It was only last week when we reported that Nova Launcher would be adding support for the Google Now pane through a companion app. Now, the developer has expanded the feature to support devices with Android Lollipop.
If unfamiliar, the Google Now feed, which is present when you are using the Pixel or Google Now launcher, gives users quick access to news cards by swiping right on the home screen. While it might not be everyone"s cup of tea, the ability to access little bits of information with a mere swipe is fairly convenient.
While exposing the Nova Launcher feature to a wider audience is certainly good news, enabling it is a bit complicated than simply just opting in. Since the information pane is normally restricted to the Pixel and Google Now Launcher, a workaround was used to enable it with Nova Launcher. This requires manually installing a debuggable APK that comes from outside of the Play Store. This must occur due to a restriction that Google has on using the API.
Once the APK is installed, you can install the beta of Nova Launcher, Nova Launcher 5.2-beta2, and then activate the Google Now page in Nova"s settings. Along with the additional support for Android Lollipop, the developer has also improved the stability of the launcher itself.
Source: TeslaCoil Software via Android Authority