One of the reasons why Apple's Siri became popular is because she could be called upon just like how you would call your friend. Say "Hey, Siri", and she's there.
But when Google introduced Google Assistant, many of us thought saying "OK, Google" to invoke the digital assistant was a little "sophisticated."
Now, it seems Google has noticed all these little things that matter and has rolled out an update for the Google app, which allows you to summon the Goggle Assistant by saying the friendlier "Hey, Google."
Google had been working on bringing the "Hey, Google" voice command for quite some time, and had already introduced it in some markets, but it was not widely available for most users — especially those using non-Pixel phones.
The new wake command is a lot easier to say and makes the overall experience of using the digital assistant even better. You can try it out for yourself.
How to get the 'Hey Google' voice command:
The new voice command will be available once you update the Google app on Play Store to the latest version (since Google Assistant comes built in with the Google App). To better your chances, join Google's beta programme and become a beta-tester for the Google App.
In our case, the "Hey, Google" command was made available in beta version 7.17.28.21 of the Google app.
Once the app is updated, a notification appears and tells you to try "Hey, Google." Tap on that notification or long press the home button or say "OK Google" and call upon Google Assistant.
Once there, tap on the menu (three dots on top right) and go to Settings >>Phone>>OK Google detection>>Voice Model>> Retrain Voice Model, and then teach the Assistant to recognise your voice.
The first training model will ask you to say "OK Google," and then the second will ask you to say "Hey, Google."
Complete the voice training, and you're all set to go.
