How To Find Ok Google Settings

(Pocket-lint) - Google Assistant is the software behemothic's voice assistant and its reply to Apple tree'due south Siri and Amazon'southward Alexa. Yous can ask Banana almost annihilation, and information technology will empathize your words in context, serving up relevant results in a conversational manner.

Pretty much every single Android phone has Banana installed out of the box these days, so if y'all have a new Android phone, there'southward a very skillful hazard you accept access to Google's voice-activated helper already. In fact, when you get-go prepare up your phone information technology'll take yous through the basics of getting started.

To assistance you figure out everything Banana does on the phone, we've rounded upwards some adept tips and tricks. If you have a Nest or Google Home device, we have a divide tips and tricks feature you can read to get the most out of those devices.

What is Google Assistant?

Google Assistant tips and tricks

Many of the tips below were written with a Pixel 6 telephone running Android 12, though they will work on other Google-Assistant compatible phones too; pretty much all Android phones, likewise as iOS devices with the Google Assistant app. You might observe the settings menus are in different places, however.

Getting started

When y'all first become your Assistant on your smartphone you'll be asked to apply Google Banana and "OK Google" always-on vocalisation detection. You'll have to set an "OK Google" voice model so that the phone can recognise your voice at any time and activate Google Assistant to serve your needs (whether that be to play music, fetch the weather forecast, or whatever).

Pick the correct Google business relationship for Assistant

Google Banana feeds off your Google account. It's of import to brand sure that yous setup Assistant with the aforementioned account that you lot're going to be asking it to find information from, peculiarly when it comes to photos.

If you use 1 business relationship for Assistant and a different account for your Google Photos, and so it won't have admission.

Adjust settings

Google Assistant has a Settings bill of fare. Under this menu, you lot can do everything from suit your "OK Google" vocalization model to viewing a summary of your activity generated past Assistant.

Open up your Settings app and search for 'Assistant', and you should see an option that says 'Banana Settings' in the list. Tap on that and it'll take y'all to your Google Banana master settings carte du jour.

In older versions of software, the method is dissimilar: Open the Google Assistant app by proverb 'Ok Google', tap on the Snapshot icon in the bottom left and and then tap on the circular profile icon in the top right corner. Scroll down and you'll find various Google Assistant settings.

Customise your news list

Open the Google Assistant settings > Scroll down to News and tap it to customise your news list.

From hither, you will exist able to add news sources if yous scroll to the bottom. Y'all tin as well change the order by borer the 'Change Order' tab on the right at the top of your news listing. Tapping on the 'x' next to a news source will remove it from your list of News Sources.

Customise 'My Day' summary

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on Routines > Tap on Good Morn. From here y'all can customise your daily conference.

You can select from a handful of options, including taking your phone off silent, adjusting uniform smart devices, finding out the weather, work commute, reminders, whether you'd similar to stop your day with a narration of the news, etc. Yous can also add an action, such as play music, at the end.

Admission Shopping List

Open the Google Assistant and say 'Testify me my shopping list'. Now you can add items to this list. Or you simply say something like 'HeyGoogle, add chorizo and milk to my shopping listing'.

Enable follow-up questions

Google Assistant has a 'Connected Chat' mode which allows yous to ask a follow upward question later on existence given a response by Google Assistant. Rather than have to use the 'Hey Google' wake word again. Go to your Google Assistant settings and and choose 'Continued Conversation', and so choose which device you want to enable it on.

Change your Banana language

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on Languages > Tap on 'Add a Language' to choose a language for speaking to your Assistant.

Enable/disable always-on 'Hey Google'

Open the Google Assistant settings > 'Hey Google and Phonation Match' and toggle the 'Hey Google' on or off.

Turn on the toggle to requite Assistant permission to recognise your voice whenever you say "Hey Google" - fifty-fifty if your screen is off or you're using an app. This makes Assistant always-on.

Use 'Hey Google' to unlock device

Open up the Google Assistant settings > Scroll downward to 'Personal results' > Toggle on 'Lock screen personal results'.

Toggle on to allow vocalisation match to transport messages and access electronic mail, calendar, contacts and more when your phone is locked.

Retrain 'Hey Google' vocalism model

Open the Google Assistant settings > Scroll downwards to 'Hey Google and Voice Match' and now select 'Teach your Assistant your voice again'.

You'll and so have to say 'Hey Google' a few times so that Assistant can recollect and recognise how you say the phrase. It can so use the phrase every bit a wake discussion and device-unlock word.

Delete 'Hey Google' vox model

Open the Google Assistant settings > Curl downwards to 'Hey Google and Vocalisation Match' > Scroll downward to 'Remove from eligible devices'.

Google Assistant then won't exist able to remember or recognise how you say the phrase. Go along in mind you lot then can't utilise the phrase.

