Solved: Google Now UK - Nexus 7 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi all,
Sorry if already asked, had a quick search but couldn't find anything directly related to the Nexus 7. Does the UK have Google Now with cards etc.? Can't see anything related to Google Now on my Nexus 7 but was sure I set it up on first login?? I've set a calendar event to drive to my parents from work at 4pm today to see if that triggers a traffic card later but otherwise can't seem to find much info on how to use it and whether it works. Certainly can't see any Google Now settings anywhere.
Thanks,
emptybee

Hold down the Home button and a "Google" should appear just above it, select that and you'll see the Google Now Tour

Thanks for the reply. When I do that a google search box appears at the top of a white screen (no cards etc.). Not to say it didn't do the tour when I first did that. I was just expecting cards to start appearing automatically (options like location services are enabled). When I click on the microphone and say weather a weather card appeared at the top of a list of google searches for "weather" but shouldn't things like that appear naturally in the morning?
The other thing that's weird is that I can't find an app or any settings for Google Now anywhere on the Nexus 7, should there be?

NOW should start to build a profile of your travel habits and interests as time goes on, it mainly builds up its info based on your search results. It wont have much to show to start with, but you should see more info and cards as it gets an idea of what you are interested in seeing.

Oops sorry guys I guess I must have not enabled it (i swear i had during first boot...). Went to the search pane and slid it up so that the bar at the bottom was visible with the menu button (three squares vertical). Clicked the menu button, settings and google now was off so turned it on and now gives me two cards when I slide up from the home button on any screen. These cards are the route and travel time to my parents later (as entered in calendar) and the local weather.
Excellent, apologies for my stoopidnessnous.
emptybee

aha, thanks! I had it switched off too, am sure I turned it on too

Two things some people might find useful:
1) You don't have to hold down the home button. Just tap and drag up from there. Doesn't save a lot of time though, just an alternative.
2) Scroll to the very bottom of the Google Now page and you'll see a menu at the right (looks like a stack of 3 dots). Settings for Google Now are in there. Each card also has its own menu at top-right.
--
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Related

Google Maps and Wallpaper questions

Hi,
I've searched and can't find the answers to my questions. I don't know if I'm using seach right, but if I type in google maps I get a list that's nothing to do with google maps
Anyway, the google maps question. I've just used this program for the first time today as was stuck in traffic and wanted to look for an alternative root. When I was driving along I noticed that the screen doesn't follow you. The blue dot moved as I did, but once it got to the end of the screen it carried on off the screen, and the screen/map didn't move along with it to track me. How do I get it to do this?
And the wallpaper question. I can't find a way to resize the pictures I choose as the lockscreen wallpaper so that it fits the screen properly, how do I do this? The picture is too zoomed in so it cuts a lot of it off.
Cheers
Google: Hope this is not a dumb question: did you do >Menu>Use GPS?
On re-sizing images: I don't think there's an app on the HD2 to do it. If you go to a regular PC or Mac graphics app, you can connect put the image on the SD card, connect your HD2 to your computer as an external disk drive, and then re-format the image to 480x800 pixels, then save it back.
S
snerkler said:
Hi,
I've searched and can't find the answers to my questions. I don't know if I'm using seach right, but if I type in google maps I get a list that's nothing to do with google maps
Anyway, the google maps question. I've just used this program for the first time today as was stuck in traffic and wanted to look for an alternative root. When I was driving along I noticed that the screen doesn't follow you. The blue dot moved as I did, but once it got to the end of the screen it carried on off the screen, and the screen/map didn't move along with it to track me. How do I get it to do this?
And the wallpaper question. I can't find a way to resize the pictures I choose as the lockscreen wallpaper so that it fits the screen properly, how do I do this? The picture is too zoomed in so it cuts a lot of it off.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When searching for a phrase, use quotes around the search criteria, such as "google maps". That will look for the two words together. If you search for google maps, you'll get anything with either word in it.
With google maps, it will use the network to detect your location, so I don't know why it kept going when you stopped, and it should always remain centered on the blue dot, so it sounds like the map stopped moving when you did. Anyway, just turn on GPS from the menu.
As for wallpaper, you're really better off resizing the image manually on your PC. There's plenty of software out there (freeware) for editing and manipulating images. Just google for that. As I'm sure you're aware, you'll need to resize to 480x800 for the lockscreen.
Hope this helps
Edit:
Here's some freeware image editors...
http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/pixelbasedwin/tp/freephotoedw.htm
Google Maps
If you touch the blue dot (bottom right) I think it follows you. if you manually move the map after that, it stops.
I'm in an office right now so can't check but i'm pretty sure that's what happens.
paullong said:
Google Maps
If you touch the blue dot (bottom right) I think it follows you. if you manually move the map after that, it stops.
I'm in an office right now so can't check but i'm pretty sure that's what happens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point - I couldn't figure out why it would just stop moving and let the dot go off the screen.
Thanks for the responses. Iill try the google maps again on the way home. I did have GPS on, but maybe I moved the screen.
Just to clarify what I meant in the meantime though. The page/map remained stationary, only the blue dot moved as I moved. The blue dot obviously moved further and further along the road and carried right on off the screen. The page/map did not then move along with it, so I was just left with the map showing where I had started from, and not knowing where I was at the present time.
Is that any clearer, or more confusing
I'll just have to manually resize the picture then, little annoying, but not the end of the world
snerkler said:
Thanks for the responses. Iill try the google maps again on the way home. I did have GPS on, but maybe I moved the screen.
Just to clarify what I meant in the meantime though. The page/map remained stationary, only the blue dot moved as I moved. The blue dot obviously moved further and further along the road and carried right on off the screen. The page/map did not then move along with it, so I was just left with the map showing where I had started from, and not knowing where I was at the present time.
Is that any clearer, or more confusing
I'll just have to manually resize the picture then, little annoying, but not the end of the world
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As paullong said, you must have manually moved the map. This makes it stop following you, but the dot still shows where you are. The map just doesn't center on it any more.
If that happens, press the blue square with a dot in it at the bottom right and will center back in on you.
johncmolyneux said:
As paullong said, you must have manually moved the map. This makes it stop following you, but the dot still shows where you are. The map just doesn't center on it any more.
If that happens, press the blue square with a dot in it at the bottom right and will center back in on you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, thanks a lot
Alternative explanation: you were out of range of a data service so Google couldn't pull down maps fast enough .
Stephen Selby said:
Alternative explanation: you were out of range of a data service so Google couldn't pull down maps fast enough .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That wouldn't stop the map moving. It just stops the map downloading.
It's working fine, must have moved the map before. Pressed the blue dot and all works fine.
Many thanks

