Google Assistant launched as an exclusive to the Pixel, but as of this week, it’s rolling out to each and every Android user who meets the very broad requirements. However, some users aren’t loving the change. Luckily, there’s a pretty easy way to go back to Now on Tap, regardless of the phone you’re using.
One of Google’s quietly fantastic products in the past few years was Google Now on Tap. While it didn’t prove to be something we used every day, its impressive screen search features come in handy. Google Assistant, though, replaces Now on Tap, and it makes this functionality just a bit harder to find,
But it is still there, so here’s how to find the Google Now on Tap screen search within Google Assistant.
Announced during Mobile World Congress, Google is expanding Assistant to more phones running Android Marshmallow or higher. This is a huge move on Google’s part as the virtual assistant was previously only running on the Pixel, Android Wear 2.0 watches, and the Home. The problem with the Google Assistant, though, is that it removes Now on Tap. Do you think that is for the better?
If you like to use Now on Tap to capture a quick screenshots, you’re about to be disappointed. It appears that Google is actively removing the feature — I’m currently no longer seeing it on my Galaxy S7 edge — from the latest versions of the Google app…
Introduced last month, Google’s “In Apps” mode allows you to quickly search installed apps. A dedicated shortcut — first available on the LG V20 — lets users directly jump into the mode from the homescreen. The latest Google app beta makes the shortcut available to all users and renames several major features, including Now on Tap.
Now on Tap has been criticized for its lack of usefulness since its launch in October. Today, it’s receiving its first major update that adds new languages and now recognizes more types of information. The screenshot feature previous seen in the beta channel is also now rolling out again.
The latest beta of the Google app adds a share icon to Now On Tap that doubles as a quick way to take and share screenshots of your current screen. While Now on Tap hasn’t been the most useful feature yet, most people will find this to be a very practical and nifty trick.
If you’ve been waiting on Google Now to Tap to be available to those running the Android M Developer Preview, the wait is over. Besides a few days when Developer Preview 3 first launched, those running the developer version of M have been left without access to the feature. Now, it seems that Google is finally opening the floodgates…
Google Now on Tap is the latest big feature to come to Google Now, allowing users to quickly find more information about just about anything on their screen. If you’re reading an article about Donald Trump, Now on Tap can give you more info about him and links to his social media profiles and website, for example.
At this point, I’d suggest waiting until October 5th for the official rollout of Android Marshmallow to Nexus devices. But if you’re super antsy and just want to try out Google Now on Tap right now, you can head over and read our guide on how to install the Developer Preview 3 factory image. It’s not too tough, if you have the time.
