Ok google: how to activate it, list of commands and functions ✅?

By activating "OK Google", the assistant of the giant with glasses goes into action. This know-it-all has answers for every situation and can help us with a thousand and one tasks, but the volume of options and available commands can overwhelm us a little. For this reason, those of Professional Review bring you a guide with which to get started and learn about its functions. Let's go there!

Index of contents

How to activate OK Google

To begin, we must bear in mind that the Google assistant is cross-platform. This means that not only can we have it available on all our devices and Google Home or Google Home Mini, but it can also be configured to be only active in specific applications (Chrome and Maps for example). Therefore, we are going to do some sections to clarify these points.

Activate OK Google in Chrome (PC)

On PC, the first thing is to check that the browser is updated with the latest version available. To do this, we must:

1. In our browser, we must go to the panel Customize and control Google Chrome. Once the tab is open, we will click on Settings. Inside, we will select Chrome Information. Once opened, we can check if the latest version is installed or download it from no be like that.

As a general rule, OK Google will be available by default even if we have not noticed it. Now, to use it, all we have to do is click on the microphone that we can see in the search bar:

The first time we click on the microphone, our operating system will warn us that the browser wants to access it (similar to the permissions of the applications on a smartphone). When you accept, the search bar will disappear in favor of a microphone icon next to the "Speak now" text. As you make your request, Google will be transcribing our words. After a silence, the screen will change back to the search engine, where we will be able to see what we have asked for written followed by the most similar results.

Activate OK Google on our smartphone / tablet

The use of OK Google on smart devices is very similar to how we have explained for Chrome on a computer or laptop. We show you how to activate it:

NOTE: We must have updated Google to its latest version. We can check if this is the case in the Play Store <Menu <Applications and Games.

Once we open the search engine, we simply press the microphone icon and ask our question. This will be transcribed on the screen and the search bar and Google will proceed to index it. The best possible answer will be read aloud to us and show us related web pages, maps or videos.

Activate OK Google through Voice Match

To activate the Voice Match or verify that we have it, we must go to the Google application and select: More <Settings <Voice <Voice Match.

What the Voice Match does is that, just with the screen on, if we say "OK Google", the application will automatically be working to listen to what we need, be it calling a friend, sending a message, creating a reminder, tomorrow's weather forecast etc.

Activate OK Google in Google Maps

If we only want to use OK Google for journeys, routes or to know the traffic we can also do it. We must open Google Maps and go to:

Menu <Settings <Navigation settings <OK Google detection

In this way we will save as much data as possible, since Maps tends to consume a lot. It will also serve us a map already saved or preloaded for trips. Once operational, we just have to ask for something along the lines of: “OK Google, show me the best route to get to the Pompidou Museum by car” .

List of commands when activating OK Google

Now comes the interesting part, and that is all we can do by activating OK Google. The virtual assistant is organized by categories or tasks on which you can answer our questions, so we show you all the options and what we can do with them:

User: "OK Google, give me a list of what you can do."

Assistant: "Here are some things you can ask me for."

Timers

Here we can time or create alarms from the moment we request them. There is no limit to the amount we can put, or if there is, we have not reached it. The alarm sound however is not customizable.

• Create a 10 minute countdown. Make a stopwatch from now on.

Enjoy the holidays

Various options are grouped under this concept, such as Reminders and Alarms.

• Cancel my alarms. Remind me to buy sunscreen.

Take care of your well-being

Well-being is an option to promote healthy habits similar to the Nutrition concept.

• Help me relax. Remind me tomorrow to go running.

Reminders

As its name suggests, reminders are used to create reminders. These can be synchronized with the Create Routines option or set at a specific time.

• Remind me to call mom on Wednesday. Put a reminder for 14:15. Buy bread.

Music

Without a doubt one of the most used options. Something we must take into account is that to listen to specific songs we must have a Premium account on YouTube Music or Spotify. Otherwise, it will take us to public playlists. Another option is to request to listen to radio stations.

• Play jazz music. Play Born to be Wild on spotify. Connect Rock FM

Surf

It is oriented to travel through Google Maps, so for some actions it may be necessary to activate the location.

• Go to the nearest supermarket. Take me Home.

Games

Access to installed applications or suggestions of new ones.

