Google Now - am I missing something?

[Mike Richmond2]

I see reviews saying that Google Now is the best thing since sliced bread, but all it ever tells me is the weather and the driving time to work.

What am I missing?

If it helps, I have given full location access, search history. I use Google as my only search engine. When I try to customise Now, the options I get are sports teams, stocks, places and everything else. 'Everything Else' includes only 4 items on travel and weather.

 

[SactoKingsFan]

Google Now also shows scores for favorite teams, upcoming local events, package shipping info, flight reminder, movie suggestions, calendar reminders, etc. You might have to use it for a while before more info starts showing up.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Mike Richmond2]

Hmmm. 3 weeks and I haven't had any of those yet. Gmail is very much a tertiary email address for me, so my hunch is that Now will never pick up much of this. A shame.

 

[Teejai80]

I'm with you, used it with the N5 and just found it not much use. Didn't put my flight details in, showed inaccurate weather (in Aus) and chewed through the battery. I just don't get it.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[TechAddict]

Much the same for me. Shown me the weather (much less accurately than one weather) and tells me how far to drive to somewhere I've already been and come back from. Outside of that, squat. The sports are very limited too. Disable for me.

 

[gdruin74]

This is the Ford vs Chevy debate or canon vs Nikon both ios and Android are very good operating systems but neither is perfect it really does just come down to personal preference neither one is for everybody

Sent from my XT1060

 

[gdruin74]

This is the Ford vs Chevy debate or canon vs Nikon both ios and Android are very good operating systems but neither is perfect it really does just come down to personal preference neither one is for everybody

Sent from my XT1060

Sorry that post somehow would up in wrong thread

Sent from my XT1060 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Wullie32]

I'm with you, have never found any use for it at all really. Find it a bit bemusing whenever reviewers say how useful it is. I know everyone's different but the only stuff I seem to get from it is stuff I already know.

 

[N4Newbie]

Much the same for me. Shown me the weather (much less accurately than one weather) and tells me how far to drive to somewhere I've already been and come back from. Outside of that, squat. The sports are very limited too. Disable for me.

The only useful thing I get from Google Now is traffic alerts. I drive 21 miles each way to work and home, a typical 30 minute trip most of it along an interstate highway; every now and then Google Now warns me that my trip will take "xx minutes longer than usual" or something like that. Small numbers like 5 or 6 minutes don't bother me, but when I saw one that said 42 minutes I knew enough to investigate and modify my usual route.

 

[Mike Richmond2]

I like the idea of Google Now, but I get the sense that a few factors are going to stop it being of much material use to me for the near future. My work calendar and email are necessarily secure and inaccessible to Google, and they dominate my planning and communication - I recognise that is always going to make it hard for Google. I am, however, disappointed that it can't make more of all the information Google does see from my web browsing, searching and location.

Does anyone have more positive experiences to recount (preferably not based on the weather and road conditions), and suggestions as to how to encourage it to deliver on its promise?

 

[QWIKSTRIKE]

The only useful thing I get from Google Now is traffic alerts. I drive 21 miles each way to work and home, a typical 30 minute trip most of it along an interstate highway; every now and then Google Now warns me that my trip will take "xx minutes longer than usual" or something like that. Small numbers like 5 or 6 minutes don't bother me, but when I saw one that said 42 minutes I knew enough to investigate and modify my usual route.

I get traffic alerts that a are great. With my address for home and work installed I get updates of traffic conditions and ETA to those places. I get weather updates that seem always accurate no matter where I go. I get driving directions when I need them, by just saying navigate to xyz. I get information on restuarant, and gas locations. I can search for places of relevance like auto repair shops. You get your favorite team updates....and much much more. You can get Stock Market updates as well. Most importantly you have to turn on the features of Google Now in the settings, and implement information for the cards that you like. Make sure voice iteraction is set up. Also make sure that GPS and Google Now is also turned on.

If you don't trun on features it won't work. Settings are on bootom of Google Now page when you scroll down on the right hand side.

 

[Shilohcane]

I see reviews saying that Google Now is the best thing since sliced bread, but all it ever tells me is the weather and the driving time to work.

What am I missing?

If it helps, I have given full location access, search history. I use Google as my only search engine. When I try to customise Now, the options I get are sports teams, stocks, places and everything else. 'Everything Else' includes only 4 items on travel and weather.

Try "OK Google .... Remind me to buy a paint brush the next time I'm at Home Depot".

Then Google will search for the nearest Home Depot and you tell your phone this is the Home Depot you want that locks on the store's GPS location. Now two week after you go into Home Depot and the GPS triggers the Notification that you want a to buy a Paint Brush.

Here are more commands...

