Google Assistant facts for kids
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Google Assistant on the Pixel smartphone
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| Developer(s) | |
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| Initial release | 18 May 2016 |
| Stable release |
0.1 (Build 766117055) / 17 June 2025
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| Written in | C++ |
| Operating system | Android, ChromeOS, iOS, iPadOS, KaiOS, Linux, Android TV, Wear OS |
| Platform |
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| Predecessor | Google Now |
| Successor | Google 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 |
Google Assistant is a virtual assistant software created by Google. It works mainly on home automation devices and mobile phones. It uses artificial intelligence to have two-way conversations with users. This was a big step up from Google's older assistant, Google Now.
Google Assistant first appeared in 2016. It was part of Google's messaging app Allo and their voice-activated speaker, Google Nest. For a while, it was only on Google Pixel smartphones. But in February 2017, it became available on other Android devices. This included phones from other companies and Android Wear (now Wear OS). In May 2017, it was released as a separate app for iOS devices like iPhones.
In April 2017, Google released a special kit for developers. This allowed the Assistant to work on many more devices. These included cars and smart home appliances from different companies. Developers could also add new features to the Assistant. By January 2018, the first smart displays with Assistant were announced. These were Smart speakers with video screens. The first one came out in July 2018. By 2020, Google Assistant was on over 1 billion devices.
Users mostly talk to Google Assistant using their voice. However, you can also type your questions. The Assistant can answer questions, set alarms, and change settings on your device. It can also show information from your Google account, play games, and much more. Google also announced that the Assistant could identify objects using your device's camera. It could also help you buy things and send money. Google Assistant is available in over 90 countries and more than 30 languages. Over 500 million people use it every month.
In October 2023, a mobile version of the Gemini chatbot was shown. It was first called Assistant with Bard, then just Bard. This new chatbot was planned to replace Assistant as the main helper on Android devices. However, the original Assistant was still an option. The Gemini chatbot was released in the United States on February 8, 2024.
On March 14, 2025, Google announced that Assistant would stop working on Android devices using Android 10 and newer. It also stopped working on iOS and other devices like Google Nest. Gemini mostly replaced it. Assistant continued to work for older phones or those running Android 9 "Pie" and older.
Contents
How Google Assistant Started
The Google Assistant was first shown at Google's developer conference on May 18, 2016. It was part of the new Google Nest smart speaker and the Allo messaging app. Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained that the Assistant was made to have a real conversation. He said it was meant to be "an ambient experience that extends across devices." Later that month, Google worked to give the Assistant a more fun personality.
Where Google Assistant Expanded
At first, Google Assistant was only on Google Pixel smartphones. This was for system-level use outside of the Allo app and Google Nest. In February 2017, Google started making the Assistant available on Android smartphones. These phones needed to be running Android 6.0.1 or 7.0. This started in certain English-speaking areas. Android tablets did not get the Assistant at this time.
The Assistant was also added to Wear OS 2.0. It was also planned for future versions of Android TV and Android Auto. In October 2017, the Google Pixelbook became the first laptop to have Google Assistant. It later came to the Google Pixel Buds. In December 2017, Google announced that the Assistant would come to phones running Android 5.0. This happened through an update to Google Play Services. Tablets running 6.0 Marshmallow and 7.0 Nougat also got it. In February 2019, Google started testing ads in Google Assistant results.
On May 15, 2017, it was reported that Google Assistant would come to iOS as a separate app. This was confirmed two days later at Google's developer conference.
Smart Displays
In January 2018, at the Consumer Electronics Show, the first Assistant-powered "smart displays" were released. Companies like Lenovo, Sony, JBL, and LG showed these devices. These smart displays could make Google Duo video calls and play YouTube videos. They could also show GMaps directions, a GCalendar agenda, and smart camera footage. They also worked with services that Google Home devices used.
These devices used Android Things and Google's own software. Google later showed its own smart display, Google Nest Hub, in October 2018. Then came the Google Nest Hub Max.
How Developers Use Google Assistant
In December 2016, Google launched "Actions on Google." This was a platform for developers to build apps for Google Assistant. In March 2017, Google added new tools to help create games for Google Assistant. At first, this was only for the Google Nest smart speaker. But in May 2017, Actions on Google became available for Android and iOS devices. Google also created an app directory to show compatible products and services.
To encourage developers, Google held a competition. The first-place winner received tickets to Google's 2018 developer conference, $10,000, and a tour of Google's campus. Second and third places also received money and a Google Home device.
In April 2017, a software development kit (SDK) was released. This allowed other companies to build their own devices that could run Google Assistant. It was added to Raspberry Pi computers and cars from Audi and Volvo. It also worked with Home automation appliances like fridges, washers, and ovens from companies such as iRobot, LG, General Electric, and D-Link. In December 2017, Google updated the SDK. This added features that were previously only on Google Home smart speakers and Assistant phone apps.
These new features included:
- Third-party device makers could add their own "Actions on Google" commands for their products.
