If you use Android, you may have run into Google Assistant. It’s installed by default on Android devices, which is why many people use it. You’ll find the assistant on phones, Chromebooks, smart speakers, and the best Google TVs. Google Assistant is versatile and has a range of features, such as asking questions and setting alarms. If you’re new to the Google ecosystem, our in-depth Google Assistant guide explains the basics. When you’re familiar with the platform, you’re ready to activate the assistant on your Android phone and use its best features.

How to set up Google Assistant on your phone or tablet

Google Assistant is available for Android, iOS, iPadOS, and ChromeOS:

Android: It’s installed if your device is updated and runs Android 5 or newer. If it isn’t installed, download the Assistant from the Play Store.
iPhone and iPad: Get Google Assistant from the App Store if you run iOS 14 or later.
Chromebook: Assistant is pre-installed and activated on Chromebooks running ChromeOS 77 or newer. If it isn’t activated, turn it on through the settings.

Chromebooks managed by schools can’t access the “Hey Google” functionality. Devices managed by Family Link need parental permission to activate Voice Match functionality.

How to use Google Assistant

You can use Google Assistant immediately after installing it. The default values for most of the settings are solid. Still, you might want to change a few things to tailor your digital companion to your needs.

First, go into settings, customize how you want to trigger Google Assistant, and train it to recognize your voice. Here’s how to do that:

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down the page and select Google.
Switch to the All services tab.
Tap Settings for Google apps.
Choose Search, Assistant & Voice.
Select Google Assistant.
Tap Hey Google & Voice Match to open the voice activation options.
Turn on the Hey Google toggle to turn on voice activation, or turn it off to protect your privacy or prevent battery drain.
If you turned on Hey Google, tap I agree on the next couple of screens to agree to the terms.
Follow the on-screen training process. You’ll speak a few phrases starting with “Hey Google” or “OK Google.”

Repeat this process and retrain Google Assistant’s voice model if it struggles to recognize your voice.

7 incredible Google Assistant routines that make life easier

These routines can seriously help out your day-to-day life

Using Google Assistant from the lock screen

Biometric unlocking seems to be a hit-or-miss type of thing. When it works, it’s great. When it doesn’t, and you want to trigger Google Assistant without unlocking your phone, use voice activation from the lock screen. Activating this is as easy as switching on a toggle in the Settings app. Here’s what to do:

Repeat the first few steps above. Go to Settings > Google > All services > Settings for Google apps > Search, Assistant & Voice > Google Assistant.
Tap Lock screen.
Select the toggle next to Assistant responses on lock screen to turn on voice activation from the lock screen.

Now, you can use Google Assistant without unlocking your phone. However, you may need to get past the lock screen to perform actions like sending a text, making a call, or other functions that require access to another app.

Activating this setting gives Google access to your smartphone’s microphone even when your device is locked and in your pocket or bag. Be aware of the privacy implications of this.

Talk to Google Assistant without using the Hey Google trigger

When most people think about using Google Assistant, they think of it as something you speak to. While that is possible, it isn’t the only way to interact with it. If voice activation isn’t practical (think libraries or at night) or if you have speaking difficulties, talk to Google Assistant over text.

Tap the Assistant shortcut from your home screen or app tray to activate Google Assistant without voice commands. You can also launch Google Assistant by tapping the microphone icon in the Google search bar widget on the home screen.

Depending on your device, there are other ways to call upon Google Assistant. If you’re unsure how your phone is set up, swipe diagonally from either corner of the bottom of the screen or press and hold the home button or power button until the assistant appears.

Depending on how you open Google Assistant, it might listen for your voice before it does anything. Press the keyboard icon to switch to text input. Or, change a setting so that it defaults to text input.

How to use Google Assistant Routines

Google Assistant Routines are a simple way to get the most out of your day

Here’s how to force Google Assistant to always ask for commands via text instead of voice:

Go to Settings > Google > All services > Settings for Google apps > Search, Assistant & Voice > Google Assistant.
Scroll down the page and select General.
Tap Preferred input.
Select Keyboard to make Google Assistant default to opening the keyboard when you activate it.

If you don’t like how your assistant sounds, change the Google Assistant voice.

What can Google Assistant do?

Google Assistant can do everything from giving directions for the quickest route home to making dinner reservations. If you’re new to Android or Google, check out our list of the best tips to get the most out of Google Assistant. The built-in functions are voice-activated things like the weather, restaurant recommendations, and reminders. Ask it, “What’s the weather like?” or tell it to remind you to turn off the oven in five minutes, and it accurately responds to both requests.

Google Assistant is a good hands-free helper, allowing you to open apps, send messages, and place calls with your voice. Its strengths are its automation, routines, and integration with the Android operating system and Google’s app ecosystem.

Google Assistant Routines

One overlooked Google Assistant feature is the Routines functionality. This automation suite lets you set up custom, multistep operations that you trigger manually or when certain conditions are met. You can use any phrase to start a routine and use any operation available to the assistant within a routine.

Check out our favorite Google Assistant routines that make life easier. To use those routines or to set up your own, return to the Google Assistant options in Settings. Here’s how:

Open the Google Assistant settings by navigating to Settings > Google > All services > Settings for Google apps > Search, Assistant & Voice > Google Assistant.
Scroll down the page and select Routines.
Tap New in the upper-right corner of the screen to add a routine.
Select Personal or Household, depending on who else in your home can edit and see the routine’s details.
Select Untitled at the top to name the new routine.
Tap + Add starter to create a trigger.
Choose a type of starter. For a voice-activated routine, tap When I say to Google Assistant. To set it to a schedule, select At a specific time or At sunrise or sunset.
What you see next depends on the starter you choose. For example, if you select the voice activation option, your phone opens a page prompting you to create a voice command. To add your voice command, type it in the text box.
After choosing your options for the starter, tap the Add starter button in the lower-right corner of the screen. To specify more than one starter, tap Add starter on the main new routine configuration page.
After defining a starter or two, add actions to the routine. Tap Add action button from the configuration page to set up actions.
Select an action from the list. If something you’re looking for isn’t there, tap Try adding your own to add a custom action, then save it by tapping Done. This can be anything Google Assistant can normally execute.
After adding an action, tap Save to save your routine.

To automate chained features (for example, activating and deactivating silent mode on a schedule), create two routines. One to activate or adjust the setting and the other to revert the change.

Google Assistant is great, but so is Samsung Bixby

Congratulations, you’re officially a Google Assistant expert. You now have the tools to use Google Assistant efficiently and automate routine tasks. You won’t be mashing your fingers against the glass of your phone as much. If you use a Samsung device, you might be more interested in giving Samsung Bixby a try.