If you like talking to Google on your Android phone, you should know the feature now supports a different type of hotword, in addition to the old “Ok Google” voice command.
The “Hey Google” hotword is now live, and you’ll probably have to reconfigure the voice settings of your phone to start using it.
“Hey Google” already works on Google’s Home smart speakers, so adding it to Android only makes sense.
That said, the feature isn’t exactly new on smartphones, as Google start testing “Hey Google” a couple of months ago. The feature was, however, restricted to a number of phones. But Android Police explains that it’s rolling out to more users as we speak.
In case you’re using voice commands on your phone, you’ll see a notification asking you to perform a new setup for the feature, so that “Hey Google” can be enabled. It can’t be enabled automatically, as you still have to train your phone to recognize the way you speak the phrase.
There’s no reason to panic if you’ve gotten used to “Ok Google.” Both hotwords will work on Android devices going forward, allowing users to choose whatever phrase they desire to invoke Google Assistant. Android Police explains that, just like “Ok Google,” “Hey Google” will also work with the screen turned off, on supported devices.
Speaking of supported devices, Google Assistant is now available on more handsets than ever, thanks to Google’s recent app update — read more about it at this link.
