Google Home and Google Assistant commands Android Authority

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Google Assistant can be a great digital companion, which is a good thing considering how closely tied it is to Android. Whether you’re using it on your phone, tablet, or Nest speaker, there are endless things you can do with it. Getting results depends on using the right phrases, so here’s a look at some of the most important Google Assistant commands.

Also: Here’s a full guide for making the most out of Google Assistant

Google Assistant commands:

How do you get Google Assistant to listen to you?

Adam Molina / Android Authority

Whenever you want Google Assistant to pay attention to you, say “OK Google” or “Hey Google.” Even if both your phone and an Assistant-equipped smart speaker hear you, only the closest device will be triggered.

Unlike Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant doesn’t have an option to change its wake word. You’re stuck with “Google,” at least for now.

Google Assistant commands for controlling your smart speaker

Adam Molina / Android Authority

• To turn up the volume on your Google speaker, you can say: “Hey Google, increase volume,” “Hey Google, turn it up,” or “Hey Google, increase volume to maximum.”
• To turn the volume down, say: “Hey Google, decrease volume,” “Hey Google, turn it down,” or “Hey Google, decrease volume to minimum.”
• To set the volume to a specific level, say: “Hey Google, set the volume to 5,” or “Hey Google, set the volume to 50%.” Numbers between 1 and 10 and percentages in 10% increments should work.
• If you need Google Assistant to pause, resume or stop, just say: “Hey Google, pause,” “Hey Google, resume,” or “Hey Google, stop.”
• Want to know some examples of things Google speakers can do? Just say: “Hey Google, help.”

More: The best smart speakers you can buy

Google Assistant commands for productivity

• Set an alarm: “Hey Google, set an alarm for 7 AM,” “Hey Google, set an alarm for every Friday morning at 7 AM,” “Hey Google, set an alarm in 25 minutes,” or “Hey Google, wake me up at 7 AM every day.”
• Set a kids-themed alarm: “OK Google, set a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle alarm for 8 PM.”
• Check your alarms: “Hey Google, when is my next alarm?”
• Snooze an alarm: “Hey Google, snooze alarm.”
• Cancel an alarm: “Hey Google, cancel alarm for [time].”
• Set a timer: “Hey Google, set a timer for [time].”
• Check timer: “Hey Google, how much time is left on my timer?”
• Check the time: “Hey Google, what time is it?”
• International time: “Hey Google, what time is it in [location]?”
• Convert currency: “Hey Google, how much is $5 in euros?”
• Check your location: “Hey Google, where am I?”
• Translate something: “Hey Google, how do you say ‘hello’ in Spanish?”
• Roll a die: “Hey Google, roll a die.”
• Flip a coin: “Hey Google, flip a coin.”
• Add to your shopping list: “Hey Google, add [item] to my shopping list.”
• Check your shopping list: “Hey Google, what’s on my shopping list?”
• Find out a recipe: “Hey Google, how do you make chicken soup?”
• Math: “Hey Google, what is 14 x 5?”
• Count: “Count: “OK, Google, count to 20.”
• Random number: “OK, Google, give me a random number between 5 and 50.”
• Measurements: “Hey Google, how many centimeters are in an inch?”
• Remember things: “OK, Google, remember that I put my passport in the filing cabinet,” or “Remember that my password is ‘money.'”
• Recall things: “OK, Google, where is my passport?,” or “What is my password?”
• Get a recipe: “OK, Google, how do I make [dish]?”

Also: The best productivity apps for Android

Google Assistant privacy commands

If you’re concerned about your voice commands being saved by Google, there are a few Assistant commands you can use to protect your privacy. Remember though that Google doesn’t save voice recordings by default, and that all of its Nest speakers and displays have a mute button or toggle, just in case you don’t want Assistant listening for a wake word when you’re not using it. You can turn off Google Assistant on an Android device.

• Access Google’s privacy portal: “OK, Google, how are you keeping my data safe?”
• Delete your most recent voice command: “OK, Google, delete what I just said.”
• To delete commands from a past time frame: “OK, Google, delete everything I said today/this week/this month/this year.”

Read also: The smart home privacy policies of Amazon, Apple, and Google

Google Assistant commands for broadcasting over more than one speaker

If you own more than one Google Assistant-based smart speaker, you can broadcast messages across all of them or make calls between a pair of them.

