Now on Tap came in with a roar, but after the initial excitement, it didn’t find a place in the day-to-day use of my phone.

ile it was nice to be able to do a rapid-fire search from any screen, it usually didn’t produce the kind of “wow” moments to make me a regular user, unlike when I first discovered Now.

Fortunately, that’s changing. Some behind-the-scenes updates more up-front features have turned Now on Tap into an essential part of how I use Android. It’s become so ingrained that I often have that, “oh right, I can’t do that” moment when using iOS or a desktop .

If you’re a Now on Tap newbie would like to know more about what can be discovered, here’s a breakdown of some of the most interesting discoveries. As with most searches, the more you experiment try it out in new settings, the better your experience will be.

There’s no such thing as too much information when you’re doing product research. Now on tap brings a lot here, as you can fire it up after you a term to get links to a shopping search, YouTube videos, social media profiles.

In particular, it’s a big help after you the name of a product or find something you want while reading in a browser, as ‘s dedicated shopping sub-scection is rather useful at finding you some deals. So hold down that home button next time you come across something that you want to find out whether or not the price is right.

Now already does a pretty good job with sports, but how about putting it to use while you’re actually watching a game? st point your camera at the screen then launch Now on tap so can scan what is sees through the lens. 

The results are going to depend not only on who’s playing but what’s on the screen, as I discovered recently. I was watching an M soccer game got a now card for the league, but Now on Tap also picked up the score between the Cubs Marlins on the bottom ticker. It also spotted the Ethiad Airways logo on players’ uniforms. It’s another sign that you’ll never quite know what shows up unless you try it out.

So where exactly was that vacation photo taken? Now on tap may know. The image recognition technology is pretty great in this regard, as it spotted the antom Manor from Disneyl ris (the equivalent of the Haunted Mansion) from my camera roll.

Yet other places I tried this one didn’t work out so well, with other venues not recognized. Sometimes, Now on Tap would focus on the text found in the picture itself, as my pictures from novo Techrld brought up a lot of details about the technology company instead of The Masonic in San Francisco, where the event was recently held.

If you don’t know the story behind the Charging Bull statue on ll Street, now you do. This is a great way to answer the inevitable, “at’s that?” question that comes up when you travel or are looking through your past images.

My favorite feature is how Now on tap will link right to Street View, so you can get an up-close–personal view of what’s nearby, which can help you if you’re sting right there or trying to remember some of the particulars of a past trip. 

en you’re reading a news story, it’s easy to spot a topic that you want to know more about. st press hold the home button to let Now on tap do the searching for you. It will pull content from the article, trying to guess what’s most worth searching. I’ve come to rely on this a lot, as it saves you a few steps from having to open a new tab perform a search or copy paste from the first article.

If there’s a particular term you want to explore, then touch the finger icon at the bottom of the screen highlight the text you want to look up. It’s a very helpful tool, of course lets help you perform a ton of more searches.

Maybe you’ve checked in on the weather for where you live or another favorite city, decided that it’s time to find out what’s up with the news there. Fire up Now on Tap, you’ll get a search possibly some articles for that particular locale. 

This worked a lot better in larger cities, as you can imagine, but it’s worth even for what you might turn up by performing a search of that area. This is one tool that could definitely improve, with perhaps additional results options or weather suggestions when you launch Now on tap. 

Reading can bring up a lot of questions. Now on Tap can help answer them, or at least point you in the right direction. It works in surprising ways, recognizing comic book characters other relevant information with just one scan of a page. Same goes with non-fiction books or literature, as you may be able to get a review, author information, or details about one of the historical figures or characters

There’s something to be said about this being another place where distraction can creep in to a focused activity, but with the right level of self-control Now on tap is a welcome addition here.

t’s say you’re chatting with someone about weekend plans, you’re the one tasked to set up the restaurant reservations. th a Now on Tap search, you might come up with the phone number or web site right away.

It’s like a first step to the assistant promised with lo, which puts search right inside of your conversation. It would be even more helpful if such searches could include one-tap access to start the call or a link to an app like OpenTable for a quick reservation.

No matter how large your vocabulary, there’s bound to be a time when you come across a word you don’t know. Chrome lets you do an instant search, but that option isn’t always available in every app. 

t Now on Tap help you out here. Once you lauch it, you can touch the h icon then select a specific word or phrase. You’ll then get a Now on tap search that will launch different cards based on the term. You may get news, kipedia links, or even searches within other apps (I’ve found this part to be the most inconsistent, with some of them not working). 

It’s a great way to do a quick check of a term, so definitely give it a try.

Ultimately Now on Tap, particularly at this stage, is about experimentation.

That’s what I did in pointing the camera at my cat, a Starbucks iced coffee cup, other objects. Sometimes you get nothing, other times you’ll be impressed at what is able to recognize. That really sums up where Now on Tap is right now. low it to delight you with some unusual discoveries, but it’s not completely predictable in how it’s going to act. Of course, your friends, family, pets may need to be wary as you start pointing your phone at everything to see what can find.