Google Now no popup/card configuration

[tetelee]

I recently bought a Nexus 5 running Adroid 4.4.2. It's been three years since my previous Android phone was version 2.1. I was excited about Google Now since I read about it. But when I got my N5 and have it run. It doesn't work like I heard/imagined.

From what I understood (which could be wrong), Google Now should popup the new cards when they are available. But I never see any popup except for the weather and transit in notification center when I swipe to it. The only way I can see the cards is to swipe to left in the home screen, where I can see there are indeed some new cards since last time I checked. Now this is not how I imagine a push/active-delivery service is: Why I can only get the information when I check it? A relevant question is, it does not do any popup in my desktop Chrome either. I agree it might be annoying that some random cards would show up when you are in the middle of something, but I heard it is possible.

Another thing is I can't find the configuration of Google Now cards. I read some articles that if you swipe to the bottom and hit the three dots symbol at the right-bottom corner, you should be able to change some configurations like what kind of cards you are interested in. I do have "Settings" here, and I can enable/disable Google Now. Other than that, I have four options: Phone search, Voice, Accounts & privacy and Notifications. No config about cards though. In the center-bottom, another button is "Customize Google Now", and here I have Sports teams, Stocks, Places (only to register Home and Work) and Everything else (which asks me some basic questions). But it is now the card configuration I read.

Could it be because of my location? I am in Finland, so I can expect that not all services/cards are available like TV shows/Movie. And yet I still find the card content quite limited.

 

[Rxpert83]

Most of the "Now" features of Google Now start out in the US and gradually roll out to other countries.

You can find a list of cards (and maybe even the country they work in) at googles support page for Now:
https://support.google.com/websearch/topic/2847903?hl=en&ref_topic=4409793


With 4.4 they've redesigned the way you get to card settings.

You'll want the little magic wand in the bottom middle, not the 3 dot menu button

 

[OhSeven]

I'm actually glad there aren't notifications of new cards. It is a bit proactive and it would feel like spam if there were notifications. The cards I'm usually interested in aren't time sensitive, so checking for new cards isn't important (though I can understand the excitement of checking out all the new stuff!)

 

[tetelee]

Most of the "Now" features of Google Now start out in the US and gradually roll out to other countries.

You can find a list of cards (and maybe even the country they work in) at googles support page for Now:
https://support.google.com/websearch/topic/2847903?hl=en&ref_topic=4409793


With 4.4 they've redesigned the way you get to card settings.

You'll want the little magic wand in the bottom middle, not the 3 dot menu button

Yes, like I mentioned, I see the "customize google now" magic wand (I didn't know how to describe it) and yet it is still limited and is not what I read. I saw one article saying that I can simply choose what cards I want to see by selecting in check boxes. But I can't find such settings at all. There is indeed some question whether I want to get some specific card again after I configure them. Basically the sports, transit, stocks.

Also, what about popup? Is it true the only way to see Google Now cards is to open it? And there is no popup possibility?

 

[Rxpert83]

Yes, like I mentioned, I see the "customize google now" magic wand (I didn't know how to describe it) and yet it is still limited and is not what I read. I saw one article saying that I can simply choose what cards I want to see by selecting in check boxes. But I can't find such settings at all. There is indeed some question whether I want to get some specific card again after I configure them. Basically the sports, transit, stocks.

That was the old way they did it, and frankly I agree that the old way was better.

There is not a popup. You'll get notifications if you so choose, but I think pop-ups would turn a lot of people off. :dontknow:

 

[tetelee]

That was the old way they did it, and frankly I agree that the old way was better.

There is not a popup. You'll get notifications if you so choose, but I think pop-ups would turn a lot of people off. :dontknow:

Thanks for your answer. Then in what form these "notifications" appear? Only in notification center (currently I only have weather and time to work/home and only when I swipe down to show the whole notification center) or when I open the Google Now by swiping left from the home screen? It just doesn't feel like "notification" since I have to check them manually to get the information. Of course I agree with you popup and take up the whole screen is not good either.

 

[exninja]

Pretty sure the notification center is the only other place to see notifications. Currently when I pull down I usually see a sports score, and when it's quitting time at work it'll show "Time to home" info. In the past I have had it actively alert me when there is a traffic problem. Even though the issue was on a street I never take, it was still kinda cool since I was walking out to my car when it told me. Since I take surface streets to/from work and not the freeway I don't have many traffic problems. Otherwise I don't get any other notifications. FWIW

 

[tetelee]

Pretty sure the notification center is the only other place to see notifications. Currently when I pull down I usually see a sports score, and when it's quitting time at work it'll show "Time to home" info. In the past I have had it actively alert me when there is a traffic problem. Even though the issue was on a street I never take, it was still kinda cool since I was walking out to my car when it told me. Since I take surface streets to/from work and not the freeway I don't have many traffic problems. Otherwise I don't get any other notifications. FWIW

Thanks! I guess that's also what I have. The thing with notification center is, the cards don't appear on top of a normal screen like missed call (of course I understand it is not easy to present a card within such a small space). So unless I do some action, either swiping down to open a full notification center or opening Google Now, there is no way for me to find out if there is any new cards. To me, it is not a "notification" system if they just silently store the information and wait for you to discover it.