• Wake up: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘wake everyone up,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s time to wake up.'”
• Breakfast: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘breakfast is ready,'” “OK, Google, broadcast ‘breakfast is served,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s time for breakfast.'”
• Lunch: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘lunch is ready,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s lunchtime.'”
• Dinner: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘dinner is ready/served,'” “OK, Google, broadcast ‘ring the dinner bell,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s dinner time.'”
• Time to leave: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘time to leave,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘time to get out.'”
• Arrived home: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘I’m home,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘I’m here.'”
• On the way: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘I’m on the way,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘I’ll be home soon.'”
• Movie time: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s movie time,'” “OK, Google, broadcast ‘the movie is about to start,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘let’s go to the movie.'”
• TV time: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘the show is about to start,'” “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s time to watch TV,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘TV time.'”
• Bedtime: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘time for bed,'” “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s time to go to bed,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘sleep time.'”
• Custom: “OK, Google, broadcast/shout/announce/tell everyone [custom message].”
• Contact another speaker within your home: “OK, Google, call [speaker/display name],” or “OK, Google, video call [speaker/display name].”

See also: The best Google Assistant speakers you can buy

Google Assistant commands for searching the web

• Check the weather: “Hey Google, what’s the weather like today?,” “Hey Google, do I need an umbrella today?,” “Hey Google, what’s the weather going to be like in [location] on [day/time]?,” “Hey Google, what’s the temperature outside?,” “Hey Google, is there a chance of rain on [day]?”
• Check traffic: “Hey Google, what’s the traffic like on the way to work?” This requires you to have home and work addresses saved with Google.
• Check stocks: “Hey Google, what’s the Alphabet stock price?” or “Hey Google, what’s Samsung trading at?”
• Get a definition: “Hey Google, define [word],” “Hey Google, what’s the definition of [word]?,” or “Hey Google, what’s the meaning of [word]?”
• Spelling: “Hey Google, how do you spell [word]?”
• Holidays and events: “Hey Google, when is Thanksgiving this year?”
• People and relationships: “Hey Google, who is [person]?,” “Hey Google, how old is [he/she]?,” “Hey Google, who is [person] married to?,” “Hey Google, who is [person] ‘s brother/sister/mother/father?”
• Places: “Hey Google, what country is [location] in?”
• Things: “Hey Google, what is [thing]?”
• Facts: “Hey Google, how tall is [person]?”
• Distance: “Hey Google, how far is [location] from [location]?,” “Hey Google, how far is [location] from here?”
• Businesses and information: “Hey Google, how far is [business] from here?,” “Hey Google, are there any [business type] around here?,” “Hey Google, how late is [business] open?”
• Quotes: “Hey Google, give me a quote.”
• Poems: “Hey Google, tell me a poem.”
• Medical information: “Hey Google, what is a heart attack?”
• Calories: “Hey Google, how many calories are in [food]?”
• Animal sounds: “Hey Google, what sound does a [animal] make?”
• Today’s news: “Hey Google, what’s today’s news?”
• Daily briefing (includes weather, traffic, and news): “Hey Google, good morning.” You’ll need to configure your news sources in Assistant and/or the Good Morning routine.
• Sports updates, scores, and information: “Hey Google, when are the [sports team] playing next?,” “Hey Google, did the [sports team] win?,” “Hey Google, what was the score for the last [sports team] game?,” “Hey Google, tell me about [sports team].”
• Actors, movies, and shows: “Hey Google, what actors are in [movie]?,” “Hey Google, what movies came out last week?”
• Recommendations: “Hey Google, what are the best restaurants in [target location]?,” “Hey Google, what restaurants are nearby?”
• Find out how long it will take to go to work: “Hey Google, how long is my commute?,” “Hey Google, how long will it take to walk/bike/take a bus to [target location]?,” “Hey Google, how long will it take to get to [target location]?,” “Hey Google, how long with it take to get from work to [target location]?”

