How to check out Google's new Instant Apps on your phone or tablet

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Google's Instant Apps premise is simple - you have to be able to open and use apps from anywhere, without having to get them installed first. They look similar to web links, but the Instant Apps execution is riddled with technical difficulties if you want the action to be tailored to your account, that is why Google is just rolling those out now, after announcing them last spring.

To achieve immediate usage, what Android does is simply download only the necessary bits of the code and assets (such as images and fonts, etc.) for that specific location within the app, not the whole thing. In essence, you're doing nothing less than streaming apps to your device, like some online gaming services do. It's an elegant solution, if Google can pull it off, and one that has the potential to seriously alter the way we think about, and experience mobile apps. Not so fast, though, as for now the service is rolling out as a testing batch to some users only, and with a limited number of apps that are reworked to support it. Here's what you need to do to check if you can get a glimpse of the future of apps on your device:

1. Go to Settings>Google on your phone or tablet;

2. Find the Instant apps menu, turn the switch on, and agree on the terms of service for the account of your choice;

3. There are currently four options that support the format - Wish, BuzzFeed, Periscope and Viki - try you luck and search for Wish first, as it seems the most reliable for now;

4. Upon search, you will be presented with an option to use Wish as an Instant App, right after the Play Store link, tap on that, and start using Wish immediately without installation.

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