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(Pocket-lint) - Google Assistant is the bundle giant's dependable adjunct and its reply to Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa. You tin inquire Assistant astir anything, and it volition recognize your words successful context, serving up applicable results successful a conversational manner.
Pretty overmuch each azygous Android telephone has Assistant installed retired of the container these days, truthful if you person a caller Android phone, there's a precise bully accidental you person entree to Google's voice-activated helper already. In fact, erstwhile you archetypal acceptable up your telephone it'll instrumentality you done the basics of getting started.
To assistance you fig retired everything Assistant does connected the phone, we've rounded up immoderate adept tips and tricks. If you person a Nest oregon Google Home device, we person a separate tips and tricks feature you tin work to get the astir retired of those devices.
Google Assistant tips and tricks
Many of the tips beneath were written with a Pixel 6 phone moving Android 12, though they volition enactment connected different Google-Assistant compatible phones too; beauteous overmuch each Android phones, arsenic good arsenic iOS devices with the Google Assistant app. You mightiness find the settings menus are successful antithetic places, however.
Getting started
When you archetypal get your Assistant connected your smartphone you'll beryllium asked to usage Google Assistant and "OK Google" always-on dependable detection. You'll person to acceptable up an "OK Google" dependable exemplary truthful that the telephone tin recognise your dependable astatine immoderate clip and activate Google Assistant to service your needs (whether that beryllium to play music, fetch the upwind forecast, oregon whatever).
Pick the close Google relationship for Assistant
Google Assistant feeds disconnected your Google account. It's important to marque definite that you setup Assistant with the aforesaid relationship that you're going to beryllium asking it to find accusation from, particularly erstwhile it comes to photos.
If you usage 1 relationship for Assistant and a antithetic relationship for your Google Photos, past it won't person access.
Adjust settings
Google Assistant has a Settings menu. Under this menu, you tin bash everything from set your "OK Google" dependable exemplary to viewing a summary of your enactment generated by Assistant.
Open your Settings app and hunt for 'Assistant', and you should spot an enactment that says 'Assistant Settings' successful the list. Tap connected that and it'll instrumentality you to your Google Assistant main settings menu.
In older versions of software, the method is different: Open the Google Assistant app by saying 'Ok Google', pat connected the Snapshot icon successful the bottommost near and past pat connected the circular illustration icon successful the apical close corner. Scroll down and you'll find assorted Google Assistant settings.
Customise your quality list
Open the Google Assistant settings > Scroll down to News and pat it to customise your quality list.
From here, you volition beryllium capable to adhd quality sources if you scroll to the bottom. You tin besides alteration the bid by tapping the 'Change Order' tab connected the close astatine the apical of your quality list. Tapping connected the 'x' adjacent to a quality root volition region it from your database of News Sources.
Customise 'My Day' summary
Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap connected Routines > Tap connected Good Morning. From present you tin customise your regular briefing.
You tin prime from a fistful of options, including taking your telephone disconnected silent, adjusting compatible astute devices, uncovering retired the weather, enactment commute, reminders, whether you'd similar to extremity your time with a narration of the news, etc. You tin besides adhd an action, specified arsenic play music, astatine the end.
Access Shopping List
Open the Google Assistant and accidental 'Show maine my buying list'. Now you tin adhd items to this list. Or you simply accidental thing similar 'HeyGoogle, adhd chorizo and beverage to my buying list'.
Enable follow-up questions
Google Assistant has a 'Continued Conversation' mode which allows you to inquire a travel up question aft being fixed a effect by Google Assistant. Rather than person to usage the 'Hey Google' aftermath connection again. Go to your Google Assistant settings and and take 'Continued Conversation', past take which instrumentality you privation to alteration it on.
Change your Assistant language
Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap connected Languages > Tap connected 'Add a Language' to take a connection for speaking to your Assistant.
Enable/disable always-on 'Hey Google'
Open the Google Assistant settings > 'Hey Google and Voice Match' and toggle the 'Hey Google' on oregon off.
Turn connected the toggle to springiness Assistant support to recognise your dependable whenever you accidental "Hey Google" - adjacent if your surface is disconnected oregon you're utilizing an app. This makes Assistant always-on.
Use 'Hey Google' to unlock device
Open the Google Assistant settings > Scroll down to 'Personal results' > Toggle connected 'Lock surface idiosyncratic results'.
Toggle connected to let dependable lucifer to nonstop messages and entree email, calendar, contacts and much erstwhile your telephone is locked.
Retrain 'Hey Google' dependable model
Open the Google Assistant settings > Scroll down to 'Hey Google and Voice Match' and present prime 'Teach your Assistant your dependable again'.
You'll past person to accidental 'Hey Google' a fewer times truthful that Assistant tin retrieve and recognise however you accidental the phrase. It tin past usage the operation arsenic a aftermath connection and device-unlock word.
Delete 'Hey Google' dependable model
Open the Google Assistant settings > Scroll down to 'Hey Google and Voice Match' > Scroll down to 'Remove from eligible devices'.
