Google Assistant

Assistant is Google’s personal assistant that is capable of answering questions, performing automated tasks, and more.
Assistant is Google’s personal assistant that is capable of answering questions, performing automated tasks, and more.
Using voice commands to control smart home devices is very common, and something that Google Assistant is about to get better at through the use of AI.
Expand Expanding CloseThe Google Home app is set to see a major redesign in the coming months but, ahead of that, Google is opening up a whole new world of automation. This week, some Google Home app users are noticing support for device triggers on Assistant routines.
Expand Expanding CloseOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Google is using Assistant to help get the word out.
Expand Expanding CloseIn talking with Google and learning more about the Pixel Tablet, my biggest takeaway is that pulling double duty as an Assistant Smart Display will be its path to success. It all comes down to execution, which of course is harder said than done given that Google basically tried with Assistant Ambient Mode two years ago. Meanwhile, Apple is rumored to be right behind the Pixel Tablet and following the same strategy for the iPad.
Expand Expanding CloseEarlier this week, Google told us that the Maps integration in Assistant Driving Mode is going away. The company’s confirmation following a “sunset” notice we discovered in the Google app turned out to be incorrect, and Google now tells us it is shutting down the entire Assistant Driving Mode Dashboard that was announced at I/O 2019.
Expand Expanding CloseAt Made by Google 2022, a number of Assistant announcements were made across all the new devices and form factors. Pixel phones are seeing updates to Assistant Voice Typing, At a Glance, Quick Phrases, Recorder, and more.
Expand Expanding CloseIn May of 2019, Google Assistant Driving Mode was announced to replace “Android Auto for Phone Screens.” The launch occurred slowly, with the previous experience not going away until this June. Assistant Driving Mode is now losing Google Maps integration and this noticeably changes the experience to the point where it’s no longer an Android Auto replacement.
Expand Expanding CloseAs we’ve been expecting since June, Google is “simplifying [its] task management solutions by migrating Assistant and Calendar Reminders to Google Tasks.”
Expand Expanding CloseJust last week, the Nest Hub Max was updated with another way to skip “Hey Google.” This currently only works for certain commands, but Google Assistant will eventually let you make custom Quick Phrases.
Expand Expanding CloseAfter first debuting on the Pixel 6 last October, Quick Phrases are now available on the Nest Hub Max to skip the “Hey Google” hotword when issuing commands and asking questions to Assistant.
Expand Expanding CloseWith the Pixel 6 last October, Assistant debuted “Quick phrases” to skip the hotword for two specific actions, and you might soon be able to “silence” incoming calls.
Expand Expanding CloseOver the past day, Pixel owners are encountering a bug that sees Google Assistant always open keyboard input over voice entry, while those users are also seeing “TNG” at the bottom-left corner of their screen.
Expand Expanding CloseWith Google Calendar set to lose Assistant Reminders, you’ll be forced to use the very basic and incredibly laggy UI that’s part of the Google app. It’s still bad, but Google recently rolled out some usability tweaks to Reminders and restored the dark mode.
Expand Expanding CloseJust over a year ago, Google Assistant swapped out the “What’s on my screen?” button with a Lens-branded shortcut that could now be replaced by “Search this screen.”
Expand Expanding CloseThe first Samsung customers are beginning to receive the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro, and Google has some “important” advice for those that are having trouble getting Assistant for Wear OS up and running.
Expand Expanding CloseWear OS 3 is finally on its way to other smartwatches, but its first new option is lacking a major feature. The Montblanc Summit 3 lacks support for Google Assistant entirely.
Expand Expanding CloseThe saga continues this week, as Google has just filed a new lawsuit against Sonos just months after an unfortunate ruling that saw Sonos win and force Google to disable or break features for many of its products.
Expand Expanding CloseFor quite some time now, Assistant has supported IFTTT, but Google is now warning people about “upcoming changes” to the third-party integration. Some functionality is being removed and all users need to set up IFTTT again.
Expand Expanding Close“Look and Talk” for the Nest Hub Max launched at I/O 2022, and Google has now detailed how exactly the camera-based, “Hey Google” replacement works.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Assistant smart speakers often only serve a couple of key purposes – to accept commands and play music. With Xiaomi’s new Google Assistant smart speaker, you also get the power to control your TV and other electronics through an IR transmitter.
Expand Expanding CloseThis morning, an outage affected Google Weather across Android, Google Assistant, and more, that made it unable to show your local forecast.
Expand Expanding CloseWith the March Feature Drop, Google announced that the Pixel’s At a Glance widget can deliver “reminders to turn off your alarm if the next day is a holiday.” Those reminders to change your alarm might work through Google Assistant.
Expand Expanding CloseAs early as 2018, Google had been readying an Assistant-adjacent feature that supercharges saving and reminders on Android. It now appears that Google is no longer working on “Assistant Memory” as the company’s reminders strategy becomes ever more muddled.
Expand Expanding CloseStealing packages is an unfortunate problem nowadays, and one that just seems to be getting worse for some. While there are defenses, such as baiting bad actors with glitter bombs, an even better solution is to keep packages in a secure place. That’s what Yale’s Google Assistant-connected smart delivery box tries to do.
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