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Google Assistant's redesigned "Today" view has started rolling out
Google Assistant just got an updated 'Today' view with new user interface. Functional-wise, it still serves the same purpose as the old 'My Day' view.
Google Assistant is the digital assistant that most people use on Android. It was released during Google I/O 2016, alongside some smart devices that can take advantage of it. So far, the Assistant has proven to be a worthy successor of Google Now. Despite the obvious superiority, there are some things that it can learn from its predecessor. For example, the "My Day" user interface, which was added in the Assistant nearly two years ago, is a resemblance to one of Google Now's main features. It looks like the UI of this feature is getting updated and renamed to "Today."
Google brings back the automatic parking location card in Google Assistant
Google used to remember your parking location in a Google Now card. The feature is coming back with Google Assistant cards.
It has happened to everyone. You're walking out to the parking lot or ramp and the thought hits you: "where did I park?" There are a bunch of ways that technology can help with this problem. You can simply take a photo of the street signs, type the ramp level in your notes app, or open Google Maps and press the blue location dot. But what if Google Assistant could remember for you with no input on your end?
Hyperion Supreme is a new way to get all the Hyperion "Pro" features
Projekt has launched a separate launcher called Hyperion Supreme for $1.99 with all the pro features built-in. No more unlocking through an in-app purchase.
Hyperion is a launcher made by Projekt, the same people behind Substratum. It's basically a super customizable version of the Pixel launcher with all the bells and whistles that most people expect from a 3rd-party launcher. It even has some integration with other launcher tools, such as Sesame shortcuts and Google Feed. All of these features are available in the free version, but there are "Pro" features as well. Projekt has launched a separate launcher called Hyperion Supreme with all the pro features built-in.
Bring back Google Now on Tap-like functionality on any Android device
If you missed Google Now on Tap, you can now bring it back in spirit using Tasker, Google Lens, and AutoShare. Instructions are inside the article.
Now on Tap was first released in 2015 and it was touted as the future of Google's virtual assistant platform. But it was replaced with Google Assistant. Google Now on Tap offered features to help you understand the context of what's on screen and get answers to any questions while multitasking. Some people really loved it, and still wish that it were here. While we don't have a way to fully bring back the feature, you can get similar functionality using a couple of apps.
OnePlus Launcher for the OnePlus 6 modded to add Google Feed
The OnePlus Launcher is the favourite launcher of many, but it's missing one key feature. The Google Feed isn't present, but it can be enabled.
OnePlus gets a lot of its software right on its phones. Enthusiasts enjoy OxygenOS for its stock feel and abundance of the "right" features. It's not quite bloated, but it's got just about everything you could really want from your Android phone. OnePlus Launcher is an example of this. While it has support for many features stock launchers do not, it does lack one key feature that Google users might want. The lack of a Google Feed is a dealbreaker for some (myself included) which has users switching to the likes of the Rootless Pixel Launcher. However, thanks to the hard work of XDA Senior Members paphonb and Skittles9823, you can download a modified OnePlus Launcher with Google Feed support! All you need is a OnePlus 6 running Android Pie and root access via Magisk.
Lawnchair v1 stable is out, brings Pixel Launcher features to any Android
Lawnchair v1 Stable is now out! If you haven't heard of it, it brings Pixel Launcher features to any Android device. Check it out!
Lawnchair is a customizable launcher based on the Pixel Launcher. It's been in the works for about a year now, and Lawnchair v1 stable has just been released. Lawnchair boasts a huge amount of features over similar launchers, such as the Rootless Pixel Launcher. That's not to say it's any better, it's just made differently. Lawnchair is a separate application under a different package name with features ported from the Pixel Launcher over to it. This also meant that it could be released on the Google Play Store. You can check out XDA TV's review of the initial release below. Note that for now, it isn't guaranteed to work on Android Oreo. I had no issues, but that doesn't mean you won't either. I am running it on OxygenOS 5.0.3 on the OnePlus 3 without any issues.
How to enable Google Feed in any country
Have you ever wanted to use Google Now Cards on your device but you live an unsupported country? What if I told you that it's not impossible? You can use this tutorial to enable Google Feed on both rooted and non-rooted smarthpones.
Google reworked Now Cards almost a year ago and rebranded it to Google Feed. Unfortunately, those cards are not available in all countries. Google really restricts a lot of stuff for non-US citizens, but's that's a topic for another day. So, how can you activate Google Feed if you live in an unsupported country? Here's how.
For rooted users
Recently, we reported that Nova Launcher developers found a way to add a Google Now Panel in their launcher, without root. With a few simple steps, you can have the same functionality on KitKat devices.
Custom launchers offer much more customization options than the stock launchers that ship with your phone. Unfortunately, there are some really enticing features from the stock launcher that most custom launchers do not support. One of those features is the Google Now pane that is accessed by swiping towards the left. The Nova Launcher developer discovered a workaround, resulting in them creating the Nova Google Companion app which allows Nova Launcher to use the Google Now pane.
Nova Launcher Finally Gets Google Now Integration Without Needing Root or Gestures
The developers of Nova Launcher have figured out a workaround to integrate a Google Now pane into the launcher without needing root or gestures. Read on!
It's finally here! Nova Launcher has finally received Google Now integration, allowing users to simply swipe left to access Google Now, just like they would on the Google Now Launcher. You also do not need root or a paid app to enable this functionality.
No, Google Isn't Eavesdropping on You for Those Crazy Ads and Predictions
Could Google be listening to your conversations to give you accurate ads and predictions? Keep reading to find out why it's extremely unlikely.
«My phone was in my pocket as I was talking to my friend about XYZ. I had never heard of XYZ before (my friend brought it up), and I didn't google it or anything. Yet when I opened an app a day later, I saw ads related to XYZ! Is Google listening in on my conversations to serve me ads?»
How to Remap the Bixby Button on the Galaxy S8/S8+ to Launch Google Assistant
A tutorial on remapping the dedicated Bixby Button on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ to launch Google Assistant using a free app named All in one Gestures.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ were just announced last week and it indeed comes with a dedicated Bixby button as previous rumors suggested. For those of you who haven't been keeping up to date with the news, Bixby is the name of Samsung's Virtual Assistant software which is supposed to provide similar functionality to Google Assistant (though we have yet to evaluate that claim for ourselves). Although the Samsung Galaxy S8 has yet to reach the hands of consumers, some early reviewers who have had some hands-on time with the device would rather have the dedicated Bixby button launch Google Assistant.
How to Force 'OK Google' Hotword Detection to work when the Screen is Off on any Device [Root]
This is a tutorial on how to force any rooted device to enable OK Google hotword detection, even if its hardware doesn't support the feature!
When the Moto X (2013) was first announced, one of the most exciting features (besides Ambient Display) was its ability to wake up to voice commands.
PSA: Disabling Accessibility Services Breaks OK Google Audio Feedback on Nougat
"OK Google" audio feedback is broken on Nougat. For the time being, in order to fix it you need to enable any accessibility service.
"OK Google, what's the weather like tomorrow." The Google App's voice recognition feature is incredibly useful for answering many basic questions, though the feature tends to be underutilized in public spaces. Many phones with dedicated voice processing chips are able to summon Google Search with a simple hotword, and if your phone isn't silenced you'll hear a beep indicating that the hotword was recognized.