Google Assistant – everything you need to know

Digital assistants used to be reserved solely for sci-fi books and films, but in 2020 you’ve probably already got one in your pocket. Electronic assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri are already on many smartphones, tablets and laptops. Each of them is designed to make technology as quick and easy to use as possible. They effectively put a human voice in front of some very powerful and useful technology.

While Google Assistant isn’t as well-known as Alexa or Siri, it is one of the best digital assistants available. It provides users with the ability to set reminders, play music, read the news and even control elements of a smart home, like lightbulbs or thermostats.

To help you discover what Google Assistant can do, we’ve put together a list of our favourite functions.

Firstly, what devices is Google Assistant actually on?

Google Assistant appears on Google smartphones, and on other Android smartphones, like Samsung, Nokia and Huawei. You can also access Google Assistant on Apple products, like the iPhone and iPad by downloading the app from the store. Google Assistant can also be found on Android tablets, and even on smart watches.

Google’s range of smart home products also carries Google Assistant integration. This includes the tiny Nest Mini speaker, Google Home and the Home Max - these are all speakers that you can interact with your voice. For options with a digital display, which are ideal for things like video calls and reading the news, there’s the Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max.

You can see out favourite items at the bottom of this page.

If you would like to start making video calls, read our guide to the best smart hubs with cameras or out article explaining how to video chat.

What can I do with Google Assistant?

Set an Alarm

Sometimes it’s worth starting off with the basics. Google Assistant may be powerful, but it also makes simple tasks a little quicker too. If you want to set an alarm, simply say “Hey Google, set an alarm for 9:00” and it’ll be added to your alarm list.

If you say “Ok Google, remind me to call the vets at noon”, it’ll add this to your reminders and alert you when it's time to complete the task.

Prepare for your day

If you synchronise a calendar with your Google Assistant, it will be able to prepare you for the next day – or provide a recap on the one you’ve just had. Simply say “Google what am I doing tomorrow,” and you’ll hear a list of your scheduled appointments and events. Say “what did I do today” and you’ll get a rundown on your appointments for the day just gone.

Open apps remotely

If you want to open an app that’s buried somewhere on your phone, just ask Google Assistant to open it, and it’ll launch without any button presses.

Find the nearest….

Google Assistant sits between you and some of the company’s powerful apps – including Google Maps. If you want to find out the nearest petrol station, garden centre or café, just ask Google Assistant. Depending on the information available, you’ll get the name of the place as well as the address, distance to you, and even its star rating.

Get to work on time

Digital assistants work best when you give them key bits of information in advance, and this is very much the case with this next feature. If you’re prepared to log your home and work addresses in Google Maps, Google Assistant will be able to calculate just how long it’ll take you to get to work or home. And yes, live traffic is taken into account.

Ask the question on a Google Home hub and you’ll see the route on screen, ask a Home Mini and a map will be sent to your Android smartphone.

How do I get to...?

In addition to specific addresses, Google Assistant will tell you how long it’ll take to get a general area, too. For example, ask Google Assistant for directions to London and you’ll get an estimated arrival time, distance and a map if you’re using the assistant on a smartphone or Google hub with a screen.

Follow your favourite sport

Google Assistant is great for sports facts, and will provide you with any statistical information you need. Want to know who is playing at Wimbledon today? Just ask Google. Want to know when the next Premier League match is, and who won last year’s championship? Just ask Google Assistant.

Get your daily briefing

Google will brief you on the day’s news, and it’ll also pull out the key headlines from your favourite outlet. Ask for news from The Guardian and you’ll get a list of its top stories, do the same from the Telegraph and you’ll get a briefing for the Telegraph website.

What’s more, you can also ask get a lowdown on a particular topic: ask for sports or politics news, for example, and you’ll get an aggregated list of bullet points from a variety of sources.

Control your lights

Google Assistant can be a very powerful ally if you would like some smart features in your home. Most smart light systems can be controlled by Google’s assistant via their own app and Google’s Home app. It sounds complicated, but you only have to set it up once, and then it’s all quick and easy.

If you have Phillips Hue lights that you want to dim, just ask Google to turn down the lights to 30%, and it’ll just happen.

Google Duo

Although not as popular as FaceTime, WhatsApp or Zoom, Google’s video calling app is very easy to use – and even easier if you’ve got Google Assistant. Just say who you want to call on any Assistant-enabled device.

Routines

If you like the sound of these function but don’t want to spend all day repeating a long list of commands, you’ll be glad to know you can easily set up routines.

These are simply a customisable list of commands and tasks that can be triggered by users automatically. Saying, “good morning” could play the news before reading out your day’s events, while “good night” could turn all the lights off and start a radio station – it’s totally customisable and up to you. And of course, it’s all activated by Google Assistant.

Tell you it can do

There are so many things that Google Assistant can do that it can be hard to keep track. Luckily, if you say "Ok Google, what can you do," the assistant will present you with a rundown of some of its most popular functions.

To download Google Assistant, visit your smartphone's app store. Alternatively, click here to see the app on the Google Play store.

The best devices you can use Google Assistant on:

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