Recommending Native Applications

Abstract

In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes accessing, by a computer system, information that describes use of one or more computer-based services by a particular user from one or more computing devices that are associated with the particular user; identifying one or more native applications that are associated with the one or more services, wherein the one or more native applications are configured to be installed and executed by one or more types of mobile computing devices; determining whether to recommend the one or more native applications based on the information and one or more threshold levels of use of the one or more computer-based services; and providing, based on the determining, a recommendation that is associated with the particular user and that identifies at least one of the one or more native applications.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 accessing, by a computer system, information that identifies visits to a web site by a particular user from a computing device;   identifying, by the computer system, a native application that is configured to be installed and executed by mobile computing devices;   determining, by the computer system, whether to recommend the native application to the particular user based on a determination that the particular user has accessed the web site at least a threshold number of times during a defined time period; and   providing, by the computer system based on the determining, a recommendation that identifies the native application and includes a user-selectable control to download the native application to a device associated with the user.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the information identifies one or more web browser bookmarks on the computing device. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the information indicates a web browsing history for the particular user on the computing device. 
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the information identifies email messages that were received or sent using the computing device. 
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the information identifies one or more geographic locations of the computing device. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the information is accessed based the computing device being either a desktop computing device or a laptop computing device. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 comparing, using the information, i) a first visit to the web site by the particular user on the computing device with ii) a second visit to the web site by the particular user on the computing device;   wherein, when the first visit is determined to exceed the second visit by at least a threshold amount, a particular native application from the one or more native applications is determined to be recommended for installation on the computing device.   
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the determined threshold number of times during a defined time period includes a threshold frequency that one or more computer-based services were accessed from the computing device over a period of time. 
     
     
         29 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein determining whether to recommend the native application is further based on a determination that the user has used computer-based services that are provided by the web site for a duration of that greater than a threshold duration of time. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the recommendation is provided to the computing device. 
     
     
         31 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 30 , wherein the recommendation causes the computing device to automatically install the native application. 
     
     
         32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 30 , wherein the recommendation causes the computing device to provide a notification that identifies the native application for installation on the computing device. 
     
     
         33 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the recommendation is provided to another computer system that provides an application store service; and
 wherein the recommendation causes the native application to be recommended to the user by the other computer system as part of the application store service.   
     
     
         34 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein determining whether to recommend the native application is further based on a determination that the particular user has at least a threshold connection to at least a population larger than a determined population of other users who have already installed the native application. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein determining whether to recommend the native application is further based on a number of times the application was installed by other users who have at least a threshold connection to the particular user and also have already installed the native application. 
     
     
         36 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 accessing, by a computer system, social network information that identifies a plurality of users who have at least a threshold acquaintance relationship on one or more social networks with a particular user;   identifying, by the computer system, a number of visits by the particular user to a web site over a particular period of time;   identifying, by the computer system, a native application that is i) installed on mobile computing devices that are associated with the plurality of users, and ii) not installed on a particular mobile computing device that is associated with the particular user;   determining, by the computer system, whether to recommend the native application based on a determination that the particular user has visited the web site at least a threshold number of times during a defined time period; and   providing, by the computer system based on the determining, a recommendation that is associated with the particular user, identifies the native application, and includes a user-selectable control to download the native application to the particular mobile computing device that is associated with the particular user.   
     
     
         37 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 36 , wherein determining whether to recommend the native application is further based on a frequency of installation or use of the one or more native application on the mobile computing devices that are associated with the plurality users, and the frequency of installation or use corresponds to the native application being i) installed on at least a threshold number of the mobile computing devices that are associated with the plurality of users or ii) used by the mobile computing devices that are associated with the plurality of users at least a threshold number of times over a period of time. 
     
     
         38 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 37 , further comprising determining strengths of relationships between the particular user and the plurality of users;
 wherein the frequency of installation or use by each of the plurality of users is weighted based on the determined strengths of relationships to produce weighted frequency of installation or use; and   wherein the determination of whether to recommend the native application is performed using the weighted frequency of installation or use.   
     
     
         39 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 36 , wherein determining whether to recommend the native application is further based on a determination that the user has at least the threshold acquaintance relationship to at least a population larger than a determined population of other users who have already installed the native application. 
     
     
         40 . A computer system for providing recommendations for native mobile applications, the system comprising:
 a data collection system that is programmed to access information that identifies visits to a web site by a particular user from one or more computing devices that are associated with the particular user;   a native application discovery system that is programmed to identify a native application that is configured to be installed and executed by mobile computing devices;   a native application selection system that is programmed to determine whether to recommend the native application to the particular user based on a determination that the particular user has accessed the web site at least a threshold number of times during a defined time period; and   a recommendation unit that is programmed to provide, based on the determination by the native application selection system, a recommendation to the particular user that identifies the native application and that includes a user-selectable control to download the native application to a device associated with the particular user.