Skip to main content

Nova Launcher’s Google Now integration now works on Lollipop devices

Just last week the talented developers behind Nova Launcher finally solved one of the biggest pain points of almost every third-party launcher by including native Google Now integration. The feature is clean and works great, but it does involve a bit of a workaround to activate. Now, the availability of that feature is expanding to older versions of the OS.

The “Google Companion” app for Nova Launcher is what enables the integration, but it was limited to Marshmallow and later on its initial release. In version 1.1, the app works on devices dating back to Android Lollipop. While most of us are running Marshmallow and Nougat at this point, nearly 30% of the Android ecosystem is still running Android 5.0 and 5.1.

The update also fixes a handful of bugs within the app to further refine the experience. You can download version 1.1 now from APKMirror as the app isn’t available on the Google Play Store for quite a few reasons.

Regardless of the Android version you’re on, adding Google Now to Nova Launcher is as simple as downloading and installing the Google Companion app from APKMirror. Once installed, Nova will automatically activate the feature.


FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Ben Schoon Ben Schoon

Ben is a Senior Editor for 9to5Google.

Find him on Twitter @NexusBen. Send tips to schoon@9to5g.com or encrypted to benschoon@protonmail.com.