Google Assistant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Google Assistant

Google Assistant on the Pixel smartphone
Developer(s)	Google
Initial release	May 18, 2016; 9 years ago (2016-05-18)
Written in	C++
Operating system	Android, ChromeOS, iOS, iPadOS, KaiOS, Linux, Android TV, Wear OS
Platform	Android Google Nest Wear OS Android TV ChromeOS Smart Speakers Headphones Smart Displays Google Allo iOS iPadOS Ubuntu Raspberry Pi
Predecessor	Google Now
Successor	Gemini
Available in	English, Arabic, Bengali, Chilean Spanish, Colombian Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Malayalam, Marathi, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese
Type	Virtual assistant

The Google Assistant is a smart computer program made by Google. It's like having a helpful assistant on your phone, smart speaker, or other devices. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to understand what you say and talk back to you. This makes it different from older assistants, as it can have a real conversation.

Google Assistant first appeared in May 2016. It was part of Google's messaging app called Allo and a smart speaker called Google Nest. At first, it was only on Google Pixel phones. But by February 2017, it came to other Android devices. In May 2017, it even got its own app for iOS devices like iPhones.

Google Assistant can do many things! You can talk to it using your voice, or you can type. It can answer your questions, help you set alarms, play games, and even show you information from your Google account. Google has also made it so the Assistant can use your device's camera to identify objects. It can also help you buy things or send money. Today, Google Assistant is used by over 500 million people every month in more than 90 countries and 30 languages.

In October 2023, Google introduced a new AI chatbot called Gemini. This new chatbot is planned to take over from Google Assistant on Android phones. However, the original Google Assistant will still be an option for users. Gemini was released in the United States on February 8, 2024.

How Google Assistant Started

Google Assistant was first shown at a big event for developers called Google I/O on May 18, 2016. It was introduced along with the Google Nest smart speaker and the Allo messaging app. The CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai, said that the Assistant was made to be like a real conversation, able to talk back and forth. He wanted it to be a helpful tool that works across many different devices. Later, Google even hired an animator from Pixar to help give the Assistant a fun personality!

Where Google Assistant Works

At first, Google Assistant was only on the Google Pixel phones, outside of the Allo app and Google Nest. But in February 2017, Google started to make it available on other Android phones. These phones needed to be running Android Marshmallow or Nougat. Android tablets didn't get it at that time.

The Assistant is also built into Wear OS (for smartwatches) and will be in future versions of Android TV and Android Auto (for cars). In October 2017, the Google Pixelbook laptop became the first laptop to have Google Assistant. It also came to the Google Pixel Buds headphones. In December 2017, Google made the Assistant available for even older Android phones (Lollipop) and tablets (Marshmallow and Nougat).

Smart Screens with Assistant

In January 2018, new devices called "smart displays" were shown at a big tech show. These are like smart speakers but with a video screen. Companies like Lenovo, Sony, JBL, and LG made them. These smart displays can do everything a Google Home speaker can, plus they can make Google Duo video calls, show YouTube videos, give directions, display your schedule, and even show footage from smart cameras.

Google later made its own smart displays, the Google Nest Hub and Google Nest Hub Max. These devices use special software made by Google.

How Developers Help Assistant Grow

In December 2016, Google created "Actions on Google". This is a platform that lets other companies and developers build their own apps and features for Google Assistant. For example, they can create games or tools that work with the Assistant.

In April 2017, Google released a special kit called an SDK (Software Development Kit). This kit lets developers build their own devices that can use Google Assistant. Because of this, the Assistant can now be found in many places, like Raspberry Pi computers, cars from Audi and Volvo, and even smart home appliances like fridges, washers, and ovens from companies like LG.

This SDK was updated in December 2017 to add more features. Now, devices made by other companies can use their own special commands with Google Assistant. It also supports typing and many languages, and users can set a specific location for their device to get better local information.

How You Can Talk to Google Assistant

The Google Assistant on the Google Pixel XL phone

Google Assistant is a lot like Google Now, an older Google tool. It can search the internet, set alarms, and show you information from your Google account. But the cool thing about Assistant is that it can have a two-way conversation with you. It uses a special technology called natural language processing to understand what you say. When you ask a question, it shows you answers in a card format that you can tap to learn more.

In February 2017, Google made it possible for people with Google Home speakers to shop using just their voice. You could order groceries and other items from stores like Whole Foods Market and Costco through Google's shopping service. Google Assistant can also keep a shopping list for you.

In May 2017, Google added a keyboard so you could type your questions to the Assistant. It also started to support identifying objects using your device's camera and helping you buy things or send money. If you type, you can see a history of your questions and even edit or delete them. In November 2017, you could ask the Assistant to identify songs playing around you.

You can also create special voice commands, called shortcuts, to make Google Assistant do things on your phone or control your smart home devices. For example, you could say "Good morning" and it might turn on your lights and tell you the weather. In July 2018, Google Home devices gained the ability to do several actions from just one voice command.

At a Google event in May 2018, Google announced six new voices for the Assistant. One of them was the voice of actor John Legend! This was possible because of a cool technology called WaveNet, which makes voices sound very natural. However, John Legend's voice was removed in March 2020.

In August 2018, Google Assistant learned to understand two languages at once. This means you could switch between languages easily in your conversation.

Interpreter Mode

On December 12, 2019, Google added an "interpreter mode" to the Google Assistant app on phones. This feature can translate conversations in real-time, helping people who speak different languages understand each other. It was first available on Google Home smart speakers. Google Assistant even won an award in 2020 for its great user experience!

On March 5, 2020, Google introduced a feature that lets Google Assistant read webpages aloud in 42 different languages. This is helpful for people who prefer to listen or have trouble reading.

On October 15, 2020, Google added a new "hum to search" function. If you have a song stuck in your head but don't know the name, you can hum, whistle, or sing it to the Assistant, and it will try to find the song for you!

Google Duplex

In May 2018, Google showed off a new feature called Duplex. This is an advanced part of Google Assistant that can make phone calls for you and sound very human. It can book a hair appointment, reserve a table at a restaurant, or call businesses to check their holiday hours. Duplex is designed to sound natural, even using "hmm" or "uh" like a real person. It can do most tasks on its own, but if it gets stuck, a human operator can step in to help. Duplex was first available to Google Pixel users in certain cities in late 2018 for restaurant reservations. By October 2020, Google had expanded Duplex to businesses in eight countries.

See also

In Spanish: Asistente de Google para niños