Set your home and work locations

Open the Google Assistant settings > Whorl down to 'Your Places'.

From there, yous'll meet the option to add together your Home and piece of work addresses. You tin too add boosted places by borer on 'Add together a new identify'.

Teach Google to recognise your face

Open Google Assistant settings and notice 'Face up Match'. Now tap on 'fix Face Match' to get Google to recognise your confront and so that it but shows you lot info that'south only meant for you.

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Change atmospheric condition units

Open the Google Assistant settings > Coil down to Weather > Choose betwixt Fahrenheit or Celsius.

Set upward a compatible smart home device

Open the Google Banana settings > Tap 'Devices' > Press 'Add' to add together a device, speaker group or service. Follow the instructions. Once a device is setup, y'all'll be able to apply Google Assistant to control it.

Read our separate feature on some of the best Google Assistant compatible smart dwelling devices bachelor to buy.

Things you tin can say and do with Google Assistant

Google Banana is your personal assistant. It can play music for you, ready reminders, bank check your flight, and plenty more than. Here's a few things you lot can say and do with Banana using simply your voice.

You but have to say "OK Google" or or swipe up from the left or right corner of the screen on Pixel devices. Other Android manfuacturers sometimes use the power/sleep push to wake upwardly the assistant, and then pressing that for a brusque while will activate Google Assistant in a lot of cases. On iOS devices, open the Google Assistant app.

Play music

To enquire Assistant to play some music, say "Hey Google" followed past "play some music", "play some Jazz", "play some workout music", "listen to Daft Punk", or "heed to Imagine on Spotify", etc.

Y'all tin gear up your default music app in the Services tab of Google Assistant'southward settings and it will automatically play from that music from that source.

Watch something on Netflix

To fire up Netflix and get watching, say "Hey Google" followed by what you lot desire to watch: "Sentry Umbrella Academy on Netflix". This will open up Umbrella Academy on Netflix. You don't take to watch Umbrella Academy, but you should, it's good.

Heed to news

To enquire Banana to narrate news from sources yous've pre-selected, say "Hey Google" followed by "what's the news", "international news", "what's the news almost the US elections", or "sports news", etc.

Control smart devices

To ask Assistant to command compatible smart devices, you'll need to set them upwardly. After which, you can say "Hey Google", followed by "turn the kitchen lights off", "tell Deebot to clean the kitchen", "turn up the heating", etc.

Enquire nearly your day

To ask Assistant for your daily briefing, say "Hey Google" followed by "good morning", "good afternoon", or "good evening", etc. You'll get the weather, upcoming meetings, a news narration, etc.

Gear up reminders

To inquire Assistant to set reminders for you, say "Hey Google" followed by "set a reminder...", " remind me to buy milk", "remind me to buy milk tonight", "remind me to call mum", or "remind me to do laundry when I get abode", etc.

Set alarms

To ask Banana to set an alarm for you, say "Hey Google" followed by "set an alarm...", "wake me upwards at 9AM", wake me up at 10AM everyday", "set up my alarm for 8AM", or "show my alarms", etc.

Ask nearly the weather

To enquire Banana about the conditions, say "Hey Google" followed by "what's the weather", "will it rain tomorrow", "how hot is it outside", "what'due south the temperature", or "forecast for the weekend", etc.

Fetch sports news

To ask Assistant about sports news, say "Hey Google" followed by "Did the Cerise Sox win", "Did Arsenal win", "tell me sports news", "when's the baseball game", "who is the fastest man alive", or "what is the Real Madrid roster" etc.

Ask a question

To ask Assistant a general question, say "Hey Google" so ask any question, such as "who is Archimedes", "how far is the moon", "how many ounces in a cup", or "how many ounces in a pound", or "what is a dangling participle" etc. In many cases, Google will read the information dorsum to yous, telling you the source.

Notice stuff nearby

To ask Assistant to find stuff nearby, say "Hey Google" followed by commands like "find a restaurant", "nearby events", "nearby hotel", "what are some nearby pubs", or "what comedy movies are playing" etc.

Find stuff while traveling

To ask Assistant to find stuff while you're traveling, say "Hey Google" followed by "flights to New York", "hotels in Boston", "restaurants in Barcelona", "where can I hike in France", or "Is United flight 16 on time", etc.

Check your adjacent flight or booking

Google Assistant volition know things most your booked trave if you take confirmations sent through to a Gmail account. Just say "Hey Google" then "what's my next flight" and you'll get a listing of upcoming flights. Y'all can also ask "when am I going to Barcelona?" and you lot'll get the details of your Barcelona flight, for example.

