Google Now Launcher

[HeavyBombers]

If you're interested, the Google Now Launcher is in the Play Store for any device running 4.1 or better and no longer needs to be side loaded.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...id=com.google.android.launcher&token=uWSQpuQ7

Is it worth the install? That's a matter of opinion. It doesn't have nearly the options that some other launchers have (Nova, for example), but it does give you the Google Now card page with a swipe to the right, eliminates empty pages, and a few other tweaks. It's the easiest of the alternate launchers to operate since it is so simple.

I've got it running now on my Maxx.

 

[Snareman]

And is it better than Nova?

From watching the video it seems that the only sort of new thing that it does is to have your GN cards available with a swipe, which I can do now by holding the home button and swiping up. Not sure what else might be better about it.

 

[doogald]

And is it better than Nova?

From watching the video it seems that the only sort of new thing that it does is to have your GN cards available with a swipe, which I can do now by holding the home button and swiping up. Not sure what else might be better about it.

It also supports "OK Google" searching when the launcher is active - not so big a deal on the Maxx with touchless controls. It is pretty light and it is free. I like Nova, but I don't need all the features it provides.

 

[HeavyBombers]

And is it better than Nova?

For users who've never tried running another launcher, I'd say it's an easy way to dip their toe in the water. It's free, it's Google, and it's relatively painless to try. I've run Nova on other devices, but I'm keeping things 'simple' with this phone.

The GNL is what Google thinks your Android device should look like, in a basic sense. A dedicated Google Now homescreen pane, a permanent Google Search shortcut at the top of every screen, and a very bare-bones app drawer. It's simple, fast, and Google-y. What's interesting is that, despite some degree of love for the GNL in the wider Android community, it's really not an enthusiast's launcher at all. You can't configure it in any real sense, and aside from customizing your Google Now experience, app shortcuts, widgets, and wallpaper, the GNL is really quite rigid in terms of what you can do with it. It's basically the polar opposite of something like Nova Launcher.

 

[glenn_8]

Btw, do you guys know how to add more home screen on the launcher. Thx

Posted via Android Central App

 

[HeavyBombers]

Just add another app icon or widget and drag it off the existing pages, a new one will be created.

 

[YAYTech]

Btw, do you guys know how to add more home screen on the launcher. Thx

Posted via Android Central App

Stock launcher - you can't.
Google Now Launcher - just drag the icon to the right side to go to a new home page.

 

[doogald]

I know I've mentioned this in other threads before, but one problem I have with the stock launcher is that it will start refusing to work with trusted bluetooth spontaneously - it will go to the lock screen as I am looking at the phone, even though I've maintained a BT connection and the phone's notification of connection to trusted BT remains. This was one of the reasons why I switched to Nova Prime, where that never happens.

I was trying out the Google Now launcher and it happened on that launcher yesterday as well. So, back to Nova for me.

 

[bkircher]

I have a question for you guys regarding the touchless control feature from Moto, and the always listening feature from Google. So with the launcher now, it can have the always listening feature active from any screen when the phone is on, even the lockscreen, but it wont work if the phones screen is off, which is where the Moto touchless control works. My question is this, now with the two programs both doing the same feature, wouldnt that mean there are two services that would be consuming more battery?

 

[doogald]

I have a question for you guys regarding the touchless control feature from Moto, and the always listening feature from Google. So with the launcher now, it can have the always listening feature active from any screen when the phone is on, even the lockscreen, but it wont work if the phones screen is off, which is where the Moto touchless control works. My question is this, now with the two programs both doing the same feature, wouldnt that mean there are two services that would be consuming more battery?

Yes. Motorola designed the Maxx to use a low-power processor specifically to listen for "OK Google Now" (it's one of the 8 that were advertised as the "X8") while Google's search app is just using the regular CPUs. The Maxx will be far more efficient with just touchless controls.

That said, I don't think that the Google search app uses all that much battery anyway, and you get the convenience of conversational searches. ("OK Google, where is Anytown, USA?" "Are there any chinese restaurants there?")

 

[bkircher]

I dont know, any time u have more than one of the same feature running/competing with each other would seem like a negative in terms of performance, especially when its a major feature, always listening.

 

[silverback]

I dont know, any time u have more than one of the same feature running/competing with each other would seem like a negative in terms of performance, especially when its a major feature, always listening.

I have been running the GNL since it was GEL and haven't noticed any negative impacts.

You should be more afraid of the next "upgrade" Verizon pushes out...

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