Google Assistant

Google has been putting out smart home speakers for a few years now, but up until earlier this year the original Google Home was still the most well-rounded option out there. That changes today, as Google Nest Audio goes on sale — here’s what the reviews are saying.

Google Play Music is set to stop working for users around the world starting this month. YouTube Music continues to add legacy features to ease the transition, with Google Assistant now working to play personal playlists.

One of the most impressive software features to debut with the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 is “Hold for Me.” The Google Assistant will stay on the line until an actual human being comes on for you to directly interact with.

Work from home (WFH) has thrown work-life balance out the door for many, but Google wants to help you better manage that with a “Workday” Assistant routine. Meanwhile, it’s rolling out Gentle Sleep and Wake to all smart lighting.

Google’s Nest Hub smart displays are useful for a lot of things, but they certainly push voice interaction over all else despite touchscreens being a core part of the device. Now, in a new video, we can see a complete redesign to the Nest Hub Max’s UI, complete with control panels and more.

One handy feature of Google Assistant speakers is the ability to cast content from various subscriptions using a voice command. Now, Disney+ is adding support for Google Assistant casting.

The Google Assistant usually has your back but birthday reminders have been a sore point for some time. However, after the recent unveiling of brand new Assistant Snapshot features, some users are reporting birthday reminders popping up on their devices.

After announcing last year, Google this May launched a tool for quickly accessing Assistant Actions from the Android homescreen. An update to Action Blocks today adds a vast number of UI tweaks, including dark theme widgets.

Over the past week, Google has been testing an Assistant notification on the lockscreen that provides tappable access to frequent commands. It looks to be an extension of Google making its voice assistant more ambient.

Following Android Automotive’s launch with the Polestar 2, Google released a support page for car owners. It specifically focuses on how to use Google Assistant, Maps, and the Play Store, starting with the set-up process.

One long-running critique of Google Assistant is how it doesn’t play well with work accounts, specifically Calendar events. While there is an Assistant for G Suite beta, it requires users to actively switch accounts. Google might soon let Assistant access data from multiple accounts alongside your primary one.

Back in November, Google Assistant augmented user-curated “News briefings” with a personalized “mix of top headlines and stories based on your interests.” “Your News Update” is now coming to Google Podcasts, while more natural text-to-speech is also available.

Last December, Google added “Food & drink” settings so that Smart Displays could recommend recipes that abide by your dietary restrictions. In a revamp, Google Assistant’s new “Food preferences” menu has a more friendly interface and fine-grained options.

The growth of IoT tech like the Google Assistant is one that we often don’t notice. Google is now claiming that its industry-leading Assistant is now compatible with more than 50,000 devices available from more than 5,500 brands.