[Q] holding home button

I looked around but didn't find anything, although that doesn't mean anything.
My question is that when holding the home button,you get a whole semi circle, but just giogke now or whatever that silly thing is. Is there a way of adding programs or shortcuts to this popup. I have zero use for the Google thing so seems a shame if I am unable to add more useful items to this semi circle. Could prove pretty useful.
hughlle said:
I looked around but didn't find anything, although that doesn't mean anything.
My question is that when holding the home button,you get a whole semi circle, but just giogke now or whatever that silly thing is. Is there a way of adding programs or shortcuts to this popup. I have zero use for the Google thing so seems a shame if I am unable to add more useful items to this semi circle. Could prove pretty useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't seen anywhere you can add to that or change it. I love the google now thing, just to be able to tell it to wake me up in an hour if nothing else:laugh:
Try this app if you haven't already though, it will let you launch an app just by sliding in from the side of the screen, or bottom, or whereever you want.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.conduction.swipepad.android&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsIm1vYmkuY29uZHVjdGlvbi5zd2lwZXBhZC5hbmRyb2lkIl0.
Instead of launching Google Now you could get get an app launch list using 'Launch Now', which replaces default behavior. Just serach for it in PlayStore, as I may not insert links (10 posts rule)....
There's a way for people who want to hook into the swipe up action that may not be documented. Apps like "Sudo Quicklaunch" make the system switch the icon to a generic search icon and show you the standard action completion pop-up. (One can see this in the app's promotional video.) I haven't personally tested that app, but I have seen the swipe up reassignment behavior with "Secure Settings." The Secure Settings app actually changes the icon displayed by the swipe up menu, when you tell it to "Always" use that app, and Google Search does the same thing. Coincidentally, the same reassignment behavior appears to be possible with the shop icon in the stock launcher. (I saw it for myself in the days of Honeycomb with the transition from the original Honeycomb Market app to the new, unified Market app, because both were installed, it asked me to choose when I tapped shop.)

Switch off screen trick

Thought I'd share an interesting discovery,
I'm on the stock rom, and have both google search and google now disabled. I discovered by accident that whenever I press any of the three buttons and swipe up (similar to how you launch google now, but with any of the buttons), the screen is switched off and locked.
I dont 't know if anyone has noticed this before, but this is very useful since you can lock the phone from anywhere without having to use the hardware button.
I don't how you did this, but it doesn't work for me.
For me, when swiping up, if I move to the "google circle" it opens Google search, and if I don't move enough to that circle, nothing happens ...
ciberbeb said:
I don't how you did this, but it doesn't work for me.
For me, when swiping up, if I move to the "google circle" it opens Google search, and if I don't move enough to that circle, nothing happens ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As i mentioned, I have google search disabled as well. It also works with any of the 3 buttons. My phone isnt rooted or anything of that sort.
Install "screen off" app and do what khaledm_92 says

