Multiple users have uploaded images and screen recordings with a new feature in Google Now — a Dashboard. The Google app looks the same as before except there’s a new bar at the bottom that offers the Google “Home” on the left, and the “Dashboard” on the right. Unfortunately, none of the images show what the Dashboard actually takes you to, but the “Home” is essentially the default Google Now homepage.
One of the users who posted a screenshot of the new feature says “nothing appears” when he clicks Dashboard, meaning it’s likely not working. And it also seems to only show up when he’s using the Nexus Launcher, a proprietary launcher Google is bundling into Android Nougat for the upcoming Nexus devices. The buttons disappear when the user reverts back to the Google Now Launcher.
The user, Andrew Krause, says he “made a calendar entry and a reminder in Keep and both appeared in the Dashboard. It seems to pull data from other Google services so that they are all available in one place.” Essentially if you use other Google services like Calendar, Inbox, and Maps, you’ll likely be able to see and act on notifications in the Dashboard.
The APK for Google’s upcoming Nexus Launcher was unofficially leaked earlier this month; it seems like if you downloaded it you may be able to see this new Dashboard feature. That means Google may not have intended this feature to be seen yet, and it only affirms that the Nexus Launcher will bring proprietary features to Nexus devices only.
This is not the only new feature the search giant is testing — a new “Explore Interests” feature recently began showing up for select users, allowing them to set specific categories and topics for Google Now to track.
