Google has updated its Google Search app for Android with a bunch of new Google Now features that debuted in Android 4.4 KitKat.
The update will essentially bring a taster of the expanded Google Now experience found in the Google Nexus 5 to older devices running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and above.
As you’ll have grown accustomed to by now if you use Google Now on a regular basis, new features means new cards. The Website update card, for example, notifies you when your favourite websites post a new story.
Meanwhile the News topic card sources fresh news articles on subjects you’re interested in. On a more trivial note, the What to watch card provides movie and TV recommendations when it notes that you’re staying at your home address for the evening.
Other established Google Now features are being improved with this latest update. For example, you can now be notified of any traffic incidents that have occurred on your regular commute route thanks to an injection of real-time data from Waze.
Google also points out that you can “set repeat reminders, get real time scores for rugby teams, and also see when your packages are ready for in-store pickup” following the latest update.
The latest version of Google Search (version three, if you’re counting) featuring all of these expanded Google Now features can be downloaded now from the Google Play Store, provided your device runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean or higher. As always with Google’s own apps, it’s completely free.
Next, read our Google Nexus 5 vs Nexus 4 comparison.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
