• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, February 5, 2016

After removing paid-search ads from its mobile app running on iOS devices in November 2015, Bing has introduced updates for iOS and Android focusing on giving users a better experience in its mobile search apps.

This means finding increasingly targeted information in less clicks and locating local products and services at a possible discount.

The app features for the iPhone and the Android include a barcode scanner that allows consumers to compare product prices from online catalogs of major retailers and an integration between Bing Local and GasBuddy that locates the least expensive local price for gasoline clearly sharpen the experience.

The focus on experience puts paid-search advertising on the back burner. In November, 2015, Bing admitted to removing ads from its iOS app in exchange for improving the experience for Bing app users. No word on whether native advertisements will find their way back in.

For now, Bing bets that experience will bring searchers to the app that now finds the lowest local gas price. Find it by searching on "gas" or go to "Near Me" and select the "Gas" bubble from the places-near-me carousel.

The barcode scanner launches by pressing the search icon and selecting the camera that pops out to find images of the item in its database and return prices and customer ratings from retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, and others. Older iPhones require a different approach. 

The feature also includes integrations with third-party aggregators and coupon hosts such as RetailMeNot, Groupon and DealsPlus. The feature, which automatically finds nearby deals, will become available in the Android app soon.