Voice assistants are getting better and better each year, and Google Assistant is right up there with Amazon Alexa as the best voice assistants available today. But unlike Amazon Alexa, Google’s voice assistant is available on a lot more devices right out of the box, like Android phones and tablets. Plus, since Google also owns and operates one of the largest search engines in the world, it has a breadth of knowledge available that it can use to respond to your queries. In this guide, we’ll show you all the ways you can trigger Google Assistant on your Android smartphone.
What is Google Assistant?
Google Assistant is a voice assistant that is much like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. It can answer questions using the internet or help you complete actions on your smartphone. For example, if you need to start a timer on your Android phone, you can ask Google Assistant to do it for you instead of opening the Clock app yourself. The benefits are more profound if you use other Google services, like Google Home or Google Calendar. Then, you can ask Google Assistant to turn off your lights or set a date in your schedule.
Which Android phones are compatible with Google Assistant?
Google Assistant requires a few hardware and software specifications to be met in order to work on your Android phone. Phones running Android 5 or later with at least 1GB of RAM can use Google Assistant. Alternatively, phones running Android 6 or later with at least 1.5GB of RAM can make use of Google Assistant. Additionally, you’ll need the Google app to be updated to version 6.13 or newer. Too, Google Play Services must be enabled and your phone needs to have a screen resolution of 720p or higher. Luckily, all the best Android phones in 2023 meet these requirements.
For Android devices that are less powerful and run on Android (Go Edition), there is Google Assistant Go.
Open Google Assistant with the power button
Since Google Assistant is built right into Android, you can trigger it with a long press of the power button on your Android smartphone.
- Long press the power button on your Android smartphone.
- Wait for the Google Assistant dialogue to appear on the bottom portion of your display.
- Make a request to the Google Assistant.
- Wait for Google Assistant to respond and follow the on-screen prompts to continue.
Open Google Assistant with the “Hey Google” hotword
Aside from using the power button, you can trigger Google Assistant hands-free by saying “Hey Google.” If you’ve already enabled this feature during the initial setup process, you can simply start using the feature without any further action required. However, if it isn’t working, you’ll need to enable it in settings. Here’s how to use Google Assistant with just your voice.
- Say “Hey Google” near your Android phone.
- Wait for the Google Assistant dialogue to appear on the bottom portion of your display.
- Make a request to the Google Assistant.
- Wait for Google Assistant to respond and follow the on-screen prompts to continue.
If this doesn’t work, follow the below steps to enable “Hey Google” in your Google app settings.
- Open the Google app on your Android phone.
- Tap your profile picture in the top right corner of the display.
- Tap the Settings tab.
- Tap the Google Assistant tab.
- Tap the Hey Google and Voice Match tab.
- Make sure the toggle next to Hey Google is enabled.
Use the Google Assistant app shortcut
Although the Google Assistant is built right into Android, you can alternatively download the standalone Google Assistant app from the Google Play Store. When downloaded, simply tapping the Google Assistant app will trigger the voice assistant on your phone. It isn’t necessary, since the feature is already within the Google app, but this is a way to add a shortcut to your home screen.
Control the Google Assistant with the on-screen keyboard
If you’d rather not use Google Assistant with your voice, you can use the on-screen keyboard instead. Here’s how.
- Trigger Google Assistant with the power button or app shortcut.
- Tap the keyboard icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Start typing in the text field that opens and press enter when finished.
- Wait for Google Assistant to respond and follow the on-screen prompts to continue.
Why you should use Google Assistant
There are a lot of ways to trigger Google Assistant on your Android smartphone, and that’s part of the reason why it’s one of the best voice assistants around. You can activate Google Assistant with your voice, with the press of a button, and use it with your keyboard. Instead of completing tedious tasks by yourself, like setting a timer or making a to-do list, have Google Assistant do it for you.