Voice assistants are slowly making their way into our lives and even if you’re avoiding getting a dedicated smart speaker, your Android phone (or iPhone if you’ve installed Google’s app) is ready to serve you as soon as you say OK, Google or Hey, Google. And while most of the commands like searches and reminders are quite logical and commonly used, we wanted to highlight some of Google Assistant’s capabilities that stretch beyond that and can easily become part of your daily life. Here are the ones that we have selected for now:
Do math, convert measurements, or calculate tips
You have a couple of numbers you want multiplied, but don’t feel like opening the calculator app? Just say: OK, Google, what's 113 times 45?
Or maybe you're wondering how many milliliters are 2 and a half cups of milk? OK, Google, what's two and a half cups in milliliters?
Not sure how much is the tip you want to leave? OK, Google, how much is 20% of 145? or even OK, Google, what’s 25% of 165? will do the trick. Of course, how generous you’re going to be with the tip is up to you.
Tipping exactly 28.5% has never been easier!
Roll dice or generate a random number
Sometimes, you just need to let the universe decide things. But since it doesn’t have a voice, you might as well let Google help. There are several ways Google Assistant can do that.
It can roll a die: OK, Google, roll a die! will give you a number between 1 and 6. If you fancy another die, then just say OK, Google, roll a 20-sided die! or simply OK, Google, roll a d20 die! (dice works too, Google isn’t pedantic)
If you want a 50/50, then go for OK, Google, flip a coin.
For more specific situations, just add your own conditions, for example: OK, Google, give me a random number between 7 and 107.
Convert currency
That one is pretty straightforward, as long as you know the right currencies (if you don’t you can always ask Google first): OK, Google, how much is 5000 Chinese yuan in dollars? to find out how much the latest Chinese smartphone will cost in USD, for example.
Help you tune an instrument
Sadly, your phone won’t be able to take control of the different adjusters of your instrument and really tune it, but what it can do, thanks to Google Assistant, of course, is play you a note of your choice. Using OK, Google, play a D flat. (or whatever note you want) you’ll hear the sound you need for tuning.
OK, Google, I'm ready, now play Wonderwall vocals only
Remember where you placed stuff or parked your car
Setting a reminder is one of the first things people learn to do with their voice assistants. But Google’s AI goes a bit further. If you’re about to put something in a place you might forget later, just tell Google about it, like so: OK, Google, remember that I put my girlfriend’s gift under my hat in the closet. Then, when you want to retrieve the location, just ask: OK, Google, where is my girlfriend’s gift?
The same command is very handy when you park your car at a large parking lot or a multistory garage. Simply tell Google where you parked it and you’ll be able to retrieve the information later if needed.
I shouldn't have used ''next to the red Toyota'' as a reminder
An advanced reminder feature some users might be unaware of is the one that lets you tie the alert to a specific location. For example, you can say OK, Google, remind me to water plants when I get home. and once your phone detects that you’re home (based on your location information or home wi-fi network), it will display the reminder.
Help you out with foreign languages
This one is fairly obvious, but some people might still feel the need to open the Google Translate app, so here’s a faster way. By saying something like OK, Google, how do you say “Where is the bathroom?” in Japanese? not only will you get the translation, but Google will say it out loud, saving you the potential butchering of Japanese or whatever language you need help with.
Play ambient sounds
Since we’re talking about sounds, Google Assistant has another trick up its sleeve. If you want to unwind and need some pleasant audio background, Google has you covered! We haven’t figured out all the environments it has in its database, but OK, Google, play forest sounds. and Play rain sounds were two that worked nicely.
What’s even better is that the sound you choose will become a separate process on your phone that you can control like regular music, instead of only playing while the Google Assistant window is open. This means you can turn on the soothing sounds and use your phone for other things (or just leave it and relax).
OK, Google, play chainsaw massacre sounds
Track your packages and flights
Having access to your email, Google Assistant can pull information from some emails and use it in various ways. If you have received a tracking number, saying OK, Google, where’s my package? will show you how far along is your Amazon order, for example.
When it comes to flights, GA can tell you if there are any delays, or when you should leave your house in order to get to the airport on time, depending on the current traffic. Recently, Google also added the ability to check-in for your flight using the Assistant, but this functionality is still limited to just a few airlines.
Search places based on specific requirements
While everyone knows that you can ask Google to show you nearby restaurants or coffee shops, not everyone is aware you can narrow down the search with some added conditions. For example, OK, Google, show me vegan restaurants that are open 24/7 will help you find a place to satisfy your midnight craving for a spinach and kale smoothie (that’s a thing, right?).
Find the exact pictures you’re looking for
If you have the habit of snapping a picture of everything at least semi-interesting you see, your phone’s gallery must be overflowing with pictures, making it hard to sort through them.
Google Assistant can lend a hand with that as well. Say you want to show your dorky pet to a friend, without them seeing a picture of every meal you’ve had in the past week, just say OK, Google, show me pictures of my cat. and the AI will bring up only pictures that have a dog in them.
One of these "cats" is not like the others!
Looking for photos from an old trip? Nothing can be easier! “OK, Google, show me pictures from New York last year” and you’re all set! Finally, all the data Google has about you comes handy!
As Google Assistant’s abilities expand over time, so will this list. In the meantime, tell us what functions would you like to see added to the voice assistant!
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