Using Voice Commands with Google Assistant on Android

1. Introduction to Google Assistant and Voice Commands

Voice commands have been on Google Assistant right from the beginning but have considerably improved over time. You not only get more voice commands, but Google Assistant now understands better and delivers voice command results better. This article is a complete guide on using voice commands with Google Assistant on Android. The article not only covers some basic voice commands with common household devices and for basic internet searches but also touches on some not-so-basic and lesser-known voice command features.

Google Assistant is your new digital assistant by Google. Google Assistant is both text and voice-based, intended to let you have a natural conversation with Google. You ask your questions or give it an order, and Google Assistant will respond instantly. You can use Google Assistant to work with all the gadgets you have: phones, tablets, smart speakers, and smart displays. Voice commands are one of the features that make Google Assistant special.

2. Setting Up Google Assistant on Your Android Device

To start using Google Assistant, there are a number of conditions you need to fulfill. The first one is to have Google Assistant running on your device. To check it, simply open the Google app. Then, click the three-bar icon at the bottom and open settings. Search for Google Assistant. If it has been installed on your device, you will find it on your screen. This simple step already prepares your device to receive Google voice commands. If you have finished activating the app, you can already give your command. To activate the assistant, just say "Okay Google". Do not forget to activate Google Assistant by saying the command in the first place.

Google has made it easier than ever for you to operate your Android device without ever having to touch it. Thanks to the voice command capabilities of Google Assistant, you can ask your device, whether it is your phone, smart speaker or smart display, to do myriad tasks for you with just a voice command. The promise of AI has finally shown its real capability. Even though the AI still needs to learn certain things better, it shows that we are heading in the right direction. Before Google Assistant is ready to serve you, you need to set it up first. After the assistant can be activated, you can just ask it using some specific commands. For Android users, you first need to make sure Google Assistant is perfectly active on your device. You can get the info you need by reading below.

3. Basic Voice Commands for Google Assistant

"Call [contact]": Use this command along with a contact's name to call people in your address book. "Google [search about a person, event, or thing]": If you have the Google app installed, with the leading phrase "Google," followed by the subject you want to search for, you can scour the web right from Assistant, without having to make an in-system search first.

"Open [app]": This command, when completed by an app name, will summon the associated app, opening it with a voice command.

"Send a text to [contact] [message]": This command allows you to send a text message to contacts found in your phone book with just your voice.

"Hey Google": This is one of the alternative phrases that calls upon Google Assistant in place of "Ok Google."

"Ok Google": This, of course, is the phrase that summons Google Assistant. It listens for a voice command for a short time after you say "Ok Google," then returns to sleep.

So, without further ado, here are some basic commands you can try using with your Google Assistant.

4. Advanced Voice Commands and Features

Creating and Checking Notes and Lists Unable to find your pen and paper? A wise thing to do would be to ask Google Assistant to help you create a new set of notes. To activate this feature, start by saying "OK Google, create a note" or "OK Google, take a note." The assistant will then ask for the specifics, and you can proceed with dictating your items or thoughts. Lastly, confirm everything with "That's it," "That's it for the note," or "That's everything." On the other hand, in case you want your assistant to check the things on a specific note or list, you can simply say "OK Google, show my grocery list," "OK Google, check my notes," or other similar commands. Your Google Assistant will readily comply and display the relevant items for you.

Your Google Assistant is capable of doing a lot of cool, albeit lesser-known things, including the ability to keep track of your notes and lists. Here's how to make the most out of these advanced voice commands and untapped features of Google Assistant.

5. Tips and Tricks for Optimizing Voice Command Usage

- You can view the list of commands and concepts discussed in the guide by clicking on the Google Assistant icon at the bottom-left corner of Gboard, then clicking on the question mark (?) button in the Assistant UI that appears. - Google Assistant conversations are context-sensitive, meaning recent queries and messages are treated as part of a conversation. If you're unsure of how a previously-uttered phrase has been interpreted or require further clarification, you can long-press the previous utterance displayed in the conversation UI to view its interpretation. - If a command didn't work as expected, swipe right on it in the conversation UI, then tap "Try again". - When using Google Assistant on a device with an in-display or a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor (or a regular rear-mounted one, for that matter), you can quickly dismiss the Assistant UI by tapping the fingerprint sensor. If Gboard is extended, single-tap on the mic button on the action row to quickly dismiss Assistant. - Similarly, if Google Assistant is stuck on a recognition step (either not detecting a pause or wrongly interpreting the spoken search terms), double-tapping the mic button on the Gboard action row will force-close the Assistant UI. - In a conversation with Assistant, long-press on the icon on the Gboard action row following the completion of recognition to obtain suggestions derived from the preceding query.

We'll be rounding up this guide on using voice commands with Google Assistant running on Android paired with Gboard with a few general pointers. This should serve as a good resource for anyone, even if they have some prior experience using Assistant. These tips cover the UI to use, phrasing queries effectively, and other useful pointers.