- Text-based interactions and many languages were supported.
- Users could set a precise location for the device. This helped with better location-specific questions.
On May 2, 2018, Google announced a new program. It focused on investing in new companies that were working on Google Assistant. The goal was to help developers create better experiences for users. This included companies that added new features, built new hardware, or worked in different industries.
Google Assistant Voices
Google Assistant first used the voice of Kiki Baessell for the American female voice. She was also the voice for the Google Voice voicemail system since 2010.
On October 11, 2019, Google announced that Issa Rae was added as an optional voice. Users could enable it by saying "Okay, Google, talk like Issa." However, as of April 2022, if you give this command, Google Assistant replies, "Sorry, that voice isn't available anymore, but you can try out another by asking me to change voices."
How You Interact with Google Assistant
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Google Assistant, like Google Now, can search the Internet. It can also schedule events and alarms. It can change settings on your device and show information from your Google account. But unlike Google Now, the Assistant can have a two-way conversation. It uses Google's natural language processing to understand you. Search results appear in a card format that you can tap to open.
In February 2017, Google announced that Google Home users could shop using only their voice. This was through its Google Express shopping service. Products were available from stores like Whole Foods Market and Costco. More stores were added later. Google Assistant can keep a shopping list. This feature was moved to Google Express and the Google Home app in April 2017.
In May 2017, Google announced that the Assistant would support typing. It also showed visual responses. It could identify objects and get visual information using the device's camera. It also supported buying products and sending money. When you type, you can see a history of your questions to the Assistant. You can also edit or delete them. The Assistant suggests not deleting them, though. This is because it uses past questions to give better answers in the future. In November 2017, you could ask the Assistant to identify songs playing nearby.
The Google Assistant lets you create and change voice shortcut commands. These commands can perform actions on your device (Android, iPad, or iPhone). They can also set up your device as a hub for home automation.
This speech recognition feature is available in English and other languages. In July 2018, the Google Home version of Assistant could do multiple actions from one voice shortcut.
At the annual I/O developers conference on May 8, 2018, Google announced six new voice options for the Google Assistant. One of these was John Legend's voice. This was possible because of WaveNet, a voice synthesizer. It greatly reduced how many voice samples an actor needed to create a voice. However, John Legend's Google Assistant voice was stopped on March 23, 2020.
In August 2018, Google added the ability for Assistant to understand two languages at once. This worked for existing supported languages on devices. Reports suggest it may support three languages by setting a third default language on Android phones.
Speech-to-Text can now recognize commas, question marks, and periods in your voice requests.
In April 2019, popular audio games like Crystal Ball and Lucky Trivia got big voice changes. The Assistant's voice could add more expression to the games. For example, in Crystal Ball, the voice would speak slowly and softly to make it more exciting. In Lucky Trivia, the voice became excited like a game show host. These games used to have a more robotic text-to-speech voice. In May 2019, it was found to be a bug that caused the games to lose their studio-quality voices. These audio games were fixed in May 2019.
Interpreter Mode
On December 12, 2019, Google launched an interpreter mode in Google Assistant phone apps. It works on Android and iOS. It translates conversations in real-time. Before this, it was only on Google Home smart speakers and displays. Google Assistant won the 2020 Webby Award for Best User Experience in the Apps, Mobile & Voice category.
On March 5, 2020, Google added a feature to Google Assistant that could read webpages aloud in 42 languages.
On October 15, 2020, Google announced a new 'hum to search' function. You could find a song by simply humming, whistling, or singing it.
Google Duplex
In May 2018, Google showed Duplex. This was an advanced part of Google Assistant. It could have natural conversations by sounding like a human. The Assistant could complete tasks on its own. For example, it could call a hair salon to book an appointment. It could also schedule a restaurant reservation or call businesses to check holiday hours. Duplex could do most tasks by itself. But if it ran into a problem, it could ask a human operator for help. Duplex was made to sound more natural. It used common speech sounds like "hmm" and "uh," and phrases like "mhm" and "gotcha." It also used more human-like voice changes and pauses. Duplex was released in late 2018 for Google Pixel users in certain cities. By October 2020, Google had expanded Duplex to businesses in eight countries.
Concerns About Duplex
After Duplex was announced, some people had questions about it. They wondered if it was right for a robot to sound so human. Some felt it was not honest if people didn't know they were talking to a computer. There were also concerns about privacy. Conversations with Duplex were recorded so the Assistant could learn. Some people worried about how Google would use these voice recordings. They wondered about the long-term effects of giving companies so much information about human speech and habits.
Google later said that Duplex was designed to be clear. They stated that the system would always identify itself. Google also added that in some places, the Assistant would tell people that the call was being recorded.
Other Similar Technologies
- Amazon Alexa
- Bixby
- Cortana
- Home automation (Smart Home)
- Internet of things (IoT)
- Mycroft (software)
- Siri
- Smart devices
- Speech recognition
- Voice user interface
See also
In Spanish: Asistente de Google para niños