 

[sharkizzle]

As you search (say, for example, movies or TV shows or travel destinations), Google Now will learn and start displaying cards based on that information. Right now, Google Now is showing me a card for a show that I like to watch, displaying the time and the fact that it is a new episode. Additionally, it is showing cards for a few sports teams I like, as well.

Put me in the camp that prefers not to automatically show cards. That's too much information when I am trying to get business done. I like being able to reference that info when I have the time to devote to it.

 

[tetelee]

Sure I fully understand that. And I would probably turn the popup off if that's available to show all cards. I guess I somehow overestimated the technology advance, and assumed Google would know what kind of cards should be popped up (or give me the freedom to configure). For example, traffic, appointment or emergency alert should definitely be popped in any circumstances while TV shows/movie card just simply never popup. Apparently it can't be achieved now.

BTW, it hit me that I learned recently there is a new card, which will show the nearby stores if they have some products I searched before. How does it work if it doesn't notify me. It can't expect me to check Google Now all the time while I am on the street, just because there MIGHT be a store which has something I MIGHT be interested in.

 

[Rxpert83]

Sure I fully understand that. And I would probably turn the popup off if that's available to show all cards. I guess I somehow overestimated the technology advance, and assumed Google would know what kind of cards should be popped up (or give me the freedom to configure). For example, traffic, appointment or emergency alert should definitely be popped in any circumstances while TV shows/movie card just simply never popup. Apparently it can't be achieved now.

See, now I'm the exact opposite. If google now popped up anytime there was a traffic issue somewhere in the Twin Cities, I'd be more than peeved. I already turn off the traffic card because it presents them when I'm not anytime close to driving home/work.

Appointments/reminders will ring/vibrate your phone as well as present you with a notification in the notification pane, which is what I'd prefer.

From what I remember emergency alerts do pop up - although I've only had that happen once. Thats a scenario where I'm OK with android stopping whatever I may be doing to tell me whats going on.

BTW, it hit me that I learned recently there is a new card, which will show the nearby stores if they have some products I searched before. How does it work if it doesn't notify me. It can't expect me to check Google Now all the time while I am on the street, just because there MIGHT be a store which has something I MIGHT be interested in.

It may put it in your notification pane. I highly doubt its a pop up though.

I'd be willing to bet most people hate pop-ups. Alerts for android have always gone in the notification panel. Pop-ups are way too spammy for everyday use IMO. Especially if its popping up with ads for stores nearby

 

[tetelee]

I'd be willing to bet most people hate pop-ups. Alerts for android have always gone in the notification panel. Pop-ups are way too spammy for everyday use IMO. Especially if its popping up with ads for stores nearby

If it was an app developed by some lame third-party developer sure it can be spammy (I used some app from un-trusted source which gave me push advertisement on notification pane and I found it annoying), but this is Google we are talking about. It should not be extremely hard for them to filter out unwanted information popup, especially when those cards are from Google itself. At the very least, it can GIVE ME THE CHOICE for me to configure whether I want the popup/what cards I want to be popped up. It is already asking me "do you want to keep receiving the traffic time information?". What about adding one more question "do you want to receive it in popup?"

Anyway, this is just my feeling. If they really want to make a personal assistant with desirable interactivity, they need to provide a real "notification" service, which INFORMS you new information's arrival. Maybe not now, but it is inevitable in the future.

 

[Daboodah]

If it was an app developed by some lame third-party developer sure it can be spammy (I used some app from un-trusted source which gave me push advertisement on notification pane and I found it annoying), but this is Google we are talking about. It should not be extremely hard for them to filter out unwanted information popup, especially when those cards are from Google itself. At the very least, it can GIVE ME THE CHOICE for me to configure whether I want the popup/what cards I want to be popped up. It is already asking me "do you want to keep receiving the traffic time information?". What about adding one more question "do you want to receive it in popup?"

Anyway, this is just my feeling. If they really want to make a personal assistant with desirable interactivity, they need to provide a real "notification" service, which INFORMS you new information's arrival. Maybe not now, but it is inevitable in the future.

I 100% agree with you that we should be given the choice. It doesn't have to be a default, but why not give me a choice? When I tell Google Now to remind me to do something at a specific time or when I am near a specific place, an intrusive pop-up is what I actually want! To go a step further, a pop-up with flexible snooze options (much like COL Reminder app) would be absolutely perfect. Again, it's about giving us a choice. I'm guessing it's the cross-platform availability that drives the limitation more than anything, as I know Android has apps that deliver notifications just the way I prefer.