5 hidden settings for a smarter Google Assistant Android experience - Computerworld

Ah, Google Assistant. Sure seems similar our trusty ol' Android-dwellin' pal is getting brushed implicit a batch arsenic of late, doesn't it?

First came the information that Google made nary a mention of its honey-voiced virtual genie astatine the large honkin' Consumer Electronics Show successful Vegas past period — and that's aft years of Assistant and its "Hey Google" catchphrase being placarded practically everywhere astatine that lawsuit and being the company's halfway focus.

But adjacent much broadly is the ongoing accent connected ChatGPT-like artificial quality tools close present and the awkward disconnect betwixt what those services tin connection and what Assistant has agelong been capable to handle. While the A.I. successful those newer tools perfectly goes further than Assistant's existent capabilities, it's funny that hardly anyone's making the transportation oregon talking astir the information that each this caller worldly feels similar much of an upgrade to what's already disposable with Assistant than immoderate benignant of wholly caller setup.

We're expecting to hear a full batch more astir Google's expanding A.I. ambitions astatine this year's Google I/O lawsuit successful the spring, but successful the meantime, I thought it'd beryllium a good clip to absorption connected our acquainted Android A.I. companion and enactment connected unearthing immoderate of its existent underappreciated abilities.

All easily forgotten Assistant commands aside, Google Assistant's got immoderate splendidly utile settings that are retired of show and each excessively casual to place — and if you instrumentality the clip to excavation 'em up and revisit 'em, you'll find yourself enjoying a smarter, much efficient, and much productive Assistant acquisition this precise minute.

Keep speechmaking to spot what you've been missing — and erstwhile you're acceptable for adjacent much precocious Android knowledge, travel check retired my escaped Android Shortcut Supercourse. We'll spell mode beyond Assistant and research tons of time-saving tricks for every portion of your idiosyncratic Android experience.

Google Assistant Android mounting No. 1: The sensitivity slider

If there's 1 Assistant-related ailment I perceive much than immoderate other, it's gotta beryllium Google Assistant's wont of getting overly giddy and piping up to reply connected the incorrect device.

You cognize what I'm talkin' about, right? If you've got much than 1 Assistant gadget successful your location oregon bureau country — immoderate operation of Android devices, Smart Displays oregon speakers, oregon possibly adjacent Assistant-enabled Chromebooks — it's an all-too-common annoyance for your "Hey Google" utterance to beryllium picked up by a instrumentality different than the 1 you intended.

We could speech for days astir however adjuvant it'd beryllium for Google to fto america customize that Assistant motorboat operation and usage antithetic phrases for antithetic devices — but, well, we've been doing that for years now. And it intelligibly isn't getting america anywhere.

So alternatively of simply griping, instrumentality vantage of the adjacent champion thing: Assistant's sensitivity settings.

Ahem:

• Say Hey Google, Assistant settings to propulsion up your phone's Google Assistant settings.
• Scroll down until you spot the enactment labeled "'Hey Google' sensitivity."
• Tap that, past pat immoderate instrumentality successful your database to marque it much oregon little delicate — and frankincense much oregon little apt to respond to your dependable commands erstwhile it hears you speaking.

JR

Good to know, right? And speaking of speaking...

Google Assistant Android mounting No. 2: The listening alert

Whether you've got aggregate Assistant devices astir you oregon conscionable the 1 Android phone, it's bully to cognize what gizmo is listening to you astatine immoderate fixed moment.

All on-screen indicators aside, you tin springiness yourself an audible alert anytime Assistant thinks it's heard your "Hey Google" bid and has perked up its mighty virtual ears. General awareness-related advantages aside, that'll support you from rambling disconnected immoderate agelong bid lone to recognize a infinitesimal aboriginal that Assistant wasn't adjacent paying attraction (d'oh!).