Here: These are the best smart displays you can buy today

Google Assistant commands for scheduling and travel

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

• Check the daily schedule: “Hey Google, what does my day look like?,” “Hey Google, list all events for [specific date],” “Hey Google, what’s on my calendar for [day of the week]?”
• Create a new calendar event: “OK, Google, new calendar event,” “OK, Google, add [event] to my calendar,” or “OK, Google, schedule [event] for me on Saturday at 8 PM.”
• List next calendar event: “OK, Google, what’s next on my calendar?,” or “What/where/when is my next meeting?”
• List calendar events for a day: “OK, Google, list all events for January 1,” “OK, Google, what’s on my agenda for today?” or “OK, Google, what’s on my calendar for Friday?”
• Check when your next event is: “Hey Google, what/when/where is my next event?,” “Hey Google, what/when/where is my first event?”
• Check reminders: “OK, Google, what are my reminders?,” “OK, Google, what are my reminders tomorrow?,” or “OK Google, what is my reminder for [title]?”
• Delete reminders: “OK, Google, delete my reminders for tomorrow,” “OK, Google, delete my reminder to [title],” or “OK, Google, delete all of my reminders.”
• Check notifications: “OK, Google, what’s up?,” or “OK, Google, what are my notifications?”
• Check prices for an airline flight: “OK, Google, how much is a round-trip flight to New York?”
• Find flights with a specific airline: “OK, Google, find me flights with JetBlue.”
• Check on your booked flights: “OK, Google, when is my next flight?,” or “OK, Google, my flights in [month].”
• Book a hotel room: “OK, Google, find a hotel in San Francisco.” After that, say, “Book a room at Quality Inn.”
• Discover places to visit in your travel city: “OK, Google, what is there to see in Paris?”
• Find restaurants to try in your travel city: “OK, Google, what’s the best restaurant in Berlin?”

More: The best calendar apps for Android

Google Assistant commands for playing music and media

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

• Play some music: “Hey Google, play some music.” “Hey Google, play some [genre] music.” “Hey Google, play some music on [music service].”
• Adjust the volume: “Hey Google, turn up the volume,” “Hey Google, turn down the volume,” or “Hey Google, set the volume to [1-10 number or a percentage].”
• Play an artist, song, album or genre: “Hey Google, play [artist]”, “Hey Google, play [song]”, “Hey Google, play the album [album]”, “Hey Google, play [artist/song/album] on [music service]”, “Hey Google, play some [genre] music”.
• Play a playlist: “Hey Google, play my dance playlist” or “Hey Google, play The Best Ambient Playlist You’ll Find on Spotify.”
• Play a song by lyrics: “Hey Google, play the song that goes [song lyrics].”
• Ask what’s playing: “Hey Google, what’s this song?” “Hey Google, what’s this album?”
• Get information: “Hey Google, when did this song come out?”
• Like or dislike a song: “Hey Google, like this song.” “Hey Google, dislike this song.”
• Fast-forward or rewind: “Hey Google, skip forward 30 seconds,” “Hey Google, skip backward two minutes,” “Hey Google, skip this track.”
• Tune a musical instrument: “OK, Google, tune my instrument,” or “OK, Google, play an F sharp.”
• Listen to an audiobook: “OK Google, read [book] on [Google speaker name].”

Also: The best music streaming services and apps for Android

Google Assistant commands for Chromecast

David Imel / Android Authority

If you own a Chromecast for your TV, there are some specific Google Assistant commands you can use.

• Play music on Chromecast: “Hey Google, play [artist/song/album] on my Chromecast.”
• Play videos on YouTube using Chromecast: “Hey Google, play funny cat videos on Chromecast,” or “Hey Google, play the latest video from Android Authority on Chromecast.”
• Turn on/off the TV with Chromecast: “OK, Google, turn on the [Chromecast name],” or “OK, Google, turn off the [Chromecast name].”
• Play a movie or TV show using Chromecast: “OK, Google, play [show or movie title] on the [Chromecast name].” This relies on subscribing to appropriate streaming services.
• Play music through paired speakers using the Chromecast remote: “OK, Google, play [song] on [Chromecast or Google speaker name].”
• Play and pause Chromecast: “OK, Google, play/pause [Chromecast name]”.
• Stop Chromecast: “OK, Google, stop [Chromecast name]”.
• Scrub the Chromecast: “OK, Google, skip to 5 minutes on [Chromecast name],” or “OK, Google, skip forward/back two minutes on [Chromecast name].”
• Change Chromecast volume: “OK, Google, set [Chromecast name] volume to 50%”, or “OK, Google, volume down on [Chromecast name].”
• Mute Chromecast: “OK, Google, mute [Chromecast],” or “OK, Google, unmute [Chromecast name].”
• Images: “OK, Google, show me a picture of an antelope.”
• Weather: “OK, Google, show me the weather on [Chromecast name].”

Next: The best Chromecast apps you can find

Google Assistant commands for your smart home

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

If you own smart home devices, there are many, many different Google Assistant commands for them, depending on the exact accessories you have.

