Google Now Launcher - Won't Load Now Screen

[D1andOnlyOmen]

Keep in mind that Google is in the middle of completely overhauling everything with the Google App. Not only will they be migrating people to Google Assistant, they will be deprecating the Google Now Launcher... presumably replacing it with some new version branched off of the Pixel Launcher. So who knows what's going on in the back end.

This has been my suspicion since reading a week or so ago about the demise of the Now Launcher. I believe I even commented on an article related to it that, while I've really enjoyed using this particular launcher (I don't use a ton of widgets and keep my most used apps in a couple of quick folders on the main home screen)......I've always found it bizarre that while (if memory serves) I installed the Now Launcher from the Play Store........when you pull up that listing in the Play Store app currently (and it's been this way for quite some time), the ONLY option in there is to "Open" the app. There's NO way to uninstall it (though I'm sure it could be done through rooting and all that business.....not my thing though). This hasn't been a huge deal to me since, as mentioned, I enjoy using it as my launcher. But this whole business of not being able to see the Now cards like I used to be able to......it's getting pretty annoying.

 

[Fedway]

I suspect that you are right. I read reports that some 6p users were briefly seeing elements of the Pixel launcher displayed in place of the installed Google Now launcher. Something is afoot with changes to the Google search app and Google Play Services. I suspect that we may be seeing the Pixel launcher along with the Google Assistant.