[Mod][Guide][ICS]How to fully replace S-voice with Google Now voice search

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Ghstudent

Senior Member
Mar 31, 2012
1,043
457
This is simply a tutorial on how to replace Samsung's crappy s-voice with the amazing Google Now voice search!

In order to follow this guide you must be rooted, if you are not and wish to do so, follow the guide here:http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1739426 If you are already rooted, then continue with the guide!

Step 1: Installing Google Now:
1.)Download the Google now flashable zip here (download the one entitled mikey7 online/offline voice) XDA Google Now Download Thread
2.)Make sure they are on your internal SD card and reboot into recovery
3.)choose install zip file and navigate to wherever the file is (if you are unsure then there is a good chance that it is filed under downloads/mikey7_offline.zip)
4.)once you are done with this, turn your device back on and verify that the app "Google" is in your app drawer
5.)If so then continue with the tutorial, if not then retry and if that does not resolve the issue then post questions in this forum.

Step 2: Activating Google Now
1.)Make sure you have Google latitude installed and have set up your account for latitude before continuing just to be safe.
2.)Launch the Google Now app and go through the setup until you click the "Yes, I'm in." option and your cards appear
3.)Continue to the next and final step or, if you are happy with not being able to launch Now via double tapping the home button, stop here and have a nice day!

Step 3: Replacing S-Voice
1.)Go into S-voice settings and uncheck the option "Launch S-Voice"
2.)Download a free app from the market called "home2 shortcut" (or link here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eikatou0.appspot.home2shortcut ..)
3.)Set the double tap home option (Home> Home) to launch "Voice Search" from installed applications. (make sure it displays a blue microphone when you do this)
4.)Continue with the instructions for the app and close the app.
5.)Test it out, if it doesn't launch directly into the voice search after doing the double home then follow the next few steps, if it does then skip to step 8.
6.)Open the Google Now app (it will be listed as "Google" in your app drawer)
7.)Press menu>refresh.
8.)Reboot
9.)Enjoy having Google Now on your Ice cream sandwich Samsung Galaxy S3!

Don't Forget to hit the thanks button if this helped you!

Credits go to:
SilentStormer - kept the Google Now for ICS thread up to date
Slickdaddy96-helped me find apps
Google- For making this awesome Program
Samsung- For the hardware!
 
Last edited:

OpaqueEcho

Member
Oct 31, 2010
20
4
Thanks for this...is there a way to set this up so that a single press while in my launcher (Nova Launcher) returns to the default screen? Single presses in the launcher do not currently do anything.
 

Ghstudent

Senior Member
Mar 31, 2012
1,043
457
Thanks for this...is there a way to set this up so that a single press while in my launcher (Nova Launcher) returns to the default screen? Single presses in the launcher do not currently do anything.

You maybe can go into gestures settings in nova and set up the double tap for voice search in nova. However, you may have to triple press. This was actually my work around for a small time. You may have to buy the premium nova in order to use gestures though. Hope this works!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
 
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engaz

Member
May 4, 2011
12
2
the manual search is working perfectlly on my tab 10.1 running 4.0.4.

but the voice function is not. the message of "shell has been granted in su perm" kept appering for tens of times. then the app get forced to close.
thanks for the great effort...
 

OpaqueEcho

Member
Oct 31, 2010
20
4
You maybe can go into gestures settings in nova and set up the double tap for voice search in nova. However, you may have to triple press. This was actually my work around for a small time. You may have to buy the premium nova in order to use gestures though. Hope this works!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

Thanks for the reply...should the Back button be doing something in Google Now? It doesn't seem to back out of the application...
 

jfp999

Member
Jul 16, 2012
37
5
Thanks! It works but unfortunately the home button goes back to home really jerky and unsmooth along with a slight lag. Any fixes?
 

ighost77

Member
Sep 16, 2009
47
4
Everything went smooth, just "Step3/#6". I don't have Google Now icon in my app drawer, but I do have "Voice Search" icon.
Is it the same?
 

Bruce Lee

Senior Member
Jan 20, 2011
2,212
418
Ohio
plus.google.com
Is it easy to revert back to S-Voice? Not saying i would but if you have to.

Edit: Never mind. Doing the guide in reverse order works.

