Google Assistant: some voice commands now work without “Ok Google”

Google Assistant no longer needs an “Ok Google” to work in some cases. On a Pixel 3XL running under the beta of Android 12, some voice commands now work without the user being forced to call the smart assistant. The option should land on other smartphones in the coming weeks.

Remember: in April 2021, an option to bypass the “Ok Google” command appeared in the Google Assistant source code. A few weeks ago, the functionality reappeared in the code of the Android application dedicated to the voice assistant. We discovered the list of commands able to function without the user having to say “Ok Google” or “Hey Google”.

Among the commands compatible with the option, we find “Cancel the alarm”, “What time is it?”, “What is the weather like?”, “Pause music”, or even “create a reminder. ”. You will understand: it is only basic daily orders.

Google Assistant can do without an “Ok Google” in two specific cases for the moment

According to the findings of our colleagues at XDA Developers, this feature called “Quick Phrases” in VO is already available on some smartphones. The media managed to use the option on a Pixel 3 XL running the latest beta version of Android 12. The phone was using version 12.39.17.29 of the Google application.

In final version, the option pushes the Google Assistant to listen as soon as you receive a call on your smartphone or a timer / alarm is sounding. The voice assistant will be able to react automatically as soon as the user pronounces words such as “Answer” or “Refuse” or “Stop” or “Snooze”. There will be no need to invoke the assistant with the famous “Ok Google” in these cases. Google will remind you that the command is no longer essential by means of a small notification under that of the call or the alarm.

If the option is offered on your phone under Android 12, it should be possible to configure it directly in the google app settings. According to XDA, this is a deployment limited to a handful of phones directly from Google’s servers. We can expect that the option will be offered in the coming weeks during the deployment of Android 12. We keep you informed of the arrival of this very practical feature.

Source: XDA Developers