Practice real-time translations

To ask Assistant to do real-fourth dimension translations for yous, say "Hey Google" followed by "'Hullo' in Spanish", "'Cheers' in Japanese", "What's 'Good morning' in Italian", or "Interpret 'airport' to French" etc.

Place a call

To ask Banana to place a telephone call for you, say "Hey Google" followed by "telephone call Sally", "make a phone call", "call Alice Walker", or "phone call mum at home", etc.

Transport a bulletin

To ask Banana to send a bulletin for you, say "Hey Google" followed by "send a message", "text Eric", "send a WhatsApp message", "text Alice arriving at 5pm", or "tell Sally I'll be 5 mins tardily", etc.

Gear up timers

To ask Assistant to gear up a timer, say "Hey Google" followed by "set a timer", "inaugural one minute", "start a timer for 10 mins", or "set up a timer for five minutes", etc.

Open up any app

To ask Assistant to open an app for you, say "Hey Google" followed by "open YouTube", "Open Calendar", or "Open Wi-Fi Settings", etc.

Search Play Store

To ask Assistant to detect an app for you lot in Play Store, say "Hey Google" followed past "Facebook in Play Store", "WhatsApp in Play Store", "Uber in Play Store", or "Twitter in Play Store", etc.

Search Google

To enquire Assistant to search Google, say "Hey Google" followed by "search for..." followed by whatever yous're looking for - be it vacation thought, zebra facts, funny 1-liners, or facts about the moon, etc.

See what's on your calendar

To ask Assistant to look at your calendar, say "Hey Google" followed past "what's on my calendar".

Show your photos, show photos of your dog, food, kids

To ask Assistant to show your Google Photos, say "Hey Google" followed by "show me my photos". Google Photos knows that photos contain, so it will besides render photos of objects, like your dog, food, kids or places, just say "prove my pictures of cars" and you'll get your automobile photos displayed.

See your emails

To ask Assistant to show your Gmail emails, say "Hey Google" followed by "show me my emails". This volition display emails from your linked account.

Voice dictate in apps

To use Assistant to dictate in supported messaging apps, including Google's own Messaging app, tap the microphone icon in your keyboard.

Get directions

To inquire Assistant to help you navigate, say "Hey Google" followed by "navigate habitation", "navigate to work", "directions to 100 Main Street", "Navigate to the nearest coffee shop", or "navigate to the post office", etc. This will calculate the route and open up Google Maps Navigation.

Unlock your device

To ask Assistant to unlock your device, simply say "Hey Google" (must enabled in Google Assistant Settings). If you're in a loud place, it might not recognise your vox properly.

Accept a selfie

Google Banana volition help with this essential job. Simply say "Hey Google" followed by "take a selfie". This will instantly open the camera and start a iii 2 1 inaugural. Remember to smile.

Toss a money

The universal method of decision making. Say "Hey Google" and then "toss a coin". Assistant will toss that coin and allow yous know if information technology's heads or tails.

Turn on flashlight

"OK Google" then "turn on flashlight" volition turn on the wink on your telephone. Cracking for peering into dark holes.

Fun and games

Google Assistant can exist funny, like Siri. And it's skilful at keeping your mind occupied when you're feeling bored. Hither's a few things that Assistant can practice beyond working twenty-four hours and night to serve your every demand.

Play a game

To ask Assistant to play a game, simply say "Hey Google" followed past "play a game".

Play trivia

To inquire Assistant to play trivia, simply say "Hey Google" followed by "play trivia". It'll then let you choose from diverse subjects, such as maths, geography, amusement, etc.

Say 'I'm bored'

To ask Assistant to entertain y'all, simply say "Hey Google" followed by "I'k bored". It'll then let you play a game, or tell you lot a joke. It'll fifty-fifty "surprise you with some random fun".

Ask for a verse form

To ask Assistant to recite a poem, simply say "Hey Google" followed past "recite a poem".

Enquire for a joke

To inquire Assistant to tell you lot a joke, simply say "Hey Google" followed by "tell me a joke". You can and so ask for one more.

Inquire for a random number

Say "Hey Google" followed by "tell me a random number". What comes next may surprise you lot.

Ask the ultimate riddle

Tolkien fans will exist familiar with this one. Say "Hey Google" so "what have I got in my pocket?". Y'all're welcome.

What'southward the meaning of life?

Fans of Douglas Adams might be less impressed: Say "Hey Google" then "what'due south the meaning of life?". Comedy is swell, but we're a little saddened past the issue.

I'g feeling lucky

This the possibly the jewel in the crown of Google Assistant's skills. Say "Hey Google" followed by "I'g feeling lucky". We won't ruin the surprise, but Google Assistant really goes to boondocks in dealing with Google'south iconic question.

Finally, getting more philosophical...

Try asking Google Banana "when am I?"

Writing by Maggie Tillman and Britta O'Boyle.