Google assistant is too much more than mere voice search : Read on

Google Assistant is available to users through the devices includes the Google Home speakers, speakers with Google Assistant built-in, smartphones and tablets, among others.

It was initially launched in May 2016 as part of Google’s messaging app Allo, and its voice-activated speaker Google Home. After being exclusively available on the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, it came on other Android devices in February 2017, and eventually reached iOS devices in May 2017.

Mode of working

Users basically interact with the Google Assistant through natural voice, however, it also supports keyboard input. By 2017, Google Assistant had been installed on more than 400 million devices globally.

Highlights

Google Lens lets the users point their phone’s camera at an object and have it instantly recognised, complete with contextual responses. In order to use this feature, one needs to tap on the Lens icon while viewing a photo. Once this is done, dots will be visible on the screen as the device analyses the objects in the photo. Google Assistant will then pop up and give information about the objects in the image.

Users can ask the Google Assistant to translate the conversation with someone who does not speak your language. You can pick what language you want the conversation to be translated to when you trigger the interpreter mode. After interpreter mode is enabled, the user can ask Google Assistant to translate between more languages.

In order to translate a conversation a user needs to follow these steps:

Say “Ok Google.” –> Be my Italian interpreter –>Help me speak Spanish

–>Interpret from Dutch to French –> Chinese interpreter –>Turn on interpreter mode

If the user has not identified languages, they can choose them according to their choice

When one hears the tone, he/she can start speaking in either language. The user doesn’t have to alternate between languages for interpreter mode to work

To stop using interpreter mode, users can give commands like:

Stop –> Quit –> Exit

For the app to read news, an individual has to tap the software home button. When the pop-up box comes up with the Google Assistant question, “How May I help you?” the user has to say, “Good morning.” Google Assistant will say, “Good morning, (your name)” and will inform the user about the weather in the city and will also read the news.

Other features

Google Assistant users can use voice commands or the keyboard to play games through it. Say or type the title of the section as a command.

For example, to play “I’m Feeling Lucky”, launch Assistant and say “I’m Feeling Lucky”. To start Pangolin Love, say or type “Pangolin Love”. There are a plethora of options offered by the Google Assistant as far as games are concerned. Some of them are:

I’m Feeling Lucky: The command will start a game show hosted by the Assistant.

Let me talk to Akinator: This is a game where the user guesses a character and the bot asks the user questions to find out the character

Emoji Movie: Emoji movie is a chat game where users are asked to guess the movie name by looking at the emojis that the Assistant sends.