Cover lands on Google Play Store

The contextually aware lockscreen app, which always offers users the right app, at the right time, is finally out of private testing and is ready for the masses.

The contextually aware lockscreen app, which always offers users the right app, at the right time, is finally out of private testing and is ready for the masses.

Cover garnered a lot of media attention when it was first announced back in October. An app that learns a user's behavior patterns and that understands whether he or she is driving, at the office or at home, it automatically loads shortcuts to the most suitable apps on a device's lockscreen so that they are at the user's fingertips.

So for example, at work, the calendar, LinkedIn and Evernote could be in swiping distance, while in the car, Google Maps is front and center. At home, it could be the sports results, Facebook and Twitter. And as well as the right apps, Cover adjusts a phone's settings in relation to the context -- so turn off the ringer while at work or disable the ability to make and receive calls altogether while driving.

Since the initial announcement, the app has been in a private, invitation-only beta testing phase; but six weeks later it has made its debut on the Google Play Store for mass download, albeit still in beta form. And, according to the company, it has undergone over 100 minor improvements and alterations including the addition of tutorials and greater customization.

The latest data shows that the average smartphone owner has 41 apps installed on their handset, and that doesn't include the third party apps that are pre-installed by manufacturers and network operators.

And as the number of apps continues to grow, trying to find the right one, in a hurry, is getting more and more difficult, especially for owners of devices with smaller, sub-4.5-inch screens. And while Cover is still in the testing phase, don't be surprised if it or something very similar to it soon becomes a standard feature on a number of Android phones.