But this one's astir arsenic buried arsenic tin be, and the likelihood are slim to nary that immoderate adjacent remotely mean idiosyncratic would ever fig retired however to alteration it. Lucky for us, I'm thing but normal:

• First, caput into your phone's regular Android strategy settings and unfastened the Accessibility section.
• Look for an enactment called "Switch Access."
• Tap that, past pat the toggle adjacent to "Use Switch Access" to crook it into the connected position. Confirm that's what you privation to do. (For immoderate quirky and wholly undocumented reason, having this strategy activated is the lone mode to get the Assistant alert sounds to work!)
• Take a speedy interruption to devour a cracker and/or cabbage — past accidental Hey Google, Assistant settings to propulsion up your phone's Google Assistant settings.
• Next, pat "Accessibility."
• See the toggles for "Mic-open notification" and "Mic-close notification"? Make definite they're some successful the connected and progressive position.

And determination ya person it: The adjacent clip you cough retired a "Hey Google," you'll perceive a pleasant li'l chime lettin' ya cognize your telephone is listening. And you'll perceive another sound that indicates erstwhile it stops.

Pretty gersh-derned sensible, wouldn't ya say? And connected a related note...

Google Assistant Android mounting No. 3: The chattiness control

Let's not bushed astir the bush: Helpful arsenic it tin be, Assistant tin sometimes get a small excessively chatty.

But little-known fact: You tin instrumentality full power of Assistant's talkativity and archer your telephone to beryllium a interaction little verbose.

Here's the trick:

• Say Hey Google, Assistant settings to propulsion up your phone's Google Assistant settings.
• Tap the enactment labeled "Assistant dependable and code output."
• Beneath the basal settings for changing the timbre of your Assistant's dependable sits an easy overlooked power for "Speech output," with a enactment that should accidental "Phone."
• Tap that line, and — hey, however 'bout that? Right determination resides an invaluable enactment for controlling precisely however overmuch your Assistant flaps its virtual yap.

JR

Just prime your penchant oregon experimentation with the disposable choices, past bask successful your newfound aural serenity.

Google Assistant Android mounting No. 4: The creaseless talker

Another spot of Assistant awkwardness is the request to support saying "Hey Google" aft each azygous question oregon bid you speak. It's kinda similar the mode my five-year-old talks to us, with an inexplicable "Hey Mama/Hey Daddy" astatine the commencement of every azygous condemnation — nary substance however agelong we've been talking.

Assistant, astatine least, has a mode to destruct that. (I'm inactive looking for the mounting connected my son.)

This 1 is disposable lone connected Pixel phones, from the Pixel 4 and onward. If you've got 1 of those devices, march your mode backmost into those Assistant settings and bash the following:

• Tap "Continued Conversation."
• Make definite the toggle adjacent to "Phone" is successful the connected position.
• Perform an embarrassingly enthusiastic jig of celebration.*

* Jig optional but highly recommended

Google Assistant Android mounting No. 5: The measurement saver

One much Pixel-specific Assistant instrumentality for today: If you're rockin' a Pixel 6 oregon newer, beryllium definite to activate Google Assistant's single-step dependable actions for your phone.

The diagnostic is usually disconnected by default, but Assistant connected those devices tin perceive for a fistful of phrases astir alarms, timers, and incoming calls and let you to grip those situations without having to accidental the accustomed "Hey Google" motorboat operation — astatine all.

To acceptable that up:

• Open up those Assistant settings 1 much clip and find the "Quick phrases" section.
• Provided you're utilizing a Pixel 6 oregon higher, you should spot a brace of options determination to activate "Hey Google"-free commands for stopping oregon snoozing an alarm oregon timer arsenic good arsenic for answering, declining, oregon silencing an incoming call.

JR

And portion we're connected the taxable of shortcuts, enactment tuned — 'cause we're gonna prime up present with another five out-of-sight Assistant settings connected Friday, and we'll footwear 'em disconnected with a almighty one-two punch of Assistant-aimed shortcut supercharging.

Check backmost past to decorativeness your Assistant enhancements oregon sign up for my play Android Intelligence newsletter to get each the info successful your inbox, caller and steamy, the 2nd it's retired of the oven.

Contributing Editor JR Raphael serves up tasty morsels astir the quality broadside of technology. Hungry for more? Sign up for his play newsletter to get caller tips and penetration successful your inbox each Friday.