How to set up google assistant

The Google Assistant’s capabilities are vast and varied, making it a powerhouse of functionality in the palm of your hand or within your smart home environment. Among its many features, it can facilitate communication by making phone calls or sending text messages. Plus, it can help organize your schedule and stay productive by setting reminders, creating calendar events, and more. Perhaps one of its most impressive features is its ability to answer your questions with Google’s powerful search engine, fetching accurate information and presenting it in mere seconds. Overall, Google Assistant acts as a highly capable tool, transforming and simplifying everyday tasks in innovative ways.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into the process of setting up Google Assistant on two platforms: Android devices and Google Home. By guiding you through the step-by-step setup process, we aim to give you a clear understanding of how to get the Google Assistant up and running. Beyond that, we’ll also explore how you can customize your Google Assistant settings to align with your unique needs and preferences, ensuring that your experience with this virtual assistant is not only seamless, but also customized to your lifestyle.

Setting up the Google Assistant on Android devices

Step 1: Check for compatibility

Before setting up Google Assistant, make sure your Android device is compatible. As of my cut off September 2021, your device must meet the following criteria:

1. Android device running Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or later.
2. Google app version 6.13 or later.
3. Google Play Services is installed.
4. Google account.
5. The device language is set to a language supported by the Google Assistant.

Step 2: Launch Google Assistant

1. Open the Google app on your Android device.
2. At the bottom left, tap More.
3. Then go to “Settings”.
4. Tap on the Google Assistant.
5. Under All Settings, select General.
6. Turn on Google Assistant.

Step 3: Configure your Google Assistant

To get the most out of Google Assistant, it’s worth taking the time to customize its settings:

1. To customize Assistant Voice, go back to the Google Assistant settings page. Scroll to the Assistant section and tap Assistant Voice to choose a voice preference.
2. To manage Personal Results, go to the Assistant section. Then, click on “Your Data in the Assistant”. Turn on Personal results to allow the Google Assistant to access data from other Google services.

Set up Google Assistant on Google Home

Google Assistant also works with Google Home devices. Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1: Install the Google Home app

First, install the Google Home app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store on your smartphone or tablet.

Step two: Set up your Google Home device

1. Open the Google Home app.
2. On the main screen, tap + Add.
3. Then tap on “Device Setup”.
4. Select “New Devices”. Make sure your phone or tablet is connected to the same Wi-Fi network that you intend to use to set up your Google Home device.
5. Follow the in-app steps to connect your Google Home device to Wi-Fi.
6. When prompted, set your Google Assistant preferences.

Step 3: Customize Google Assistant settings on Google Home

You can customize many Google Assistant settings on your Google Home, such as:

1. Voice Match: Recognizes your voice and provides personal information. To set this up, go to Assistant Settings in the Google Home app. Under Assistant, select Voice Match and follow the instructions.
2. Personalized results: This allows the Google Assistant to provide personalized responses based on your data. To set this up, go to Assistant Settings. Under Assistant, select Your Data in Assistant, then switch to Personal Results.

Setting up Google Assistant on iPhone

While Google Assistant is natively integrated with Android, it is also available to iOS users through the Google Assistant app. The setup process for Google Assistant on an iPhone is a little different than on an Android device. Here are the steps to launch Google Assistant on your iPhone:

Step 1: Install the Google Assistant app

First, you need to install the Google Assistant app. Go to the App Store and search for “Google Assistant”. Download and install the app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Sign in to your Google account

Once the app is installed, open it. You will be asked to sign in to your Google account. If you don’t already have a Google account, you’ll need to create one.

Step 3: Allow the necessary permissions

After logging in, the app will ask for various permissions, such as accessing your microphone for voice commands, accessing your contacts for calls and messages, and so on. Make sure to grant these permissions for Google Assistant to work properly.

Step 4: Activate Google Assistant

To activate the Google Assistant, simply open the app and say “Hey Google,” followed by the command or question. You can also type your orders or questions into the app.

Unfortunately, due to iOS limitations, you can’t access the Google Assistant by simply saying “Hey Google” when the app isn’t open. However, you can add a Google Assistant widget to your Today View for quick access or use Siri Shortcuts to open Google Assistant with a voice command.

Step 5: Use Siri Shortcuts for Google Assistant

To create a Siri shortcut for the Google Assistant:

1. Open the Google Assistant app and tap on your profile icon in the top right corner.
2. Scroll down to Siri Shortcuts and tap Add to Siri.
3. Record a phrase you’ll say to Siri to open the Google Assistant. It might be something like “Hey Google” or “Open Assistant”.
4. Click Done.

Now, you can say the recorded phrase to Siri, and Siri will open the Google Assistant for you.

While Google Assistant may not be built into the iPhone like Siri, it can still be a very useful tool, providing you with the power and versatility of Google’s search engine and services. Whether you want to control your Google Home devices or just want to try out a different virtual assistant, Google Assistant is a solid choice for iPhone users.

using Google Assistant

Now that you have Google Assistant set up, it’s time to start using it! You can activate Google Assistant in several ways, depending on your device.

on your Android phone or tablet

1. Say “Ok Google” or “Hey Google”: If voice matching is enabled, you can activate Google Assistant just by using your voice. Note that this may not work if your device is locked or if you are using a device launched before 2017.
2. Press and hold the Home button: This is the most direct way to activate Google Assistant. Just press and hold your device’s Home button.
3. Swipe from the bottom corners: On certain devices, like the Google Pixel series, you can swipe up from any bottom corner to activate Google Assistant.

on Google Home devices

Just say “Ok Google” or “Hey Google” followed by the command or question.

Give commands to Google Assistant

Google Assistant can perform a wide range of tasks. Here are some examples:

• Make a call or send a text: Say “call [contact name]or send a text message to [contact name]. “
• Set an alarm or timer: Say, “Set an alarm for 7 a.m.,” or “Set a timer for 10 minutes.”
• Check the weather: Say, “How’s the weather?”
• Controlling smart home devices: If you have compatible smart devices at home, you can say “Turn off the living room light” or “Set the thermostat to 72 degrees.”
• playing music: If you have a music service linked, you can say, “Play [song/artist/genre]. “
• Ask general questions: Google Assistant can answer a wide range of questions, from “What is the capital of Australia?” to “Who won the world championships in 2020?”
• Makes jokes: Yes, Google Assistant can entertain you! Just say “Tell me a joke”.

Manage your privacy

While Google Assistant is undoubtedly convenient, it is essential to understand and manage your privacy settings. By customizing your privacy settings, you can control how much personal data the Google Assistant has access to. Here are some basic steps:

1. activity review: In your Google Assistant settings, under “Your data in Assistant,” you can review your Google Assistant activity. This shows the interactions you’ve had with your Assistant.
2. Manage how to improve your data for Assistant: Under “Your data in Assistant,” there is a section called “More options for using Assistant data.” Here you can customize how your data is used to improve Google Assistant performance.
3. Delete activity: You can delete Google Assistant activity by saying “Hey Google, delete what you said last week” or delete the activity manually in the “Your data in Assistant” section.

Google Assistant is a versatile tool designed to make your life more convenient. Whether you’re setting reminders, making hands-free calls, controlling your smart home, or even telling jokes, Google Assistant can handle it. So why not take full advantage of this powerful assistant to make your digital life easier? Remember, your Google Assistant is here to help you. We hope you find this guide useful, if you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please let us know in the comments section below.

Image credit: Quaritsch photography

Filed under: Android News, Apple, Guides

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