Learn Google Assistant in just these 8 easy steps

So your Marshmallow or better Android phone just got Google Assistant, when you long-press the “Home” button for the first time after the update, the new digital assistant will ask: “Hi, how can I help you?” Talk An open-ended question.

Read on to start using Google’s Talkative Servant in eight easy ways, from telling it the name it wants to call you to shopping lists, turning on Bluetooth, and even playing solitaire games.

Give Assistant some familiar voice commands:

“Open the Kindle app”, “Make an appointment at noon today”, “Remind me to buy milk” and “Play some jazz”, all the familiar Android voice commands can be traced back to that time, and most of them can be used normally with Google assistant.

Just click and hold the “Home” button, wait for the Google Assistant to pop up, and say something like “Send a text to my wife”, “Send an email” or “What is the fastest way to get home?” Click here for more ideas, or just ask “What can you do?”

Reminder: If you want to summon the Google Assistant without releasing your finger, just set your phone to respond to voice even when the phone is locked.

Chat with Assistant when your phone is offline:

Siri, Apple’s digital assistant for the iPhone and iPad, remained silent when there was no data connection. This is not the case with Google Assistant. Even if you are not within the range of Wi-Fi and cellular networks, Google Assistant can still perform many tasks.

Of course, because the offline status will limit the style of Google Assistant, for example, it can not tell you the height of Mount Everest or where brunch is worth a visit. In other words, Assistant can still perform the following operations: set a timer, play locally saved music on the Google Play Music app, and even navigate the route in the offline area of ​​Google Maps.

Scan the screen:

Even if Google Assistant replaces Google screen search (aka Google on Tap), you can still scan the current screen for relevant information.

Similar to what you used to do with screen search, tap and hold the home button, then drag in the Google Assistant window.

When you are done, you will view the search results based on the content on the screen, as well as any actions that the digital assistant deems appropriate (such as creating an appointment or booking a restaurant).

Reminder: You will also find a “Share Screenshot” button below any screen scan results, which is another reserved item of the old “Screen Search” function.

Tell Assistant what you’d like to be called:

By default, Google Assistant will call you using the name on your contact card. If you want your digital buddy to call you, you can say “Call me to Charlie.” The assistant will ask you for confirmation before submitting your new nickname to memory.

This is another way to tell Google Assistant what to do with you: open “Assistant”, click the three-dot button in the upper right corner of the window, and then click “Settings”> “Personal Information”> “Nickname”.

Reminder: Do you want Google Assistant to remember the name of your spouse or another relative? Just one sentence, “Jane Doe is my wife.”

Ask Assistant to keep quiet:

Your Google Assistant will speak out loud when bidding and will speak very well when driving, but it’s not ideal if you want to be quiet.

If you like, you can set Assistant to hold its tongue whenever it’s not in hands-free mode. Just open Assistant, tap the three-dot menu button, tap Voice> Speech output, then tap Hands-free only.

Order Assistant to turn on your Bluetooth:

No, you don’t need to open “Quick Settings” to enable Bluetooth on your Android phone. Just call Google Assistant and say “Turn on Bluetooth”.

Your assistant can also turn on the phone’s flashlight, switch Wi-Fi and airplane mode settings, and even mute the phone.

Add items to your shopping list:

If you need to shop in a grocery store, please ask Google Assistant for help. Just say “add bacon to my shopping list” and your assistant will create a shopping list in Google Keep with the items you added.

To check which “Reserved Shopping List” is linked to Google Assistant, open the “Assistant”, click the three-dot button in the upper right corner of the window, and then click “Settings”> “Shopping List”.

Ask Assistant to entertain you:

With Google Assistant, you will never hit a fist. Just say “tic-tac-toe” to start using certain Xs and Os, or “play cards” to play single-player card games.

If you need to pick me up, please say “random fun;” When you do, Google Assistant will surprise you with inspiring quotes, cat videos, or other things that make you smile.