Google Assistant past won't beryllium capable to retrieve oregon recognise however you accidental the phrase. Keep successful caput you past can't usage the phrase.
Set your location and enactment locations
Open the Google Assistant settings > Scroll down to 'Your Places'.
From there, you'll spot the enactment to adhd your Home and enactment addresses. You tin besides adhd further places by tapping connected 'Add a caller place'.
Teach Google to recognise your face
Open Google Assistant settings and find 'Face Match'. Now pat connected 'set up Face Match' to get Google to recognise your look truthful that it lone shows you info that's lone meant for you.
Change upwind units
Open the Google Assistant settings > Scroll down to Weather > Choose betwixt Fahrenheit oregon Celsius.
Set up a compatible astute location device
Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap 'Devices' > Press 'Add' to adhd a device, talker radical oregon service. Follow the instructions. Once a instrumentality is setup, you'll beryllium capable to usage Google Assistant to power it.
Read our abstracted diagnostic connected immoderate of the best Google Assistant compatible astute location devices disposable to buy.
Things you tin accidental and bash with Google Assistant
Google Assistant is your idiosyncratic assistant. It tin play euphony for you, acceptable reminders, cheque your flight, and plentifulness more. Here's a fewer things you tin accidental and bash with Assistant utilizing conscionable your voice.
You conscionable person to accidental "OK Google" oregon or swipe up from the near oregon close country of the surface connected Pixel devices. Other Android manfuacturers sometimes usage the power/sleep fastener to aftermath up the assistant, truthful pressing that for a abbreviated portion volition activate Google Assistant successful a batch of cases. On iOS devices, unfastened the Google Assistant app.
Play music
To inquire Assistant to play immoderate music, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "play immoderate music", "play immoderate Jazz", "play immoderate workout music", "listen to Daft Punk", oregon "listen to Imagine connected Spotify", etc.
You tin acceptable your default euphony app successful the Services tab of Google Assistant's settings and it volition automatically play from that euphony from that source.
Watch thing connected Netflix
To occurrence up Netflix and get watching, accidental "Hey Google" followed by what you privation to watch: "Watch Umbrella Academy connected Netflix". This volition unfastened Umbrella Academy connected Netflix. You don't person to ticker Umbrella Academy, but you should, it's good.
Listen to news
To inquire Assistant to narrate quality from sources you've pre-selected, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "what's the news", "international news", "what's the quality astir the US elections", oregon "sports news", etc.
Control astute devices
To inquire Assistant to power compatible astute devices, you'll request to acceptable them up. After which, you tin accidental "Hey Google", followed by "turn the room lights off", "tell Deebot to cleanable the kitchen", "turn up the heating", etc.
Ask astir your day
To inquire Assistant for your regular briefing, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "good morning", "good afternoon", oregon "good evening", etc. You'll get the weather, upcoming meetings, a quality narration, etc.
Set reminders
To inquire Assistant to acceptable reminders for you, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "set a reminder...", " punctual maine to bargain milk", "remind maine to bargain beverage tonight", "remind maine to telephone mum", oregon "remind maine to bash laundry erstwhile I get home", etc.
Set alarms
To inquire Assistant to acceptable an alarm for you, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "set an alarm...", "wake maine up astatine 9AM", aftermath maine up astatine 10AM everyday", "set my alarm for 8AM", oregon "show my alarms", etc.
Ask astir the weather
To inquire Assistant astir the weather, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "what's the weather", "will it rainfall tomorrow", "how blistery is it outside", "what's the temperature", oregon "forecast for the weekend", etc.
Fetch sports news
To inquire Assistant astir sports news, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "Did the Red Sox win", "Did Arsenal win", "tell maine sports news", "when's the shot game", "who is the fastest antheral alive", oregon "what is the Real Madrid roster" etc.
Ask a question
To inquire Assistant a wide question, accidental "Hey Google" and past inquire immoderate question, specified arsenic "who is Archimedes", "how acold is the moon", "how galore ounces successful a cup", oregon "how galore ounces successful a pound", oregon "what is simply a dangling participle" etc. In galore cases, Google volition work the accusation backmost to you, telling you the source.
Find worldly nearby
To inquire Assistant to find worldly nearby, accidental "Hey Google" followed by commands similar "find a restaurant", "nearby events", "nearby hotel", "what are immoderate adjacent pubs", oregon "what drama movies are playing" etc.
Find worldly portion traveling
To inquire Assistant to find worldly portion you're traveling, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "flights to New York", "hotels successful Boston", "restaurants successful Barcelona", "where tin I hike successful France", oregon "Is United formation 16 connected time", etc.
Check your adjacent formation oregon booking
Google Assistant volition cognize things astir your booked trave if you person confirmations sent done to a Gmail account. Just accidental "Hey Google" past "what's my adjacent flight" and you'll get a database of upcoming flights. You tin besides inquire "when americium I going to Barcelona?" and you'll get the details of your Barcelona flight, for example.
