Google announced today the launch of My Ramadan Companion, a digital hub that integrates Google’s best technology like YouTube, Play, Maps and Search. The hub will offer customized local information throughout the month of Ramadan with features that include sunset time in a given country, popular shows on YouTube, cooking tutorials, traffic status and calendar planning.
As part of the My Ramadan Companion experience and for the very first time, Google is releasing locally designed Google Now Cards dedicated to the holy month. Google Now is a feature within the Google Search mobile application that automatically organizes information into simple mobile-friendly cards, which provide information, updates and assistance throughout the day.
Ramadan Google Now Cards work based on preferences of users who can control the information they receive by managing their settings. The hub is available in five languages: English, Arabic, Turkish, Bahasa Indonesian and Bahasa Malaysian.
My Ramadan Companion will also aggregate local content on YouTube from more than 15 content creators across Saudi, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and more. It will feature trending YouTube content from drama series, comedy sketches, health tips, delicious food recipes and more.
Google Play will feature a special section for mobile applications that users might need during Ramadan, including cooking, lifestyle and communication apps. It will also feature special discounts on many of its paid apps and games within the Play Store.
“We know how important it is for people who celebrate Ramadan to spend time with their loved ones,” Zain Kamal Masri, Product Marketing Manager at Google MENA, said. “We hope that ‘My Ramadan Companion’ can take care of the little things that occupy people’s daily lives like managing their day, so that they focus on the things that really matter to them.”
We asked Masri to epxlain more about the features and Google usage in general during Ramadan:
What is the main idea of My Ramadan Companion?
Ramadan is not a normal holiday or event, as it span across 30 days. Users’ habits tend to get disrupted and change, rush hours change, work hours change and opening hours change. Users have different needs.
As technology and connectivity becomes more common, users have been utilizing technology to address some of those changes, and at Google we think we can help a little more. Highlighting the key information, tips and content that users tend to search for during Ramadan, we can help you know rush hours and traffic status as they happen (depending on your area), get sunset time to help you manage your own schedule, get inspired with trending recipes from around you and catch up on the latest Ramadan drama or comedy episodes.
Not to mention, with more users coming online over the past years, we wanted to highlight the wealth of what the web can offer, and showcasing the many great content partners and tools users can access to manage their daily life. When you go to google.com/ramadan, you are presented with a variety of actions and content from across the spectrum.
Google has always been a big supporter of diversity, and this serves as another example of Google using its vast technology, knowledge and resources to include everyone in the world’s knowledge and sharing.
How does it help users during Ramadan?
My Ramadan Companion gives the users customized and locally relevant information, tips and other content, highlighting the richness of what the web can offer during Ramadan around them.
They can find out the sunset time in their location and plan their day accordingly, check out the traffic in their area, navigate to the closest charity Iftar, find and share recipes, and enjoy Ramadan content on YouTube, ranging from drama series and comedy sketches to health tips and staying fit during the 30 days of fasting.
Is it available on smartphones only?
My Ramadan Companion is available via a browser; you can access it via desktop, mobile (smartphones and feature phones) and tablets. Ramadan specific Google Now cards are only available via the Google Search app and the Google Play listings and offers are only on Android.
What is different about Google Now during Ramadan?
During Ramadan, Google Now will offer brief, timely information that the user would need (depending on location and availability), from predicting the new rush hour during Ramadan to reminders for sunset and trending recipes and YouTube content around them.
Has Google launched any regional specific products before or is this the first time?
This is not region specific nor it is a product. This is a campaign aimed to empower communities to utilize the power of technology to enable better experiences during their day and thus spending more time with their families. The Ramadan campaign is available worldwide and in many languages and customized content.
What are the most Googled terms related to Ramadan/during Ramadan?
Terms related to cooking, time to sunset and Ramadan series do spike. You can find more terms by exploring our Google trends tool.
What cool Google doodles can we expect this Ramadan?
Stay tuned! We don’t usually announce doodles in advance, thus keep checking your local friendly Google homepage.
What other special features is Google planning for Ramadan?
Google Now will trigger relevant information and tips and content based on your location and time of day, plus tons of special discounts on apps and games in Google Play.
Can you give us any insight into Google traffic during Ramadan? Peak times? Differences by country/region?
Using Google Trends, you can get a good insight about users trends and how they are using Google.
During Ramadan, as work hours are shorter in the region, we see an increase of mobile usage, and as users stay up late, we see more queries coming during the night and even early morning, where we see spikes in usage, which is due to the shift in the users’ daily timeline.
WE SAID THIS: Check out My Ramadan Companion here!