What you can ask Google Assistant

You can ask Google Assistant for information and for help with everyday tasks.

Important: Some queries won’t work on all devices and in all languages.

For ideas about what Google Assistant can help with, ask "What can you do?"

What Google Assistant can do

Get local info

  • Weather: “What’s the weather today?”
  • Food: “Find pizza restaurants nearby.”
  • Business hours: “Is Walgreens still open?”
  • Navigation: “Navigate home.”

Plan your day

  • Traffic: “How’s the traffic to work?”
  • Tasks: “Remind me to do laundry this evening.” “Remind me to call Mom every Sunday.”
  • Calendar events: “When’s my first meeting today?"

Ask Google

  • Game updates: “Who won the Warriors game?”
  • Calculations: “What’s 20 percent of 80?”
  • Dictionary: “What does ‘gregarious’ mean?”
  • Translations: “How do I say ‘Nice to meet you’ in French?”
  • Finance: “How’s the S&P 500 doing?”
  • Unit conversions: “How many kilometers in a mile?”
  • Search: “Search for summer vacation ideas.”
  • Image search: “Find pictures of kittens.”
  • Web answer: “How do you remove wine stains from a rug?”

Play media

Important: If media isn't playing, check if Use Restricted Mode is turned on in your device's YouTube settings.
  • Music: "Play some Jazz music."
  • Podcasts: "Play the latest episode from This American Life."
  • News: "Play the news. What’s the latest news from BBC?"

Have fun

  • Get to know your Assistant: “Do you dream?” “What's your favorite color?”
  • Games: “Let’s play a game.” “Give me a trivia question.”
  • Entertainment: “Tell me a joke.” “Tell me something interesting.”
  • Animal facts: "Tell me about giraffes." "How much does a lion weigh?"

On specific devices

On your Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro

Summarize web pages

Read aloud & translate web pages on Chrome or Google App

Get Pixel help

  • You can get support for your Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro when you ask Google Assistant a question.
  • You can say things like, “Help me with my Pixel.” or ask, “How do I turn off notifications?”
On your Pixel 6 & later

Translate what’s on your screen with Google Assistant

  • Activate Google Assistant and say “Translate this” or tap Translate.
  • It will generate translated text to overlay on top of the existing text in another language. This is similar to what you find in Google Lens translate.
  • You can interact with the text in different ways, like selecting it, copying it, searching for it, or having it read out loud to you.
  • This feature works with text you see on screen, including text in images.

Type with your voice

  • With Assistant voice typing, you can use your voice to type the message, add emojis, make edits, and send in multiple languages seamlessly. Google Assistant detects the language you speak automatically.
  • Punctuation is automatically added as you speak. While you speak, you can also tap on your keyboard to type even if the mic is still on.
  • Use voice commands, such as “delete” and “clear” to edit text with your voice, or “send” to send the message.
  • The text you speak stays on your device and isn’t sent to Google servers.
  • Assistant voice typing is available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish.
  • Learn more on how to use Google Assistant to type with your voice.
On your Pixel 4 & later

Take, search & share photos

  • "Show me my photos from New York."
  • "Take a selfie." Then say "Share this with Ryan."
  • "Take a picture in 10 seconds."

Manage your phone’s settings

  • "Turn on the flashlight."
  • "Take a screenshot."
  • "Turn on Do Not Disturb."
  • "Turn on Bluetooth."

Make calls or send messages

  • "Call Mom."
  • “Answer call” or “Reject call.”
  • "Tell Tina, I’ll be five minutes late."
  • "Text Adam, don’t forget to get milk on your way home."
  • In a chat thread, say "Reply, I’m on my way."

Open apps

  • "Open Translate."
  • "Search for yoga classes on YouTube." Then say "Share this with mom."
  • "Find hotels in San Diego on Maps."
  • "[Artist name] on YouTube Music."
  • "Show me emails from Michelle on Gmail."

Open websites in Chrome

Ask Google Assistant to go to a site in the Chrome app.

  • "Go to [site name]."
  • "Open [site name]."

Search in your apps or websites

When you have an app or website open in Chrome, ask Google Assistant to help you complete tasks, like if you want to:

  • "Finding a video to watch."
  • "Search for a message."

It works seamlessly with many apps and we’ll continue to improve app integrations over time. For example:

  • With the YouTube app open, say "Search for cat videos."
  • With the Google Photos app open, say "Show me New York pictures." Then say "The ones at Central Park."
  • With a recipe site open on Chrome, say "Search for chocolate brownies with nuts."
  • With a travel app open, say “Hotels in Paris.”
On your phone or tablet

Communicate

  • Calls: “Call Mom.” “Make a video call.”
  • Duo: “Call Mom.”
  • On phones only:
    • SMS: "Text Mike "See you at 5."
    • WhatsApp: "Send a WhatsApp message to Sam."

