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Google Home for iOS tests separate volume for Assistant responses

Audio adjustments on Google’s smart speakers and Smart Displays are quite straightforward. The company is now testing the ability to set a separate Google Assistant volume level in the Home companion app.

Last July, we spotted Google testing a “Custom TTS Volume” setting in the Home app for iOS. That preference is back (via Android Police) and has been tweaked with last week’s update. It can be accessed by selecting a smart device and tapping the Equalizer icon next to Settings.

Below Bass and Treble is a new “Auto Assistant Volume” checkbox: “Automatically set the Assistant’s volume to a preferred listening level.” The “Preferred Assistant Volume Level” slider underneath has five increments (-2, -1, 0, 1, 2) between “Softer” and “Louder.”

This setting can be enabled today and partially works as intended. The Assistant volume set by the Google Home app applied to my Nest Mini, but just muted all responses on a Nest Hub.

This setting currently appears on Google Home 2.21 for iOS, with the Android counterpart lacking a similar capability. It’s not clear if this feature is here to stay, or whether it will disappear after a test.

It compliments the ability to adjust volume for “alarms & timers,” as well as “lower volume when listening” for Assistant commands.

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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com