Google Now Launcher now available for all Android 4.1+ devices

As we head towards the final days of Android 4.4 KitKat, a number of changes are expected in the OS. We have covered many of these in our Android L review, but Google is also breaking down pieces of its Android native apps and one of the key components, the launcher, is now available for all Android devices running Jelly Bean 4.1 and above.   The Google Now Launcher combines the fantastic Google Now search and assistant functionality with the launcher. You can add any number of homescreens as long as there’s some content on them.   Phones which have only capacitive buttons and no onscreen buttons can pose a problem for users trying to access Google Now. In the launcher, Google Now is located just on the left of the first home screen and is accessible every time with a quick swipe to right. This makes things very easy on devices that do not allow you to go to Google Now with a long-press on the navigation keys (We’re looking at you, Indian phone makers).   Of course, you can totally opt-out of Google Now (It’s turned off by default), in case you are not interested in its features, but that’s the whole point of the launcher. Lately, it’s been getting some interesting new features, **such as telling you the places of interest around your hotel** , when you are travelling and it already has a robust set of voice-based features for near-handsfree experience.