Enabling Google Assistant Voice Commands

Google Assistant is a trusty virtual assistant, much like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. By giving commands to Google Assistant with your voice or through text, it will help you get things done! You can ask it about the weather, set a timer, turn your lights on or off, or even have it tell you a joke.

Google Assistant was first unveiled on May 18, 2016, for Google Pixel devices. In February 2017, Google began supporting different platforms, helping popularize Google Assistant. It is now available on various Android devices, including Android Wear, Android TV, Android Auto, and Google Pixel Buds.

Google took its software a step further, allowing third-party developers to build apps for Google Assistant. Third-party companies can implement their own Google Assistant commands for their products, making the user experience much more vibrant and colorful. Spotify, Netflix, and Todoist are a few examples of third-party supported Google Assistant commands.

If you do not already have Google Assistant enabled on your device, follow the steps below.

Download Google Assistant

As with most applications, make sure you download from a secured source like Google Play Store.

Open up the Google Play Store application.
Type “Google Assistant” in the Play Store search bar.
Install the application.

Getting Started

Now that you have downloaded the app, you must set up your assistant.

Open the app and sign in using your Google account.
After that, it will ask you to enable Google voice commands. Tap “Next,” because that is what we want.
The app will ask you to recite the catchphrase “Hey Google” a few times, so it can “learn” your voice. Say the phrase at different pitches to achieve maximum compatibility.

After this last step, you should be all set to use Google Assistant.

How to Give Commands to Google Assistant

Using Google Assistant is a simple task. It all begins with one very important phrase: “Hey, Google.”

Speak or type into your keyboard, “Hey Google.” This will unlock Google Assistant’s commands.
After that, tell Google Assistant what you would like it to do. You can also type the command using your keyboard.
Wait as Google Assistant fulfills the command.

Extra Settings in Google Assistant

Google Assistant comes with a series of account settings that could come in handy to you and improve that way the software works.

To access these extra settings, click on your avatar in the top right corner of the Google Assistant display.

“You” Tab

After selecting your avatar, you will be taken to a menu with tabs running across the top. The first tab you’ll be taken to is the “You” tab.
Thoroughly look through “Your Data in the Assistant.” This is the first option in the “You” tab. It is essential to know what is being recorded, as some people might be sensitive about data privacy.

Google Assistant works just like any other AI. The more information is given to the AI, the more information output it will provide. It is recommended that you thoroughly fill in personal information for optimal AI performance. Please note that this step is optional.

You can fill in your basic information in “Basic Info.” Filling in your basic information helps Google Assistant determine what kind of catered information it will display for you. These include things such as traffic by your home and workplace.

Assistant Tab

Slide the screen to the right to be taken to the “Assistant” tab.

There are a few important options on this list to consider:

“Languages” determines how Google Assistant interprets your phrases and accents.
The “Voice Match” option is convenient when multiple people are trying to use one Google Home speaker.
“Routines” is one of the most entertaining options to experiment with. It allows you to create custom word commands to execute several different actions. If you have a mood lamp and a speaker connected to the Google system, you could create the command, “Wife’s coming home!” and Google Assistant will set the mood. The possibilities are endless.

“Services” Tab

Slide to the right again, and you will be taken to the “Services” tab.

This is where Google Assistant connects with third-party applications such as Spotify, Youtube, Google Keep, etc. You can open your app-of-choice by giving the corresponding command. You can always put extra detail into the command by adding “On Spotify/Pandora/YoutubeMusic.”

“Home” Tab

Slide to the right once more, and you will go to the “Home” tab.

This is where you add all your house members and Google Assisted supported devices.

Conclusion

Google Assistant is meant to help make life easier. If your device can support it, download and explore the possibilities! It’s easy as, “Hey, Google…”