Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Google Now on Tap to gain shortcuts to reminders, alarms, nearby places, and more

Google's Now on Tap gains shortcuts to alarms and places nearby, becomes a whole lot more useful

Kyle Wiggers
By

google now explore interests version 1470692246 header
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Google’s Now on Tap, an Android service that parses the content on your smartphone’s display to serve up contextually relevant links, is a great demonstration of the search giant’s machine-learning muscle, but not necessarily the killer app some predicted. Sure, it’s nice to have Google surface showtimes for, say, that movie you and a friend were texting about, but sometimes Tap results miss the mark or don’t appear quickly.

But Now on Tap is evolving, and with the handy new additions some folks are beginning to see, it may become a bit more useful soon: Users who’ve opted to receive beta releases of the Google search app have noticed new shortcuts within Now on Tap’s interface.

Recommended Videos

Previously, pressing and holding the home button on a Now on Tap-compatible smartphone surfaced one of two screens: the aforementioned search results if Google could make sense of what was on your smartphone’s screen, or a “Nothing on Tap” error message if it couldn’t. In the latest Google app beta revision (version 6.0), though, both are joined by two rows of icons: quick actions –“New reminder,” “Create an event,” “Set an alarm,” “Start timer,” “Navigate to work,” and “Navigate home” — and a link to a Google maps search for “places nearby” — e.g., restaurants, cafes, bars, shopping, gas stations, and ATMs.

nexus2cee_Screenshot_20160616-152741_thumb
9to5Google
9to5Google
Related

The change might be perceived as a not-so-tacit acknowledgement of Now on Tap’s limitations. Now on Tap always required a leap of faith, in a sense: you had to trust that it would will identify the person or object you were searching for. By contrast, Google’s upcoming messaging app, Allo, will feature Now on Tap-like artificial intelligence that can be to a degree tailored: it’ll helpfully suggest searches that might be useful in conversation, but can also be commanded one-on-one to perform specific searches and tasks.

Now on Tap, to be fair, has made steps in that general direction. It gained optical character recognition (OCR) in a recent update, allowing you to select words and terms with precision. And it can now search for buildings and landmasses visible in your phone’s camera app. But if nothing else, the addition of shortcuts to Now on Tap are an indication that Google’s starting to rethink where the service fits in its machine-learning ecosystem. For folks who’ve yet to start using it regularly, that’s probably a good thing.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Kyle Wiggers
Kyle Wiggers
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…
The 6 best tablets for kids in 2024
Fire HD 6 Kids Edition

Tablets, which cater to a wide range of purposes, are also excellent devices for children. Younger kids will be able to access educational and entertainment apps with a tactile experience because of the devices' touchscreens. while older kids can use them for their schoolwork and recreational activities. However, not all tablets in the market are designed for children, so to help you decide what to buy, we've rounded up the best tablets for kids of all ages.

There are no limitations to the learning and creativity of children, and a tablet will help them develop their knowledge and skills like no other gadget can. While it's still necessary for parents to guide their kids in maximizing the use of their tablets, it can't be denied that the device has the potential to be a useful tool for your children as they grow up. Buying them one of our recommended tablets below will make sure that they get an appropriate device for their age, as we took into consideration several factors that prioritize your kid's well-being above all else.
The best tablets for kids in 2024

Read more
Visible’s affordable 5G plans just got even cheaper
The Visible logo on a smartphone.

Visible has a new offer that can help you save significant money when switching to its service. Both Visible and Visible+ packages are now available for purchase upfront on an annual basis. These new annual plans are available for new Visible customers starting today, while existing customers will gain access to them this May.

With this new deal, the Visible+ plan costs $395 per year when paid upfront instead of $540 when paid in 12 monthly installments of $45 each. This means you can save $145, which is 26%. That's an incredible savings. When paying upfront for the regular Visible plan, it will cost $275 per year, saving you $25. If you pay for it monthly, the standard Visible plan costs $25 per month (or $300 per year).

Read more
iPhone SE 4: news, rumored price, release date, and more
The Apple iPhone SE (2022) and Apple iPhone SE (2020) together.

While the spotlight always seems to be on Apple’s mainline iPhones, the iPhone SE is a great pick for those who are on a budget. If you want an iPhone that doesn't break the bank, the SE is the way to go.

The original iPhone SE came out in 2016, and then Apple revamped it in 2020 and 2022 by giving it some more modern hardware. The iPhone SE tends to get updated every two or so years rather than annually like the traditional iPhone. This means  that we should see a new iPhone SE 4 this year, but it’s not so cut-and-dried with this particular model.

Read more