Google's attempting to blanket cities and parks with free Wi-Fi, and may now be looking to speed up how people log in to private networks at retail and business locations too. Citing sources, Engadget says Google's working on a specialty Wi-Fi authentication app for Android and iOS that will automatically greenlight that device to work on the connection. The report says Google's been eyeing the tool in conjunction with the overhaul of Starbucks' hotspots at its 7,000 stores, a deal between the two companies that was announced last July, and expected to be completed by early 2015. With the new app, users would be able to skip the typical terms of service agreement, or any other multistep login process, to get online.

The report comes just weeks after Google, Comcast, Microsoft, Time Warner Cable, and a number of other companies joined together to form WifiForward, a coalition aimed at improving and expanding Wi-Fi networks. The group is banding together to gain access to additional unlicensed spectrum, something it says will fuel economic growth and make Wi-Fi more readily available.