Do real-time translations
To inquire Assistant to bash real-time translations for you, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "'Hello' successful Spanish", "'Thank you' successful Japanese", "What's 'Good morning' successful Italian", oregon "Translate 'airport' to French" etc.
Place a call
To inquire Assistant to spot a telephone for you, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "call Sally", "make a telephone call", "call Alice Walker", oregon "call mum astatine home", etc.
Send a message
To inquire Assistant to nonstop a connection for you, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "send a message", "text Eric", "send a WhatsApp message", "text Alice arriving astatine 5pm", oregon "tell Sally I'll beryllium 5 mins late", etc.
Set timers
To inquire Assistant to acceptable a timer, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "set a timer", "countdown 1 minute", "start a timer for 10 mins", oregon "set a timer for 5 minutes", etc.
Open immoderate app
To inquire Assistant to unfastened an app for you, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "open YouTube", "Open Calendar", oregon "Open Wi-Fi Settings", etc.
Search Play Store
To inquire Assistant to find an app for you successful Play Store, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "Facebook successful Play Store", "WhatsApp successful Play Store", "Uber successful Play Store", oregon "Twitter successful Play Store", etc.
Search Google
To inquire Assistant to hunt Google, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "search for..." followed by immoderate you're looking for - beryllium it abrogation idea, zebra facts, comic one-liners, oregon facts astir the moon, etc.
See what's connected your calendar
To inquire Assistant to look astatine your calendar, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "what's connected my calendar".
Show your photos, amusement photos of your dog, food, kids
To inquire Assistant to amusement your Google Photos, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "show maine my photos". Google Photos knows that photos contain, truthful it volition besides instrumentality photos of objects, similar your dog, food, kids oregon places, conscionable accidental "show my pictures of cars" and you'll get your car photos displayed.
See your emails
To inquire Assistant to amusement your Gmail emails, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "show maine my emails". This volition show emails from your linked account.
Voice dictate successful apps
To usage Assistant to dictate successful supported messaging apps, including Google's ain Messaging app, pat the microphone icon successful your keyboard.
Get directions
To inquire Assistant to assistance you navigate, accidental "Hey Google" followed by "navigate home", "navigate to work", "directions to 100 Main Street", "Navigate to the nearest java shop", oregon "navigate to the station office", etc. This volition cipher the way and unfastened up Google Maps Navigation.
Unlock your device
To inquire Assistant to unlock your device, simply accidental "Hey Google" (must enabled successful Google Assistant Settings). If you're successful a large place, it mightiness not recognise your dependable properly.
Take a selfie
Google Assistant volition assistance with this indispensable task. Simply accidental "Hey Google" followed by "take a selfie". This volition instantly unfastened the camera and commencement a 3 2 1 countdown. Remember to smile.
Toss a coin
The cosmopolitan method of determination making. Say "Hey Google" and past "toss a coin". Assistant volition flip that coin and fto you cognize if it's heads oregon tails.
Turn connected flashlight
"OK Google" past "turn connected flashlight" volition crook connected the flash connected your phone. Great for peering into acheronian holes.
Fun and games
Google Assistant tin beryllium funny, similar Siri. And it's bully astatine keeping your caput occupied erstwhile you're feeling bored. Here's a fewer things that Assistant tin bash beyond moving time and nighttime to service your each need.
Play a game
To inquire Assistant to play a game, simply accidental "Hey Google" followed by "play a game".
Play trivia
To inquire Assistant to play trivia, simply accidental "Hey Google" followed by "play trivia". It'll past fto you take from assorted subjects, specified arsenic maths, geography, entertainment, etc.
Say 'I'm bored'
To inquire Assistant to entertain you, simply accidental "Hey Google" followed by "I'm bored". It'll past fto you play a game, oregon archer you a joke. It'll adjacent "surprise you with immoderate random fun".
Ask for a poem
To inquire Assistant to recite a poem, simply accidental "Hey Google" followed by "recite a poem".
Ask for a joke
To inquire Assistant to archer you a joke, simply accidental "Hey Google" followed by "tell maine a joke". You tin past inquire for 1 more.
Ask for a random number
Say "Hey Google" followed by "tell maine a random number". What comes adjacent whitethorn astonishment you.
Ask the eventual riddle
Tolkien fans will be acquainted with this one. Say "Hey Google" past "what person I got successful my pocket?". You're welcome.
What's the meaning of life?
Fans of Douglas Adams mightiness beryllium little impressed: Say "Hey Google" past "what's the meaning of life?". Comedy is great, but we're a small saddened by the result.
I'm feeling lucky
This the possibly the jewel successful the crown of Google Assistant's skills. Say "Hey Google" followed by "I'm feeling lucky". We won't ruin the surprise, but Google Assistant truly goes to municipality successful dealing with Google's iconic question.
Finally, getting much philosophical...
Try asking Google Assistant "when americium I?"
Writing by Maggie Tillman and Britta O'Boyle. Editing by Cam Bunton. Originally published connected 18 October 2016.
English (US) ·