Get around your device

  • Change settings: "Turn on WiFi." "Increase the volume." "Decrease the brightness."
  • Control your phone:"Turn on the flashlight." "Take a photo."
    • Whether Google Assistant can take a photo for you depends on your device manufacturer.
    • Find things in your apps: “Search for tablets on Amazon.” “Search for Kanye West on Twitter.”
    • Find photos: “Show my pictures of the beach.”

Plan your day

  • Alarms:"Set an alarm for 7 a.m."

Get things done

  • Shopping:"Add cereal to my shopping list."

Tip: To do 2 things at once, connect 2 requests with "and." For example, you could say "Hey Google, turn off the lights and turn on the TV." For now, you can only do 2 things at once if you use Google Assistant in English.

On your speaker or Smart Display

Control your smart home

  • Lights: “Dim the living room lights.”
  • Thermostats: “Set the heat to 70.” “Lower the temperature 2 degrees.”

Plan your day

  • Alarms: “Set an alarm for 7 AM.”

Communicate

Important: This only works on Smart Displays.

  • Calls: “Call Mom.” “Make a video call.”
  • Duo: “Call Mom.” “Call the living room Smart Display.”

Tip: To do 2 things at once, connect 2 requests with "and." For example, you could say "Hey Google, turn off the lights and turn on the TV." For now, if you use Google Assistant in English, you can only do 2 things at once.

On your TV

Watch TV

  • Movies & TV shows: “Play Stranger Things on Netflix.”
  • Video clips: “Play cat videos.”
  • Apps: “Open YouTube.”
  • Search: “Search for sitcoms.”
  • Info: “Tell me about Game of Thrones.”

Control

  • Playback: “Pause.” “Stop.” “Resume.”
  • Volume: “Louder.” “Softer.”
  • Power: “Turn off.”
On your watch

Communicate

The following voice actions will use your phone unless you have a watch with an LTE connection.

  • Text: “Text John ‘I’ll see you at 5.’”

Fitness

  • Running: “Track my run.”
  • Cycling: “Start a bike ride.”
  • Step count: “How many steps have I taken?”
  • Heart rate: “What's my heart rate?”
On your headphones

When you're connected to an Android phone or tablet, some headphones let you control headphones features with Google Assistant. Check your headphones’ user manual to find out if your headphones support Google Assistant.

Battery level

You can find the battery level for your headphones or earbuds.

  • "What's the battery level on my headphones?"

Noise cancellation

If your headphones support active noise cancellation to reduce the sound of outside interruptions, you can use Google Assistant to turn it on or off or adjust the level.

  • Turn on or off: "Turn on noise cancellation."
  • Turn up or down: "Turn up noise cancellation."
  • Set: "Set noise cancellation to maximum."
  • Query: "Is noise cancellation on?"

Ambient mode

If your headphones support ambient mode to boost the sound of ambient noises (sometimes called talkthrough or passthrough), you can use Google Assistant to turn it on or off, or adjust the level.

  • Turn on or off: "Turn on ambient mode."
  • Turn up or down: "Turn up ambient mode."
  • Set: "Set ambient mode to maximum."
  • Query: "Is ambient mode on?"

Touch controls

If your headphones have touch-sensitive controls, you can turn them off to prevent unintended manual activations, like during exercise. If you turn off your touch controls, you may need to use voice match to ask Google Assistant to turn them back on, or turn them back on through your device manufacturer's mobile app.

  • Turn on or off: "Turn on touch controls."
  • Query: "Are touch controls on?"
In your car

Navigation

  • "Navigate to [address]."
  • "How's the traffic to work?"
  • "What's my next turn?"

Media

  • "Play some music."
  • "Play [song name]."
  • "Play the latest episode of [podcast name]."

Communicate

  • "Call Mom."
  • "Text Dad."
  • "Read my messages."

Get daily weather updates, quotes & more

You can ask the Google Assistant on your phone to send you daily updates on your interests.

Important: Some features aren't available in all languages, countries or regions, or eligible Android devices.

Subscribe to a daily update

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Assistant app Assistant (iOS).
  2. To say an update, tap Microphone Mic
  3. To type an update, tap Keyboard Keyboard.
  4. Say or type the update you want.
    • “Send me the weather everyday.”
    • “Send me a poem everyday.”
    • “Send me a quote everyday.”
    • “Send me a funny video everyday.”
    • “Send me a fun fact everyday.”
    • “Send me a mindfulness tip everyday.”
  5. When asked if you want to receive this info everyday, tap Yes.
  6. Choose a time to receive your daily update.

Find your daily updates

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Assistant app Assistant (iOS).
  2. To say an update, tap Microphone Mic.
  3. To type an update, tap Keyboard Keyboard.
  4. Say or type:
    • “Find my subscriptions.”
    • “What are my subscriptions?”

