Nexus 4 And Google Now Question

[strausd]

So I am coming from an iPhone 4S. I'm used to just holding down the hone button to get Siri. With Google Now, I need to swipe up from the bottom and then press a tiny microphone button in order to talk (yes I know about saying "Google" but it is very inconsistent for me). Is there any way to eliminate that extra step? Where I just swipe up and once Google Now appears I can start talking?

 

[JunBringer]

I think the microphone button on the end of the google search widget, which is on every homescreen, may work for you if you just hit that and then say whatever you won't have to go into google now in the first place really. Anyone know if that works the same way?

 

[strausd]

I think the microphone button on the end of the google search widget, which is on every homescreen, may work for you if you just hit that and then say whatever you won't have to go into google now in the first place really. Anyone know if that works the same way?

The whole point is I want to try and avoid having to hit a tiny on screen button. The only time I am going to use voice commands are when I can only use my phone over voice, meaning I can't touch the screen. So having to touch a small icon kind of defeats the purpose for my use.

I need to be able to invoke Google Now without ever having to look where I am tapping. And I can kind of do that by saying "Google" once Google Now is up. But it isn't consistent. I need to be able to talk right when I swipe up.

If I first swipe up to open Google Now and tap a few times, eventually I will end up hitting the mic and be able to talk. But I am just trying to eliminate a pointless additional step.

 

[gonzo8402]

good question

 

[NeXuS4]

Agreed, they should have either added a physical button or tied the feature to an existing button. I suspect they didn't want to get sued by Apple for copyright infringement.

 

[MyTjSux]

my "google" is very consistant....odd yours isnt...i dont need to look on my phone to touch bottom center and swipe up an inch

 

[JunBringer]

You might be able to program Tasker to let you hold down, say, volume up and power or something to do this.

 

[strausd]

Quick follow up:
I installed Nova Launcher Prime and set a swipe up gesture on the home screen to do this. It works perfectly. I can't do it from the lock screen but I can easily get to the homescreen and do this gesture without looking at the screen. I might buy tasker after Christmas when I get a little extra money

 

[JunBringer]

Good idea! I did the same thing to bring up multitasking on my Galaxy Note, as it didn't have the dedicated button that the Nexus does.

 

[gonzo8402]

Well, upon actually using the service. I don't know what more the op can ask for.

I swipe up and day Google then I tell the phone what I want.

There is no additional step

 

[JunBringer]

I think he wanted to avoid having to say "Google", which I think he accomplished with the gesture.

 

[batmandroid]

Quick follow up:
I installed Nova Launcher Prime and set a swipe up gesture on the home screen to do this. It works perfectly. I can't do it from the lock screen but I can easily get to the homescreen and do this gesture without looking at the screen. I might buy tasker after Christmas when I get a little extra money

good solution. that's why i love android. i would use nova launcher either way. nova launcher is quite awesome.

I think he wanted to avoid having to say "Google", which I think he accomplished with the gesture.

i was thinking at first, that google should have it listen by default, but now, i think they had it right. you should need to say something to initiate the listening of the app, and it listens always but only for one key word.

this is smart, and choosing google as the word, is also smart.

what they could do however, would be to allow the user to select which word to use.

like you can do with voice actions, kind of like naming your phone.

so you could change it to "nexus" or "bitch" so you could do stuff like, swipe, and say "hey bitch, what's the weather like?"

idk, being able to name your phone that way could be fun. and for some people if the word google, is inconsistent, because of an accent maybe, or a person's timber, or idk, whatever, they could choose a more consistent word that works better for them.

 

[JunBringer]

Good idea, I'd love to rename mine various things.