Google Now reminders not working

**David North** · 09-21-2013, 07:23 AM

I can't get reminders to either give me an alert sound, or appear in my notifications.

Notifications are enabled in Google Now settings, sound is turned on. I confirmed that the notification was added, the card shows in the list and has the correct time, but except for one attempt it never makes a sound or adds anything to my notifications. The same goes for alarms added via Google Now.

I have this same problem on Nexus 7 (latest Android) and HTC One (4.1), both with latest version of Google Now.

This is a very important function to me for a smart phone, I don't want to deal with a fiddly UI for this sort of thing when Google's voice recognition works so well. For something so basic to not work is very frustrating, considering how well I know this works on iPhone with Siri.

This has been reported elsewhere but without any helpful responses. It seems to be a bug in Google Now but I don't know if that has been confirmed or is likely to be fixed any time soon.

Are other people having the same problem?

**gone down south** · 09-21-2013, 10:57 AM

Reminders don't give alerts, they just slow up in the Now cards.

However, Lightflow fixes that problem nicely.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

**Golfdriver97** · 09-21-2013, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by David North

I can't get reminders to either give me an alert sound, or appear in my notifications.

Notifications are enabled in Google Now settings, sound is turned on. I confirmed that the notification was added, the card shows in the list and has the correct time, but except for one attempt it never makes a sound or adds anything to my notifications. The same goes for alarms added via Google Now.

I have this same problem on Nexus 7 (latest Android) and HTC One (4.1), both with latest version of Google Now.

This is a very important function to me for a smart phone, I don't want to deal with a fiddly UI for this sort of thing when Google's voice recognition works so well. For something so basic to not work is very frustrating, considering how well I know this works on iPhone with Siri.

This has been reported elsewhere but without any helpful responses. It seems to be a bug in Google Now but I don't know if that has been confirmed or is likely to be fixed any time soon.

Are other people having the same problem?

Welcome to the forums!
Have you tried clearing the cache in Settings>Apps>Google Search? There may be a problem there that clearing might help. I am currently testing mine, I haven't needed to use the reminder feature for a few days, so I am uncertain.

**Golfdriver97** · 09-21-2013, 11:02 AM

Update: Reminder just went off. So mine is working.

**Golfdriver97** · 09-21-2013, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by gone down south

Reminders don't give alerts, they just slow up in the Now cards.

However, Lightflow fixes that problem nicely.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

Mine gives me an alert by default notification and in the status bar.

**David North** · 09-21-2013, 11:25 AM

@gone down south I'm pretty sure you're mistaken about that, elsewhere I've seen discussions about how to change the sound for reminder alerts.
And surely alarms would have a sound alert otherwise they wouldn't be much use.

**David North** · 09-21-2013, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by Golfdriver97

Welcome to the forums!
Have you tried clearing the cache in Settings>Apps>Google Search? There may be a problem there that clearing might help. I am currently testing mine, I haven't needed to use the reminder feature for a few days, so I am uncertain.

No luck with that I'm afraid.

**Golfdriver97** · 09-21-2013, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by David North

No luck with that I'm afraid.

Bummer. Any way you might be able to uninstall and reinstall?

Sent from a Slim 4.3 S3

**David North** · 09-21-2013, 01:10 PM

I think I found an explanation. I was testing this feature by setting reminders and alarms only a few minutes from now, I don't think it thinks its worth giving you an alert if its so close to the time. Seems to make some sense but its confusing behaviour. I set one for a half hour in the future and it worked as expected with system default notification sound. I set another one for later to make sure.

**Golfdriver97** · 09-21-2013, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by David North

I think I found an explanation. I was testing this feature by setting reminders and alarms only a few minutes from now, I don't think it thinks its worth giving you an alert if its so close to the time. Seems to make some sense but its confusing behaviour. I set one for a half hour in the future and it worked as expected with system default notification sound. I set another one for later to make sure.

I kinda stumbled on the few minutes, but I still had Now open when it went off. My 5 minute timer worked fine.
Glad you found a fix.

Sent from a Slim 4.3 S3

**huddie** · 10-30-2013, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by David North

I think I found an explanation. I was testing this feature by setting reminders and alarms only a few minutes from now, I don't think it thinks its worth giving you an alert if its so close to the time. Seems to make some sense but its confusing behaviour. I set one for a half hour in the future and it worked as expected with system default notification sound. I set another one for later to make sure.

I think you're right. My test reminders at current time + 1min weren't showing alerts, but a +20min one did. Stupid error on the part of developers as this is how many people test alerts.

--
huddie

"If you aren't seeking help or offering it, you probably shouldn't be here."