But they’re not there yet.

About The Author

Greg Sterling

Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes about the connections between digital and offline commerce. He previously held leadership roles at LSA, The Kelsey Group and TechTV. Follow him Twitter or find him on LinkedIn.