Missing Navigation Icon after 4.3 update

Hi everyone who reads this, So I did my 4.3 update and now I notice the blue triangle Navigation Icon is missing, OK I might be slow here but how do I do Navigation now ? I can go into Google Now and say "Navigate to ......... " and it works, but before the 4.3 update I would turn on the navigation app and show my location on the map as I drove and t would give me traffic info etc, I can I get that back without specifying a location I am going to ? Sometimes I just want to see a map I don't want directions, like going to work, I just want to see traffic flow etc, yes sometimes I use Waze sometimes I use Google Navigation. I hope I am clear here, thanks.
They merged it all into one in maps so of you want to navigate turn on GPS and open the Google maps type in destination then on bottom right should say navigate
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
teambestyrandy said:
They merged it all into one in maps so of you want to navigate turn on GPS and open the Google maps type in destination then on bottom right should say navigate
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought that they might of merged into maps just not sure how to navigate, thanks for the info I will look into it .
Its confusing at first but play around with it. Type in destination in the search bar, then bottom right will show a car click on that car it'll pop up a list. Choose the desire fastest time to get to the location click on it then it'll bring you back to maps but now the bottom right should say navigate press on that and it should be on navigation
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
I've just updated to 4.3 and I have a Tasker task that open the Navigation app and despite there beig no navigation app on the phone, it still works.
It's indeed possible to still have the navigate shortcut working. I don't know how you should do it manually, but I did a nova launcher restore after upgrading to 4.3 and got the shortcut icon back. Still working fine, can enter a 'from' and 'to' and select the 'car', 'train', 'bike' and 'walk' method.
I think Navigation was always a part of Maps, not a separate apk, now just no separate icon.
It was weird how they came out with several updates over a couple weeks and how they tweaked the interface. First they let the Nav and Places icons stay. But then on a subsequent update they deleted them.
It's also weird how when you search for a destination you want to Nav to, you never know exactly how Google is going to present the Nav steps to you, huh?
What's really annoying is the decreased functionality of the Local/Places part of Maps. Way harder to get to and way less useful info.
About the only thing I like better in the new version of Nav is more accurate arrival time (but Waze still better), complete list of previous destinations, and switchable arrival time, minutes left and miles left.
But, you can't get to Local without quitting Nav, and Nav no longer clearly displays the name of the street you are traveling on. It always used to be listed at the bottom of the screen.
Sorry to resurrect this dead thread but I just had the same issue with the latest (11/5) maps update and I too lost the navigation icon. Here is how I got it back:
Note that I am using Nova launcher but might be the same on yours:
1. Find empty location on the home screen and press for a second or so until "Add to Home screen" appears
2. Select "Shortcuts"
3. Select "Activities"
4. Scroll down until you find "Maps", click once to expand the list.
5. Select "Navigation"
And that should be it.

[Q] Moving home screen

Just got my Note 3.
Somehow the Home screen moved from position 4 to position 3.
How can I get it back in 4?
Moving up from S II and also have Note 8 but this seems more complicated.
Thanks
Soft menu key, edit page
Thanks that worked but now another problem.
Removed the weather time thing and I got a "No cards" banner.
What does that mean?
How do I get rid of it?
Tried to move the Google Now widget to the home screen, got this framework with dots that I couldn't do anything with and now I have 2 No Cards littering my home screen.
Any way to make the icons 5 across instead of 4?
Thanks in advance.
Shofar1 said:
Thanks that worked but now another problem.
Removed the weather time thing and I got a "No cards" banner.
What does that mean?
How do I get rid of it?
Tried to move the Google Now widget to the home screen, got this framework with dots that I couldn't do anything with and now I have 2 No Cards littering my home screen.
Any way to make the icons 5 across instead of 4?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Delete the widget, then choose the correct size you need/require from widget menu and readd to where you want them.
I was able to remove the No Cards and put in Google now.
But I still can't move any of my app icons to the home page. It looks like there is plenty of room but it snaps them back to the previous page.
Also S-Planner: I tried to install (month view) it to the screen next to the home screen, it defaulted to the last screen and every time I try and move it, it returns to last screen.
I even deleted it and tried again, nothing different.
Shofar1 said:
I was able to remove the No Cards and put in Google now.
But I still can't move any of my app icons to the home page. It looks like there is plenty of room but it snaps them back to the previous page.
Also S-Planner: I tried to install (month view) it to the screen next to the home screen, it defaulted to the last screen and every time I try and move it, it returns to last screen.
I even deleted it and tried again, nothing different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It won't let you move them to the home page? strange, make sure you are dragging them in fully as sometimes it'll snap them back if you don't.
With the S-Planner widget, again you'll have to resize it for it to sit on the screen you desire.

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