Skip to main content

Google Now spotted in builds of Chrome browser for Windows and Chrome OS

google now privacy data
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Like a trail of bread crumbs, Google has been leaving clues and references to what could be the eventual integration of Google Now on its Chrome web browser. Chromium (an open source browser where the more widely used Chrome browser gets its source code) expert François Beaufort did a little digging and found codes left by Google engineers indicating the arrival of the Android feature on PCs and Chromebooks or Chromeboxes. Unfortunately, no clues hinting at Chrome for Mac have been found.

Google Now is digital personal assistant introduced with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Think of it, like a combination of Siri, Google search, and an app that predicts your behavior. It delivers information – say, your schedule, Gmail Events, hotel and restaurant reservation, and even traffic info, among others – by displaying “cards” with the information you need on the interface of Android devices. Beaufort peviously spotted a code that would add a “Show Google Now notifications in Chrome” option to Chrome browsers on the Chromium Code Reviews page. This time around, he spotted the same code on a full beta release version of the Chrome browser. You can already enable the option if you have the technical know-how and the Google Now server you need, but you won’t be able to see the cards until the feature goes public, rendering it useless at this point. 

Recommended Videos

It’s unclear when Google will make the feature available on Chrome as the company has yet to confirm that it actually exists. 

Mariella Moon
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Mariella loves working on both helpful and awe-inspiring science and technology stories. When she's not at her desk writing…
Google Chrome has its own version of Window’s troubled Recall feature
google chrome version of recall blog header

Google has announced a number of AI features for the Chrome web browser, one of which can search through your browsing history using plain language. It's a bit like a toned-down version of Microsoft's Recall feature, which did this on the level of the entire operating system.

The example given entails typing the following question into your search history: "What was that ice cream shop I looked at last week?" Chrome will then dig through and pull up sites relevant to your question. It'll then suggest a website as the "AI Best Match."

Read more
Update your Chrome browser now to gain this critical security feature
Google Chrome icon in mac dock.

Yesterday, in a blog post on Google's security blog, Willian Harris from Chrome's Security Team said that Google is improving the security of Chrome cookies on Windows PCs by adopting a similar method used in macOS to help protect users from info-stealing malware.

The security update addresses session cookies that authenticate your identity when you switch apps without logging back in. Google wants to adopt the security system used by Keychain on macOS and start using "a new protection on Windows," which updates Data Protection API (DPAPI) and brings a new security tool called "application-bound" encryption.

Read more
This new Google Chrome security warning is very important
The Google Chrome logo on a black phone which is resting on a red book

Google is changing how it warns its users about suspicious files on Chrome by adding new full-page warnings and cloud scanning regarding suspicious downloads, according to Windows Report. This is an attempt to explain more precisely why it blocks specific downloads. Google says that the AI models will divide the warning into two categories: "suspicious" or "dangerous."

The new warning system primarily benefits those using the anti-phishing Enhanced protection feature. The files users upload to the cloud for an automatic scan and those that undergo a deep scan are 50 times more likely to have the AI flag them as malware.

Read more