Where is Google Now on my Z3C?

[webrits]

Where is Google Now on my Z3C

Hi,

Just bought a brand new Z3C and don't seem to have Google Now on my home button launcher, just the 'What's New' app.

I can launch Google Now from the seach bar or from the google search app, it's just missing from the home launcher..

Anyone know how to get it on there?

Thanks

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: Where is Google Now on my Z3C

Welcome to Android Central! Make sure the phone's system is fully updated in Settings>About Phone>System Updates. I recall a thread a while back discussing this--apparently, Sony pushed an update that either got rid of the "What's New" function (which sounded pretty useless anyway) in favor of Google Now, or gave you an obvious choice between the two.

 

[webrits]

Re: Where is Google Now on my Z3C

Hi - thanks for the reply.

Already tried that and I'm fully up to date. And yes, What's New is wholly useless and quite annoying !!

 

[raqball]

Re: Where is Google Now on my Z3C

Hi - thanks for the reply.

Already tried that and I'm fully up to date. And yes, What's New is wholly useless and quite annoying !!

Yes my Z3 Compact never updated the What's New either even though there is a newer version that does away with the issue you are seeing.

Download the new version (apk) from your phone browser and install it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2ONZFOkl3m7M3g2QzBuUHBoWUU/view

What's New will then be gone. The app will still be there in the app drawer but Google Now will be set as default.

 

[webrits]

Thanks Raqball....
I did a full phone reset and Google Now reappeared, then after a few auto updates it vanished again... Tried the apk, it got rid of What's New but still no Google now on the swipe

 

[raqball]

Thanks Raqball....
I did a full phone reset and Google Now reappeared, then after a few auto updates it vanished again... Tried the apk, it got rid of What's New but still no Google now on the swipe

Are you wanting to swipe left to right from the home screen to see Google Now or swipe up from the home button to see Google Now?

If you want to swipe left to right on the home screen to see the Google Now then it won't work with the Xperia launcher. You can download Google Now from the play store, then hit the home button and you will get a pop up asking which launcher to use..

If you are not seeing Google Now when you swipe up from the home button then I don't know what's going on..

Maybe try updating Google Play Services is all I can think of.

Here is the latest apk for it.

http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-play-services/

 

[webrits]

Yeah not sseeing it when I swipe up from home button... Really quite strange...

 

[raqball]

Yeah not sseeing it when I swipe up from home button... Really quite strange...

Did you update Google Play Services?

 

[webrits]

I did, yes. I've since trier to uninstall the update but this causes Gmail not to run so had to reinstall latest play services update....

 

[raqball]

I did, yes. I've since trier to uninstall the update but this causes Gmail not to run so had to reinstall latest play services update....

Well that is certainly odd. You said it worked then went away after updates. The only thing I can think of was that Google Play Services was not up to date..

I've honestly never seen this before where It won't work after updating Google Play Services.

Try going to Settings --> Apps --> All

Scroll down to Google Play Services and select it. Then clear Cache and select Manage Space. Then scroll down and select Clear all data and then reboot the device.

If that does not work, then I am clueless..

 

[webrits]

Thanks Raqball, tried all your recommendations but alas nothing worked.
Thanks for trying, much appreciated.

 

[raqball]

Thanks Raqball, tried all your recommendations but alas nothing worked.
Thanks for trying, much appreciated.

You said it worked after a factory reset then went away after updates. Were these Sony updates or updates from the Play Store?

 

[webrits]

I'm not 100% sure to be honest, one second it was working and the next few not. They were all automatic updates but they were happening so fast it was hard to know which ones 'broke' it.

 

[raqball]

I'm not 100% sure to be honest, one second it was working and the next few not. They were all automatic updates but they were happening so fast it was hard to know which ones 'broke' it.

One last thing to try..

Download Google Now Launcher from the play store

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e....google.android.launcher&hl=en&token=lzwqiELD

When it's done installing hit the home button and select Google Now Launcher. Don't bother setting up the launcher for now just try a swipe up from the home button and see what happens. It may prompt you to update a service or it may just work.

Try that and report back. If it works then got to Settings --> Home and select the Xperia Home Launcher and see if it's now working there.

 

[webrits]

Nope, no change I'm afraid. Just get the magnifying glass search when I swipe up from the home key, as before...

 

[raqball]

Nope, no change I'm afraid. Just get the magnifying glass search when I swipe up from the home key, as before...

Can you try and get a screenshot of the magnifying glass? Will be hard to do I know..

The only other suggestion I have is to factory reset again (don't restore any backups) but this time don't let everything auto update. Do them one by one and check Google Now after every install. That might narrow down the culprit that has caused it to stop working.

 

[webrits]

Looks like I've got it working mate. The magnifying glass thing was mapped to Dolphin browser. Now I've changed it to google it opens up Google now. Still missing the Google icon when I swipe up but functionality is the same...

 

[raqball]

Looks like I've got it working mate. The magnifying glass thing was mapped to Dolphin browser. Now I've changed it to google it opens up Google now. Still missing the Google icon when I swipe up but functionality is the same...

Awesome!