Change or cancel a daily update

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Assistant app Assistant (iOS).
  2. To say an update, tap Microphone Mic
  3. To type an update, tap Keyboard Keyboard.
  4. Say or type:
    • “Find my subscriptions.”
    • “What are my subscriptions?”
  5. Tap a subscription and then Change time or Cancel the subscription.

Daily updates don’t work

Do more with Google Assistant on Google TV

You can ask questions and complete tasks on your Google TV with Google Assistant. Google Assistant comes installed on your Google TV device. You can turn it on when you first set up your device, or you can turn it on later.

On Google TV devices, Google Assistant is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Hindi, Chinese (Traditional), Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish.

Talk to Google Assistant

  1. On your Google TV remote, press the Google Assistant button Assistant.
  2. Ask a question or say a command.
  3. To help Google Assistant understand your request, speak into the microphone on your remote.

Tip: To do even more with your Assistant, on your phone, download the Google Assistant app Assistant.

What you can ask Google Assistant

Watch videos

  • Movies and TV shows: "Play The Mandalorian on Disney+."
  • Video clips: "Play cat videos on YouTube."
  • Apps: "Open YouTube."
  • Search: "Search for sitcoms." "Find sci-fi movies."
  • Info: "Tell me about Game of Thrones."

Control media

  • Playback: "Pause." "Stop." "Resume."
  • Volume: "Louder." "Softer."

Control your smart home

  • Lights: "Dim the living room lights."
  • Thermostats: "Set the heat to 70." "Lower the temperature by 2 degrees."

Plan your day

  • Alarms: "Set an alarm for 7 AM."

Ask Google

  • Game updates: "Who won the Warriors game?"
  • Calculations: "What’s 20 percent of 80?"
  • Dictionary: "What does ‘gregarious’ mean?"
  • Translations: "How do I say ‘Nice to meet you’ in French?"
  • Finance: "How’s the S&P 500 doing?"
  • Unit conversions: "How many kilometers in a mile?"
  • Search: "Search for summer vacation ideas."
  • Image search: "Find pictures of kittens."
  • Web answer: "How do you remove wine stains from a rug?"

Have fun

  • Get to know your Assistant: "Do you dream?" "What's your favorite color?"
  • Games: "Let’s play a game." "Give me a trivia question."
  • Entertainment: "Tell me a joke." "Tell me something interesting."

Tip: For more ideas, ask Google Assistant, "What can you do?"

How to get Google Assistant to take action

To respond to your requests, Google Assistant uses the best available device. If you ask Google Assistant to "Play music," your speaker will play music instead of your phone because it provides the best audio.

It’s not always easy for Assistant to decide which device should respond to your request. To make sure your preferred device responds:

  • Device placement: Check that your devices are at least 8 feet apart.
  • Say device name: For some actions, you can say the device you’d like to use. For example, "Hey Google, play music on the bedroom speaker" or "Ok Google, turn on lights in the kitchen."
  • Target certain devices: Based on the type of device, there are ways to show Google Assistant which device you intend to use for your request. Sometimes, it helps to move closer to the device.
    • Pixel Watch: Raise or move your wrist.
    • Nest Hub Max: If granted the right permissions, look at the device while you ask Google Assistant.
    • Phone and tablet: Make sure the screen faces up.
  • Remotely control timers, alarms, and media: It’s possible to control ongoing timers, alarms, and media on other devices through a device closer to you. For example, if you want to stop a ringing alarm in your bedroom from your living room, say "Hey Google, stop the alarm." The device closest to you will stop the ringing alarm.

Help Google improve future behavior

To provide a better experience, Google Assistant uses your feedback.

Assistant notifications

We regularly send push notifications to ask for your feedback. If you receive a notification, share your feedback to help improve Google Assistant.

Send feedback on the Google Home app

  1. Open the Google Home app Google Home.
  2. At the top right, tap your Profile icon.
  3. Select Help & Feedback and then the type of device you'd like to submit feedback for.
  4. Tap Send feedback and then the device you'd like to submit feedback for.
  5. Enter a brief description of your issue.
  6. Check the box for Screenshot and System logs.
  7. At the top right, tap Send Send.

Change the volume

After you ask your Google Assistant to play media, you can control the volume with commands. You can set the volume to a specific level (1–10) or percent (1–100%).

Important: The languages you can use depend on the device. Learn which languages work on your device.

How to change the volume

Say "Hey Google" or press the button to talk to your Google Assistant. Then say a command.

  • Increase: “Turn it up.” (Increases volume by 10%).
  • Decrease: “Turn it down.” (Decreases volume by 10%).
  • Set a specific level or percent: “Volume 5.” “Volume to 65%.”
  • Change volume by [X] amount: “Increase volume by 10%.” “Decrease volume by 10%.”
  • Maximize: “Max volume.”
  • Minimize: “Minimum volume.”

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