Google starts rolling out Now for desktop version Chrome

Google has started rolling out its search and information service Now for the desktop. Users of the Chrome browser will be offered the feature in the near future, which works together with the version on the smartphone.

The internet giant announced in a post on its own social networking site Google+ that the rollout has started immediately for users of the Chrome browser. According to Google, the rollout is being phased; it may take several weeks for all users to access Now. However, it is possible to manually turn on notifications from Google Now via chrome://flags/. If desired, the feature can also be turned off.

When a user logs into Chrome for the desktop with the same Google account as on a smartphone, Now can combine data from both platforms. For example, for location-based information on the desktop, the location of the linked mobile phone is used. Furthermore, Now can display information about the weather, news, traffic and notifications from Google services.

Google previously came with Now support in a beta version of Chrome. The service has been available for smartphones for some time, with support for iOS being added recently.