• I want to play something. What is the best rated game on the Play Store?

Time

Complete weather reports for the week or the day, here or in Beijing.

• What's the weather like in Paris? What will the weather be like this weekend? What is the probability of rain today?

Alarms

Again without limit on the number of alarms that we can set per day or options to customize.

• Wake me up in 20 minutes. Set an alarm at 22:30. Create a two-minute timer.

sports

All sports information that is published on the internet is also available to the assistant.

• Who won Madrid Barça yesterday? What are the results of Formula 1? When does Málaga play?

Entertainment

Activate OK Google as a form of entertainment or for information.

• Teach me something. Tell me a famous quote. Tell me a joke

Messages

Without a doubt, the ability to send messages hands-free is one of its strengths.

• Send a WhatsApp to Alba. Send an email to Jesus. Make a voice message for Dad.

Calls

As with messages, calls can be made without dialing the number yourself. Of course, if we want the speaker we must specify it at the beginning.

• Call Blanca with speaker. Start a video call with Pedro Pablo.

Home automation

The option of interacting with other options linked to our WIFI network or Google account is one of those little quirks that you like so much.

• Dim the lights. Issue a message on Google Home Mini.

Search

Similar to Entertainment, OK Google can track almost any information we ask you for.

• Give me data on the Moon. Find ideas for a rural getaway. When were dinosaurs extinct?

Nearby sites

Also linked to Maps and Browse, OK Google also helps us to recommend places and destinations.

• What is the closest sushi restaurant? Find a good pizzeria.

My assistant

By saying "help me with my assistant", OK Google will take us to a panel of suggestions to configure timers, reminders, alarms and more. It is an alternative to "What can you do?".

Device control

It depends on those devices or applications that are linked to our Google account.

• Put a video about kittens on YouTube. Put my Rock playlist on Spotify.

Calculate

Square roots, divisions, rules of three… All operations are possible.

• How much is 70% of € 340? Divide 18.60 by six.

Travels

If you have entered the necessary information, OK Google can do searches to check flight or transport frequencies.

• What time does the N1 pass by Avda. De Andalucía? What bus line should I take to get to the Central Police Station?

Dictionary

Morphology, spelling, syntax, synonyms, semantics…

• What does melancholy mean? Boil is written with V or with B? Does the word “quadruple” have an accent?

News

We can play news from default channels, radio, or some that we have configured as default in our Google account. By default, it will start with the national public channels and then the local ones. They are configurable from our Gmail account.

Personal content

It shows the routines, alarms, reminders, photos of the account or whatever you need linked to it.

• What do I have written down for today? Show me my photos.

Translation

Obviously it is not as reliable as a dedicated translator, but we can say that the results in general are quite good.

• Translate "how much does it cost?" to Italian. Say "I need a taxi" in French.

Finance

Information on international economic markets is updated daily.

• How much is Apple's stock today? How is the Spanish deficit?

Nutrition

OK Google can give us feedback on calories in meals, recommended daily amounts of sugar and much more.

• How much vitamin C does an orange have? What is the recommended daily calorie count for an adult?

Conversions

Both currency, meters, weights, temperatures and others.

• How many kilometers are 11 miles? How many pounds is 1kg? How much is 30 € to Pounds?

Purchases

It allows creating and managing lists of all kinds.

• Add salt to the shopping list. Create a list called "Christmas Gifts."

What you can do when activating OK Google

This is the list of possible commands to activate OK Google. Seen seen, it is clear where the shots go. OK Google is designed as a complement to the day to day like its homonymous assistants Google Home and Google Home Mini. The Google Assistant has multiple uses. In addition to the list that we have just shown you, in the same application you can see a button at the bottom called "More options" that will take you to an extra gallery with demonstrations of even more uses.

Made multiplatform, integrated in your browser, in Maps, with voice control… Clearly artificial intelligence is here to stay by our side and respond to all our needs. From reminders and alarms to motorcycle routes, on and off-line.

Conclusions

Something interesting to keep in mind is that the search engine's AI is constantly improving and developing, so the more we use it, the more precise its operation will tend to be. Learn not only by collecting data on our use, but also on the updates you receive through Google. In short, his thing is to move the assistant without fear and browse among all his options.

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