Sent from my SGSIII with the XDA Premium App
 
Last edited:

tjb433

Senior Member
Mar 16, 2011
201
31
This is awesome, the best search experience out there by far, works perfectly thanks!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
 

tjb433

Senior Member
Mar 16, 2011
201
31
Seeing fc on rooted stock rom...reverted back to google search

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

Maybe try a reinstall? Havent tried it on stock rooted, I'm running wanamlite 1.2 and it works perfectly, I Also have s-voice disabled if it matters

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
 

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  • 139
    This is simply a tutorial on how to replace Samsung's crappy s-voice with the amazing Google Now voice search!

    In order to follow this guide you must be rooted, if you are not and wish to do so, follow the guide here:http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1739426 If you are already rooted, then continue with the guide!

    Step 1: Installing Google Now:
    1.)Download the Google now flashable zip here (download the one entitled mikey7 online/offline voice) XDA Google Now Download Thread
    2.)Make sure they are on your internal SD card and reboot into recovery
    3.)choose install zip file and navigate to wherever the file is (if you are unsure then there is a good chance that it is filed under downloads/mikey7_offline.zip)
    4.)once you are done with this, turn your device back on and verify that the app "Google" is in your app drawer
    5.)If so then continue with the tutorial, if not then retry and if that does not resolve the issue then post questions in this forum.

    Step 2: Activating Google Now
    1.)Make sure you have Google latitude installed and have set up your account for latitude before continuing just to be safe.
    2.)Launch the Google Now app and go through the setup until you click the "Yes, I'm in." option and your cards appear
    3.)Continue to the next and final step or, if you are happy with not being able to launch Now via double tapping the home button, stop here and have a nice day!

    Step 3: Replacing S-Voice
    1.)Go into S-voice settings and uncheck the option "Launch S-Voice"
    2.)Download a free app from the market called "home2 shortcut" (or link here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eikatou0.appspot.home2shortcut ..)
    3.)Set the double tap home option (Home> Home) to launch "Voice Search" from installed applications. (make sure it displays a blue microphone when you do this)
    4.)Continue with the instructions for the app and close the app.
    5.)Test it out, if it doesn't launch directly into the voice search after doing the double home then follow the next few steps, if it does then skip to step 8.
    6.)Open the Google Now app (it will be listed as "Google" in your app drawer)
    7.)Press menu>refresh.
    8.)Reboot
    9.)Enjoy having Google Now on your Ice cream sandwich Samsung Galaxy S3!

    Don't Forget to hit the thanks button if this helped you!

    Credits go to:
    SilentStormer - kept the Google Now for ICS thread up to date
    Slickdaddy96-helped me find apps
    Google- For making this awesome Program
    Samsung- For the hardware!
    3
    Seriously? This is ridiculous. "I ask this so that if anyone has any problems they know where to troubleshoot." BS, you want that link so people come and give you more popularity, which is just stupid. But since you are being so obnoxious about it, I will just start repackaging the now package myself and distribute it. Do me a favor and get off my post.

    Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

    I have edited the links in Post #1 to comply with XDA rules. Please ensure they continue to be followed going forward.
    3
    The ZIP has been updated in the original authors thread.

    http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=31525891
    2
    So is this more useful than S Voice?

    Incredibly more useful

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
    2
    Seriously? This is ridiculous. "I ask this so that if anyone has any problems they know where to troubleshoot." BS, you want that link so people come and give you more popularity, which is just stupid. But since you are being so obnoxious about it, I will just start repackaging the now package myself and distribute it. Do me a favor and get off my post.

    Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

    This is ironic, because your post really is just a FAQ in the original thread. So was your point of posting it for "popularity"? You posted it and while thanking people in the original post but never actually linking to the original post which is general etiquette. At first I thought you were just posting this to help people out, specifically to the GS3, but now I question your motives. Not to mention the front page on it. I am not sure it was worthy of it especially when you broke several XDA rules when posting it. The rules are there for a reason, you nor I may like some of them, but they are there to de-clutter the forum and to make it a great and easy community to use.

    I can guarantee you that if you continue to go down this path, per the rules, you will lose this battle and your thread will be taken down. Cajun was simply requesting you not post his files. You will need to ask Mikeyxda and Reekotubs if you are going to use their modified apks to package any zip file. If you post them before getting permission you are also breaking the rules.

    I have no bones in this fight when it comes to popularity. I am not a known contributor or anything else, nor do I care how many "thanks" I get. Its a freaking message board, who cares how popular someone is. I took up for you in the other thread to begin with, but you are making me look like a fool doing so.