How to control smart lights and switches

• Turn a light on or off: “Hey Google, turn on [light name],” “Hey Google, turn off [light name].”
• Dim or brighten a light: “Hey Google, dim the [light name],” “Hey Google, brighten the [light name].”
• Set a light’s brightness to a certain percentage: “Hey Google, set [light name] to 50%.”
• Dim or brighten lights by a certain percentage: “Hey Google, dim/brighten [light name] by 50%.”
• Change the color of a light: “Hey Google, turn [light name] purple.”
• Turn all of the lights in a room on or off: “Hey Google, turn on the lights in [room name],” “Hey Google, turn off the lights in [room name].”
• Power all lights on or off: “Hey Google, turn on all of the lights,” “Hey Google, turn off all of the lights.”
• Turn all switches on or off: “Hey Google, turn on all switches,” “Hey Google, turn off all switches.”
• Turn a switch on or off: “Hey Google, turn on [switch name],” “Hey Google, turn off [switch name].”

How to control your thermostat

• Adjust the temperature: “Hey Google, make it warmer/cooler,” “Hey Google, raise/lower the temperature,” “Hey Google, raise/lower the temperature two degrees,” “Hey Google, set the temperature to 72 degrees.”
• Switch between heating and cooling modes: “Hey Google, turn on heat/cooling,” “Hey Google, set the thermostat to cooling/heating,” “Hey Google, turn the thermostat to heat-cool mode.”
• Set mode and temperature simultaneously: “Hey Google, set the heat to 68,” “Hey Google, set the air conditioning to 70.”
• Turn the thermostat off: “Hey Google, turn off the thermostat.”
  • Note: To turn the thermostat back on, you’ll need to specify a mode. You can say, “Hey Google, turn on cooling/heating,” “Hey Google, turn on heat-cool,” “Hey Google, set the heat to 68,” “Hey Google, set the air conditioning to 70,” etc.
• Check the ambient temperature on the thermostat: “Hey Google, what’s the temperature inside?”
• Check what the thermostat is set to: “Hey Google, what’s the thermostat set to?”

Another note: Google Assistant recognizes “lights,” “switches,” and “outlets” as different kinds of devices. For example, if you say, “Hey Google, turn on the lights,” it will turn on smart light bulbs but may not turn on smart switches connected to lamps or other lighting fixtures. To control those switches, add the word “light” to the name of the device.

Read: What is a smart home and why should you want one

How to control other smart home devices

• If you’ve installed a smart lock, you can control it by saying: “OK, Google, lock/unlock the front door.”
• If you own a Logitech Harmony TV remote, you can say: “OK, Google, turn on the TV,” “OK, Google, turn the TV to the [specific] channel,” or, “OK, Google, play channel 12.”
• If you own a compatible security camera, you can stream it to a Chromecast or Google-equipped smart display by saying: “OK, Google, show [camera name],” “Hey, Google, what’s on [camera name]?,” or “OK, Google, play [camera name] on [device name].”
• If you have a robot vacuum, try something like: “OK Google, clean the whole house,” or “vacuum the kitchen.” This requires some initial setup, so make sure your smart vacuum cleaner is configured and connected to Google Assistant.
• There are a plethora of other smart home devices. These include refrigerators, coffee makers, lamps, lawnmowers, and more. Many of these can be controlled using Google Assistant.

Using IFTTT with Google Assistant

If you have a favorite app or service that Google doesn’t support yet, you might be in luck. Assistant is also compatible with IFTTT, the popular automation tool. You can use it to link many services and actions, or expand the functionality of services that already work with Google. Want to share Google reminders with a favorite to-do app? Just set it up in IFTTT.

Lily Katz / Android Authority

If you live in the US or Canada, you can use Assistant commands on smart speakers and displays to make free phone calls if a number is within those borders and listed in your Google Contacts. Calls to emergency numbers aren’t currently supported, and calls to international and premium (1-900) numbers are only supported if you have a device linked to a Google Fi or Google Voice number. You’ll be charged for international and premium dialing.

Phone calls are also available in Italy and Australia if you link a compatible carrier plan. If none of the above scenarios apply, you’re limited to using Google Duo or (in the case of smart displays) a compatible video service.

• Make a call to a phone number: “Hey Google, call [phone number].”
• Make a call to a business: “Hey Google, call [business name].” You can also try “Hey Google, where is the nearest [business]?” When Assistant reveals that, say, “Call them.”
• Calling a specific contact: “Hey Google, call [contact name].”
• Call again: “Hey Google, redial.”
• End the call: Say, “Hey Google, stop/disconnect/end call/hang up.”

