Access Google Assistant with your voice

Important: To access this feature you must have Voice Match.

Google Assistant provides hands-free help on your Assistant-enabled phone, tablet, or smartwatch when you say "Hey Google."

To use a speaker or Smart Display with Google Assistant built-in, learn how to use Voice Match to link your voice to the device.

Turn on Google Assistant

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Assistant app .
2. If Google Assistant is off, you’ll get the option to turn it on at the bottom. Tap Turn on.
   • Learn how to set up Google Assistant on your phone or tablet.

Turn off Google Assistant

1. On most Assistant-enabled devices", say "Hey Google, open Assistant settings." 
   • Alternatively, open the Google Assistant app and say, “Assistant settings.”
2. Under "All settings," tap General.
   • If you don’t find “General,” first tap View all settings or See all Assistant Settings.
3. Turn off Google Assistant.

Turn on "Hey Google" and teach Google Assistant to recognize your voice

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Assistant app and say, “Assistant settings.”
2. Under "Popular settings," tap Hey Google & Voice Match.
3. Turn on Hey Google.
   • If you don't find Hey Google, turn on Google Assistant.
   • Tip: If you're signed in to a Google Workspace for Education account on your device and can't turn on "Hey Google," the admin might have turned off settings that are needed for "Hey Google" to work. Please contact your admin for more details.
4. Follow the prompts to set up Voice Match so Google Assistant can recognize when you say “Hey Google.”

Tip: If you want to get hands-free help from Google Assistant while your Android phone or tablet is locked, make sure your Assistant on lock screen setting is turned on.

Retrain Google Assistant to recognize your voice

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Assistant app and say, “Assistant settings.”
2. Under "Popular settings," tap Hey Google & Voice Match.
3. Make sure Hey Google is on.
   • If you don't find "Hey Google," turn on Google Assistant.
   • Tip: If you're signed in to a Google Workspace for Education account on your device and can't turn on "Hey Google," the admin might have turned off settings that are needed for "Hey Google" to work. Please contact your admin for more details.
4. Tap Voice model Retrain voice model.
5. Follow the steps to record your voice.

Use your voice to open Google Assistant

Phone or tablet

On Android phones running Android 5.0 and up, you can use your voice to talk to Google Assistant even when your phone is locked. Learn how to control what info you see and hear.

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Assistant app and say, “Assistant settings.”
2. Under "Popular settings," tap Hey Google & Voice Match.
3. Turn on Hey Google.
   • If you don't find Hey Google, turn on Google Assistant.
   • Tip: If you're signed in to a Google Workspace for Education account on your device and can't turn on "Hey Google," the admin might have turned off settings that are needed for "Hey Google" to work. Please contact your admin for more details.
4. Follow the prompts to set up Voice Match so Google Assistant can recognize when you say “Hey Google.”

Tips:

• You can set up Voice Match on an undocked Pixel Tablet. When the tablet is redocked, tap “Agree” to Voice Match for Hub Mode to complete the setup.
• If you turn off “Hey Google” you can talk with Google Assistant when you touch and hold Home on your phone.
• On Pixel 2, Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, and Pixel 4 phones, you can squeeze your phone to talk to Google Assistant.

Watch

1. If your watch screen is dim, tap the screen to wake it up.
2. On the watch screen, swipe down from the top.
3. Tap Settings Personalization.
4. Turn on "Hey Google" detection.

Related resources

• Allow lock screen personal results on your Android phone
• Link your voice to your speaker or Smart Display
• Choose the voice of your Google Assistant
• Let your child use Google Assistant on your devices
• Face Match on Google Nest Hub Max
• Adjust how sensitive Assistant is to "Hey Google"