Google Now

Get Weather, Sports, Stocks cards from Google Now on desktop Chrome

For Android users, Google Now remains one of the best features on the platform, allowing users to search, perform actions and get instant updates in a variety of categories. And Google is actively adding new features to make Now a better product, not just in the US, but around the world too. The latest addition is aimed at integrating the same on desktop PCs.

Earlier last month Google had disclosed plans to bring Google Now to desktop, and now the company has kept its word. Google’s Chrome team announced via its Twitter account that Google Now is now available for desktop (i.e. not mobile) Chrome users.

The Google Now feature is accessible only by signing into Chrome with the same account that one uses on their Now account on Android or iOS. The feature can be accessed via the Windows, Mac and Chrome OS versions of the browser. The new update will display informative cards that appear on Android phones on your desktop browser. These cards provide information about weather, sports and other updates, depending on what you search. It will also display information related to your travel time to home or office, if you have saved the addresses. It remains to be seen how much of the mobile functionality has been retained in the desktop version.

Interestingly, if you are searching for something on the desktop, it reportedly also pops up a card on the phone too. Those who use multiple devices will need to manage the location settings for each of their devices separately. Some cards could be based on the location of your mobile device, so that may not always be useful.

In case you feel that you do not need any particular information, just dismiss the card, which helps Google understand what you find relevant and when. The service will currently be available only in English, but Google has plans to add other languages soon.

Those who do not want to use Google Now on desktop, but remain signed-in, can turn it off by clicking the bell icon – on the lower right corner of your computer screen for PCs or upper right corner for Mac  - and uncheck Google Now within the settings.