Google Assistant commands for shopping

Thanks to Google Shopping, you can now shop with Assistant in the continental US (sorry, Alaska, Hawaii, and the rest of the planet).

• To buy an item, say: “Hey Google, buy [product],” “Purchase [product],” or “Order [product].”
• To buy an item from a specific store, say: “Hey Google, buy [product] from [store],” “Purchase [product] from [store],” or “Order [product] from [store].”
• To reorder an item, say: “Hey Google, reorder [product].”
• To add an item to your cart, say: “Hey Google, add [product] to my cart,” or “Add [product] to my shopping cart.”
• To add an item from a specific store, say: “Hey Google, add [product] from [store] to my cart.”
• Check items in your cart: “Hey, Google, what’s in my cart?”

Purchases require having a payment method linked to Assistant. At the moment, you can’t remove an item from your cart with Assistant commands, nor can you change quantity. On speakers, you can only buy or reorder a single item. To edit your cart, you’ll have to open the Google Shopping website or app.

Also: The best shopping apps for Android

Google Assistant third-party action commands

Adam Molina / Android Authority

Actions for Google Assistant are commands to enable actions from third-party companies and services. Here are some of the ones you can use.

• 21 Blackjack: “OK, Google, let me talk to 21 Blackjack.”
• Best Dad Jokes: “OK, Google, talk to Best Dad Jokes.”
• Domino’s: “OK, Google, talk to Domino’s and get my Easy Order.”
• Product Hunt: “OK, Google, talk to Product Hunt.”
• Tender: “OK, Google, can I talk to Tender about drinks like an Old Fashioned?”
• Todoist: “OK, Google, tell me what my next task is with Todoist.”
• Uber: “OK, Google, order an Uber.”

Google Assistant commands that let you control your phone

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

• You can place a call by saying: “OK, Google, call mom,” “OK, Google, call [contact name],” or “OK, Google, call the nearest coffee shop.”
• Hang up by saying: “OK, Google, hang up.”
• Want to pair your phone via Bluetooth? Say: “OK, Google, Bluetooth pairing.”
• Cancel Bluetooth pairing by saying: “OK, Google, cancel pairing.”
• Clear paired Bluetooth devices by saying: “OK, Google, clear all devices,” “OK, Google, clear all Bluetooth devices,” or “OK, Google, unpair devices.”
• Find your phone by saying: “OK Google, find my phone,” or “OK, Google, ring my phone.”
• Google Assistant also now integrates Android Messages, Messenger, SMS, Telegram, WhatsApp, and more. To activate this, say: “OK, Google, read back replies,” or something like “OK, Google, send a message to [contact name] on WhatsApp.”

Next: The best Android phones you can buy

Easter eggs

• “Hey, Google, do a barrel roll.”
• “Hey, Google, what’s the loneliest number?”
• “Hey, Google, make me a sandwich.”
• “Hey, Google, when am I?”
• “Hey, Google, beam me up, Scotty.”
• “Hey, Google, how can entropy be reversed?”
• “Hey, Google, are you John Legend?”
• “Hey, Google, what’s your best pickup line?”
• “Hey, Google, who’s your celebrity crush?”
• “Hey, Google, tell me a joke.”
• “Hey, Google, up up down down left right left right B A start.”
• “Hey, Google, who’s on first?”
• “Hey, Google, I am your father.”
• “Hey, Google, set phasers to kill.”
• “Hey, Google, did you fart?”
• “Hey, Google, it’s my birthday.”
• “Hey, Google, it’s not my birthday.”
• “Hey, Google, who let the dogs out?”
• “Hey, Google, do you want to build a snowman?”
• “Hey, Google, how many roads must a man walk down?”
• “Hey, Google, who is the real Slim Shady?.”
• “Hey, Google, who ya gonna call?”
• “Hey, Google, where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?”
• “Hey, Google, where’s Waldo?”
• “Hey, Google, party on, Wayne.”
• “Hey, Google, talk like Yoda.”
• “Hey, Google, do you know the muffin man?”
• “Hey, Google, is your refrigerator running?”
• “Hey, Google, serenade me.”
• “Hey, Google, sing me a song.”
• “Hey, Google, do you know Chrissy Teigen?”
• “Hey, Google, how are you?”
• “Hey, Google, sing Happy Birthday.”
• “Hey, Google, what’s your favorite song?”
• “Hey, Google, compliment me.”
• “OK, Google, are you Skynet?”

Next: The best third-party Google Assistant speakers around

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