# Android phone lousy search results **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-lousy-search-results/669901 "2013-09-29T04:11:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zephyr9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9fc348/32.png) [@zephyr9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zephyr9)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-lousy-search-results/669901/1 "2013-09-29T04:11:24Z")
Why are the internet search results on my android phone (Samsung Exhibit) so inferior to the search results on my computer? I like to listen to albums on video from youtube, and when I search for those same albums on my phone, it either doesn’'t give me the same good selection of search results, or, if I am finally able to locate the album, by maybe switching to bing instead of Google, perhaps, it lets me listen to it once. Then if I leave the page and go back again to it, when I click on to it I get a black screen that says the content owner has not made this video available on mobile. My son’s friend gets the albums on his phone just fine. He has a nokia smart phone and uses Sprint. My son said it’s a Windows phone and thats why, but can’t explain any further. I’m bummed out that I can’t hear the albums. Can someone help me understand this. And is there anything I can do to enable what I am looking for, with this phone? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-lousy-search-results/669901/2 "2013-09-29T06:10:31Z")
Easy solution: Subscribe to [Google Play All Access music for $10 a month](https://play.google.com/about/music/) and you can listen to any song you want without having to look for a video. Spotify also offers something similar. Long answer: Music content owners are greedy and evil and want to dictate how and when you can listen to music. It’s their terms. Windows Phone uses a different browser, one that the content owners probably haven’t decided to block. It’s such a small percentage (\<2%) that they’re pretty much irrelevant, whereas Android owns like more than half of all smartphones so it’s an easy target. You can try a different browser altogether, or request “Desktop Mode” from your current one, to see if that changes the licensing issues. ---
**Author:** ![zephyr9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9fc348/32.png) [@zephyr9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zephyr9)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-lousy-search-results/669901/3 "2013-09-29T18:53:28Z")
I adapt to new technology kicking and screaming. I just got Rhapsody. I didn’t even know what music streaming was till 10:00 this morning, like almost 50% of everyone else over 50. It doesn’t get the Beatles, but it’s still good. Thanks for your reply and as a matter of fact, putting it in desktop mode does seem to make a difference. Hard to believe I was going through all that hit and miss, using youtube as my music source, when there’s streaming music! ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-lousy-search-results/669901/4 "2013-09-29T19:21:51Z")
Are you searching through Google Now, or the built-in browser, or Chrome, or through the YouTube app, or some other method? In my experience, searching through Google Now, the results are comparable to what I get on a desktop browser, assuming I’m logged on to my Google account from both. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-lousy-search-results/669901/5 "2013-09-29T19:25:14Z")
I agree with what **Reply** wrote above. Also, keep in mind that Google Search gives results that match your habits/preferences/location across all their products (GMail, YouTube, etc.). If you have a GMail or YouTube account, make sure you’re logged into the same account on the PC and the Android phone. ETA: In other words, what **scr4** said. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-lousy-search-results/669901/6 "2013-09-29T19:26:53Z")
p.s. If you’re specifically looking for a YouTube clip, just open the YouTube app and use its search function. ---
**Author:** ![snuffleupagus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@snuffleupagus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snuffleupagus)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-lousy-search-results/669901/7 "2013-09-29T21:12:17Z")
I have noticed in both the Apple and Android youtube apps I get weird results. If I search for a particular song the official version is usually first at least, but after that I get all kinds of obscure live versions and covers that may only have a few hundred views, whereas on youtube on my browser (laptop/PC) it is arranged basically in order of popularity- the official version first but then popular live versions, like if it was on SNL, or frequently viewed versions with lyrics, etc.