Google Now

Google Now was a smart feature in the Google app for Android and iOS devices. It worked by guessing what information you might need next, based on your search history and other things, and then showing you helpful cards with that information. Although Google stopped using the name "Google Now," the helpful ideas from it are still used in the Google app and its Discover tab today.

Google first added Google Now to Android phones with version 4.1 ("Jelly Bean") on July 9, 2012. The Galaxy Nexus smartphone was the very first phone to support it. Later, in 2013, Google brought some of these features to iOS phones, though not all of them worked the same. In 2014, Google also added Now cards to the notification area in ChromeOS and the Chrome web browser, but later removed that part of Chrome.

In 2015 and beyond, Google began to move away from using the name "Google Now." By October 2016, most signs of "Now" were gone, and the cards were replaced with something called "Feed." At the Google I/O event in 2016, Google introduced Google Assistant, a new helper that could talk back and forth with users, building on the ideas started with Google Now.

History

In late 2011, Google began improving its Google Voice Search for the next version of Android. It was called "Majel" after the voice actress from the Star Trek TV show.

On June 27, 2012, Google showed Google Now for the first time at Google I/O 2012 as part of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Later updates added more helpful cards, like flight details from Gmail and weather for places you were traveling to. Users could also create calendar events by speaking, like saying, "Make a new appointment for dinner with Steve next Thursday at 7 pm."

In 2013, Google Now became available for iOS too. Google also planned to bring Google Now to computers through Google Chrome, starting in 2014.

Functionality

Google Now was a part of the Google Search app. It learned from things you did often, like visiting the same places or checking the same things, to show you helpful information in special cards. It used a system called the Google Knowledge Graph to understand details better.

These cards could show many things, like your next appointment, the weather, news updates, or even reminders about friends’ birthdays. In January 2015, Google let other apps, such as Airbnb, EBay, The Guardian, Pandora, and Lyft, add their own cards too.

With Android 6.0 "Marshmallow", there was a feature called Now On Tap. When you pressed the "Home" button or used a voice command, it could look at what was on your screen and find related information, like facts about TV shows or movies, to show you more details.

Reception

People liked Google Now because it could remind users about events based on where they had been before. It showed information quickly and clearly without users asking for it. Some reviewers said that, like other voice-activated apps such as Siri, the voice recognition wasn't always perfect, but users could also type their questions instead. Some people noticed that Google Now could guess what users might need to know, showing how much information Google kept about their daily routines. In a review from October 2014, Google Now did better than other similar tools like Siri and Cortana.