[GUIDE] Google Now

 

[Mike Richmond2]

I get traffic alerts that a are great. With my address for home and work installed I get updates of traffic conditions and ETA to those places. I get weather updates that seem always accurate no matter where I go. I get driving directions when I need them, by just saying navigate to xyz. I get information on restuarant, and gas locations. I can search for places of relevance like auto repair shops. You get your favorite team updates....and much much more. You can get Stock Market updates as well. Most importantly you have to turn on the features of Google Now in the settings, and implement information for the cards that you like. Make sure voice iteraction is set up. Also make sure that GPS and Google Now is alos turned on.

If you don't trun on features it won't work. Settings are on bootom of Google Now page when you scrool fown on the right hand side.

I think I have every feature turned on, but the only features I can find are (as I mentioned before) travel, weather, sports and finance. It has full access to my web browsing, search and location, and GPS is always on. I get nothing except traffic and weather (and neither are as good as I need or get from other apps), and I don't follow American Football or Soccer, so the sports teams are irrelevant. It has never mentioned a restaurant, a museum, an event, a petrol station or anything else for that matter. It is disappointingly shy.

 

[antman451]

I use it for reminders ("remind me to whatever when whatever happens") CONSTANTLY. The other stuff is cool, but the smart reminders are the biggest thing for me. I don't have to make lists for anything any more. Remind me to get foil next time I'm at the store. Remind me to get a new ax next time I'm at Home Depot. Remind me to get stuff out of the fridge before I go home.

Also, last time one of my flights got delayed it was updating me with the correct time information before the people working for the airline even announced it.

Sent via lightsaber

 

[Mike Richmond2]

Try "OK Google .... Remind me to buy a paint brush the next time I'm at Home Depot".

Then Google will search for the nearest Home Depot and you tell your phone this is the Home Depot you want that locks on the store's GPS location. Now two week after you go into Home Depot and the GPS triggers the Notification that you want a to buy a Paint Brush.

Here are more commands...

[GUIDE] Google Now

Thanks - the reminder thing based on location looks cool. I may keep Now on just for that.

 

[PaulMilander]

I felt the same way in the beginning but now I love it. Once Google learns your habits, searches, locations etc its great. Now I use Gmail, Google, Google Maps etc

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[anon(871934)]

Much of the expanded capability of Google Now comes from the content of your email. You'll get more stuff at that point like travel reservation alerts, shipping status, etc. I don't use Gmail. But I do have Gmail set to POP3 my personal email account. That way Gmail gets all of my email to feed Google Now. Since Gmail storage is so vast I just let me personal email build up there with the added benefit of a second, permanent archive with good search ability.

Don't forget that the main use of Google Now is the interaction with it in real time like with Siri. The predictive stuff is just gravy really.

 

[foxbat121]

No just gmail. Anything you do on various google services anywhere while logged into Google account will give Google Now a hint to prompt something. For example, I routinely use desktop Google Maps to search for places I'm going to visit. Shortly after, Google Now will show a route and traffic information.

 

[QWIKSTRIKE]

I think I have every feature turned on, but the only features I can find are (as I mentioned before) travel, weather, sports and finance. It has full access to my web browsing, search and location, and GPS is always on. I get nothing except traffic and weather (and neither are as good as I need or get from other apps), and I don't follow American Football or Soccer, so the sports teams are irrelevant. It has never mentioned a restaurant, a museum, an event, a petrol station or anything else for that matter. It is disappointingly shy.

Have you asked it for restaurants in the arera or types of restaurants like "seafood"? Have you asked for the nearest gas station. I was lost and the gas light came on and I asked for ther nearest gas station and it pulled it up. When in the country this saved me from having a nice walk. With the gps turned on I say places of interest and it gives me listings of places withing 20 miles. I was in Central Park and hear music and asked whats going on and it pulled up a free concert in the Park which I had no idea was happening and enjoyed going to that event.

I think you just have to ask reasonable questions. Like the where is the nearest gas station, navigate to XYZ, Places of interest, where's a a good place to eat., what's todays NBA schedule. Navigate to the nearest Home Depot., Best Buy, "supermarket of choice". O.K Google Set the alarm for 6 a.m. Also remember If you don't ask about things relevant to what you like how is it suppose to figure this out.


I dare you to make sure the settings of voice interaction and all features are turned on and then ask it to navigate to the nearest gas station, or the places of interest, or where is the nearest Walmart. I really fail to see how this works for me and every one that I show how to set it up results happen. I think it still needs a little help but for the most part it is a very good feature to have especially when home address, work address, and cards are set up. When asking things like I mentioned it works very well.

I just asked the square root of pi it answered me with the square root of pi.

Gmail may have a play in some things However; getting nearset gas station locations or asking it to navigate to nearest locations, or finding places of interest has "nothing" to do with Gmail.lol

 

[Shilohcane]

Thanks - the reminder thing based on location looks cool. I may keep Now on just for that.

Unlike the iPhone's Siri voice assistant, Google Now tries to anticipate what you need and offer that before you even have to ask. It delivers information based on past search requests, Gmail traffic Relevant Products/Services and other ways you use Google services. The more you use it, the more it learns.