GOOGLE NOW Posts on XDA

Nova Launcher Finally Gets Google Now Integration Without Needing Root or Gestures

Nova Launcher Finally Gets Google Now Integration Without Needing Root or Gestures

June 15, 2017
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. Back when Google added an API to allow device manufacturers to include...
No, Google Isn’t Eavesdropping on You for Those Crazy Ads and Predictions

No, Google Isn’t Eavesdropping on You for Those Crazy Ads and Predictions

June 3, 2017
«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...
Google App 7.0.4 Prepares for Multi-User Hotword Detection, Rating Services, and References a Device Called “Bisto”

Google App 7.0.4 Prepares for Multi-User Hotword Detection, Rating Services, and References a Device Called “Bisto”

April 11, 2017
Google has recently started releasing beta updates for some of their more popular applications; the Google App being one of them. Today, a new beta version of the Google App, version 7.0.4, began rolling out to some users. This being a major version bump, we decided to install the app to see if there's anything...
How to Remap the Bixby Button on the Galaxy S8/S8+ to Launch Google Assistant

How to Remap the Bixby Button on the Galaxy S8/S8+ to Launch Google Assistant

April 5, 2017
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...
How to Force ‘OK Google’ Hotword Detection to work when the Screen is Off on any Device [Root]

How to Force ‘OK Google’ Hotword Detection to work when the Screen is Off on any Device [Root]

February 12, 2017
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. Later introduced in Google Nexus devices and now available in many flagships, hotword recognition capability is a pretty awesome feature for when you need to make a quick Google search...
Taking and Sharing Screenshots Returns to Google Assistant

Taking and Sharing Screenshots Returns to Google Assistant

January 10, 2017
A feature once present in Google Now on Tap finally makes its way into Google Assistant - the ability to take and share screenshots. What once felt like a feature regression should now make the Google Assistant service feel more at home with fans of Now on Tap. Google Assistant - Now with Screenshots! Google touted their advancements...
Exploring Assistant, A New Voice Interface with Familiar Problems and a Bright Future

Exploring Assistant, A New Voice Interface with Familiar Problems and a Bright Future

October 19, 2016
A staple of sci-fi movies and games is the inclusion of an intelligent robot that receives and executes commands with ease. As we move deeper into the 21st century, the lovable AI personalities we see on TV and in games are slowly making their way into real life in the form of our mobile assistants.. Mobile assistant...
A Note on Google Assistant’s Fluidity and Speech Recognition

A Note on Google Assistant’s Fluidity and Speech Recognition

October 5, 2016
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Google Now’s voice commands (or rather Google Assistant as it is now called). I love the idea of what it will be able to do one day, and I love what it can do when it works. If it works. And therein lies the hate. That delay....
PSA: Disabling Accessibility Services Breaks OK Google Audio Feedback on Nougat

PSA: Disabling Accessibility Services Breaks OK Google Audio Feedback on Nougat

September 25, 2016
"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...
Tearing Down Google Apps Updates: What’s (Possibly) Coming!

Tearing Down Google Apps Updates: What’s (Possibly) Coming!

May 20, 2016
Hello readers of our portal! As you might know, many applications are updated or released during the week of Google I/O. Most of these updates are pretty major and most of their features are detailed by the developer teams in the changelog. However, not every upcoming feature gets noted, so we're here to teardown the APKs...
In-Depth Look at Google Now for Android Wear

In-Depth Look at Google Now for Android Wear

April 29, 2015
Google Now is arguably the single biggest "wow factor" of Android, and if $300 notification bands (aka smartwatches) are solutions in search of a problem, Now is certainly their saving grace. After all, Google's virtual assistant serves up answers, launches apps, sets reminders, takes dictation, and forms the central pillar around which the entire Wear platform is built....
Amazon Echo vs Google Now – Digital Assistant Showdown!

Amazon Echo vs Google Now – Digital Assistant Showdown!

January 28, 2015
Two weeks ago, we talked about the must have item from Amazon, the Echo. In the comments there was a lot of discussion about which digital assistant implementation was actually better: Amazon Echo or, the Android standard, Google Now. Is it dependent on whether you want it to me mobile or not? Is it physical hardware versus software? In this...