Google Assistant

Last month, we detailed Google’s work on a feature that lets you skip Assistant’s hotword for select commands. On phones, Assistant “Quick phrases” work differently and in a somewhat more limited manner.

At the start of August, the new Google Assistant lost its translucent/transparent UI. The original NGA design is back today on Pixel phones, though it’s not clear whether the look is here to stay.

One of the most capable Google Nest competitors is Arlo, which offers a lot of similar hardware and some of the best Google Home/Assistant integration out there. Now, Arlo is upgrading its Assistant integration with support for spoken alerts on speakers and smart displays.

Following iOS PiP and desktop download, YouTube is now testing the ability to “get suggestions for topics related to videos you’re watching” on Android that are powered by Google Assistant.

Google Assistant broadcasts are a very useful way to relay information to your family quickly, and it seems the company is working on expanding its reach just a bit further. It seems that Google is currently testing support for Assistant broadcasts on Chromecast with Google TV.

As we steadily edge toward the stable launch of Android 12, more first-party apps are gaining Material You tweaks including the Google Assistant.

In October of 2019, Google Assistant introduced an Issa Rae voice that responds to a subset of common queries, like the weather. Just shy of two years later, at the end of this month, the cameo will stop working.

Back in November, Assistant Driving Mode started rolling out as part of Google Maps. Google today is making official the new “dashboard” experience coming to Driving Mode, while the Assistant capability is set to get wider availability and a new way to launch.

Google today has three car experiences, and all of them are seeing updates. The biggest is an upcoming “Hey Google, pay for gas” command, while Android Auto is getting new media and connectivity features.

The Pixel exclusive “Hold for Me” feature that allows you to utilize the Google Assistant to hold the line until you are ready now appears to be expanding into Canada.

Assistant Driving Mode was announced at I/O 2019 to replace Android Auto on phones. It was supposed to launch that summer but was delayed, and is now happening with Android 12. Ahead of that, the homescreen UI unveiled over two years ago is finally appearing in Assistant Driving Mode.

A year ago, Google streamlined Assistant preferences by switching to one unified list showing all features in alphabetical order. The latest step to simplify Google Assistant settings involves splitting Voice Match and other options by device type.

Back in April, we told you about an in-development “Guacamole” feature that will let you use Assistant without hotwords. This Google Assistant capability will launch as “Quick phrases,” and we now know more about how it works.

Google Assistant routines are a great way to automate home functions through voice commands, and slowly they’re getting smarter. Now, Google Assistant is rolling out a new routine trigger that allows routines to start when you dismiss an alarm.

One of the downsides of Google’s second-gen Pixel Buds, as well as their mid-range successor the Pixel Buds A, is that there’s no noise cancellation. With powerful competition like the AirPods Pro and the Galaxy Buds Pro both packing noise cancellation, it was a shame to see the Pixel Buds skip it.

In its place though, the most unique aspect of the Pixel Buds series is their ability to respond to the “Hey Google” hotword, which up to this point had not been replicated on any third-party earbuds. That is, until now. JBL’s latest true wireless earbuds, the JBL Tour Pro+, are the first third-party earbuds to have full Google Assistant integration, including audible notifications and “Hey Google” support.

While smartphones are increasingly approaching feature phone pricing, the latter category still has a place. As such, “smart” feature phones exist, and many are powered by KaiOS, though Google Assistant in recent months lost the ability to make calls and send texts through voice commands. 

Earlier this week, some Google Home users got the option to add delayed starts to macros. Google has now updated Assistant with support for “Daylong Routines” that allow actions to automatically trigger at different times over the course of a day.