Install Google Now Jelly Bean App on Ice Cream Sandwich Devices. Root Required [Guide]

Google Now has to be one of the most important features to debut with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Touted to be a better competitor to Apple’s Siri, Google Now lets you use voice recognition to get various information or perform different tasks. Google Now also tells you today’s weather before you start your day, how much traffic to expect before you leave for work, when the next train will arrive as you’re standing on the platform, or your favorite team’s score while they’re playing, in the form of ‘cards’. All of this is automatic and needs no user intervention, as Google Now learns your habits and uses them to improve the information it provides.

Google Now is supposed to be an Android 4.1 feature, but as always, those great minds at the XDA Developers forum have figured out a way to make it run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich devices. The procedure does require you to have a rooted device, but that’s a small requirement for something as awesome as Google Now.

NOTE: Voice recognition does not work in Google Now on Android 4.0 and probably won’t in the future, but all other features work properly.

Read on to find out how you can install Google Now on your Android 4.0-running device.

Important Requirements!

Following are the pre-requisites for installing Google Now:

  1. Your device must be running an Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 ROM. Google Now will NOT work on Gingerbread or prior Android versions.
  2. Your device must be rooted/have ClockworkMod recovery installed. Method I to install requires ClockworkMod recovery, while method II requires root access.

How to Install Google Now on Ice Cream Sandwich ROMs

Method I: Installing using ClockworkMod Recovery

This method has more chances of working than Method II. Use method II if you do not have ClockworkMod recovery installed on your device.

  1. Download the Google Now file.
    Download Link  |  Filename: GoogleNowICS.zip
  2. Copy the GoogleNowICS.zip file to the SD card on your device (internal or external according to what you device needs in order to flash files from recovery).
  3. Reboot phone into ClockworkMod recovery.
  4. Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the GoogleNowICS.zip file and select it. Confirm installation by selecting Yes.
  5. After installation is complete, select go back then select reboot system now to reboot your device. You can then use Google Now on your device by clicking on the Google or Search icon in the apps menu.

Method II: Installing using the Google Now APK File

This method may or may not work. Only try it if you do not have ClockworkMod recovery on your device.

  1. Install Root Browser Lite from the Google Play Store on your device.
  2. Open Root Browser on your device, click Continue. Then, grant it root access when you get a prompt on the screen by pressing the Allow/Grant button.
  3. Click on the green arrow at the top two times to go to the outer most folder. Then, go into /system/app, then rename the file “GoogleQuickSearchBox.apk” to “GoogleQuickSearchBox.bak”.
  4. Now, download the Google Now APK file:
    Download Link |  Filename: signed_velvet-voicereco.apk
  5. Copy the “signed_velvet-voicereco.apk” file to your device’s SD card.
  6. Go into Settings »  Security on your device and enable “Unknown sources” so that you can install apps from the SD card.
  7. Then, using Root Browser (or any other file manager app), navigate to where you copied the apk file (/sdcard will be the default location in most cases). Tap on the file, select Install to begin installing Google Now.
  8. You can now use Google Now on your device by clicking on the Google or Search icon in the apps menu.

Google Now is now installed on your Android 4.0 running device. You can check out some of the list of commands that Google Now responds to → here. Try it out, and let us know how it works in the comments below.

45 Comments

  1. installed on my rooted one xl and now evey time i try to use google seach it force closes. running cleanrom 4.0 devs edition

  2. installed on my GS1 (ICS) but i’m looking for app in menu and not meeting….help

  3. i had no problem installing google now but it does not even let me speak to it for searches wth?

  4. installed on my rooted one xl and now evey time i try to use google seach it force closes. running cleanrom 4.0 devs edition

  5. installed on my rooted one xl and now evey time i try to use google seach it force closes. running cleanrom 4.0 devs edition

  6. installed on my GS1 (ICS) but i’m looking for app in menu and not meeting….help

  7. installed on my GS1 (ICS) but i’m looking for app in menu and not meeting….help

  8. This should say but doesn’t, so far as all the other sites are reporting it is for AOSP roms only. AOKP and otherwise will continually force close or get stuck in boot loop apparently.

  9. installed without any problem but not working the way it should work. and icon reads”voice search” but “google now.” is that okay?

  10. i had no problem installing google now but it does not even let me speak to it for searches wth?

  11. i had no problem installing google now but it does not even let me speak to it for searches wth?

  12. This should say but doesn’t, so far as all the other sites are reporting it is for AOSP roms only. AOKP and otherwise will continually force close or get stuck in boot loop apparently.

  13. This should say but doesn’t, so far as all the other sites are reporting it is for AOSP roms only. AOKP and otherwise will continually force close or get stuck in boot loop apparently.

  14. installed without any problem but not working the way it should work. and icon reads”voice search” but “google now.” is that okay?

  15. installed without any problem but not working the way it should work. and icon reads”voice search” but “google now.” is that okay?

  16. Doesnt work 🙁 it says retry i havent even spoken yet

    1. Same thing, so annoying!

  17. Doesnt work 🙁 it says retry i havent even spoken yet

    1. Same thing, so annoying!

  18. Doesnt work 🙁 it says retry i havent even spoken yet

    1. Same thing, so annoying!

  19. I installed the ZIP on my Samsung Galaxy S3 – it didn’t work at first but I went back into Recovery, Advanced, Fix Permissions – then rebooted the system – Click on Google Icon and Google Now Intro came up and the Cards are now Working – Good Luck…

    1. UPDATE: Google Search is Force Closing – Uninstalling NOW…

  20. dont work for me on i9100 and litening rom. speaktoit assistant works well though

  21. I installed the ZIP on my Samsung Galaxy S3 – it didn’t work at first but I went back into Recovery, Advanced, Fix Permissions – then rebooted the system – Click on Google Icon and Google Now Intro came up and the Cards are now Working – Good Luck…

    1. UPDATE: Google Search is Force Closing – Uninstalling NOW…

  22. I installed the ZIP on my Samsung Galaxy S3 – it didn’t work at first but I went back into Recovery, Advanced, Fix Permissions – then rebooted the system – Click on Google Icon and Google Now Intro came up and the Cards are now Working – Good Luck…

    1. UPDATE: Google Search is Force Closing – Uninstalling NOW…

  23. don’t install in aokp it break all search

  24. dont work for me on i9100 and litening rom. speaktoit assistant works well though

  25. dont work for me on i9100 and litening rom. speaktoit assistant works well though

  26. Robert Monterroso

    don’t install in aokp it break all search

  27. Robert Monterroso

    don’t install in aokp it break all search

  28. Installed on Galaxy S ICS. Installed OK (Method 2) but as soon as you press the Mic button it said it couldn’t hear you please retry.

  29. Installed on Galaxy S ICS. Installed OK (Method 2) but as soon as you press the Mic button it said it couldn’t hear you please retry.

  30. Installed on Galaxy S ICS. Installed OK (Method 2) but as soon as you press the Mic button it said it couldn’t hear you please retry.

  31. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM! what is the reason why it does not work and keep on saying retry!!?

  32. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM! what is the reason why it does not work and keep on saying retry!!?

  33. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM! what is the reason why it does not work and keep on saying retry!!?

  34. Haha y’all should have bought the Nexus.
    Or just wait patiently for a dev to make you a 4.1 ROM.

  35. Haha y’all should have bought the Nexus.
    Or just wait patiently for a dev to make you a 4.1 ROM.

  36. Haha y’all should have bought the Nexus.
    Or just wait patiently for a dev to make you a 4.1 ROM.

  37. It always says try again

  38. It always says try again

  39. It always says try again

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