“OK Google, How Do I...?” the Complete Manual

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Google Home The Complete Manual

“OK Google, 9001 how do I...?”

Introducing Google Home Learn all about your new smart device and how the Google Assistant can help you Setup guide Control your smart home Set up and conﬁgure your Google Home or Use Google Home as the hub of your connected Google Home Mini home and control lights, heating and more Your My Day brieﬁng Add more functions Teach your Google Home what content you Use IFTTT functionality to create and automate want to hear updates about every day command routines Cast media Explore apps Take advantage of Google Cast and get your Explore some of the wealth of apps and games Home to send media to your TV and speakers available for Google Home 9000 NEWGoogle Home The Complete Manual

The independent handbook for Google Home users

Master essential commands & more

100% UNOFFICIAL100% Digital Edition FIRST FIRST EDITION

GoWelcomeog to le Home The Complete Manual Our homes are getting smarter. And who better to help us take advantage of this than the search engine we turn to with all of our queries? The Google Home is a revolutionary product in the same vein as the Amazon Echo and Apple HomePod. Where it differs is in its ability to leverage Google’s awesome powers of search, making it easy for it to answer any query you have, from news to weather to traffic and travel, in real time. In addition to that, it can take advantage of Google Cast technology to serve up music and video to your TV or stereo, function as the connected hub of your smart home, play audio- based games with you, and much more. The ability to install a wide range of apps makes its uses almost limitless. Read on to find out more...

Google Home The Complete Manual

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Introduction

08 Introducing Google Home The Google Home voice- controlled smart speaker helps you make the most of Google Assistant, using only your voice

How to... 16 Set up your Google Home 24 Set up My Day 34 Use reminders The Google Home is a Get a quick snapshot of the Get Google Home to remind powerful device, but its news, weather and more you about important events not complicated to set up, especially with 26 Get the news 36 Set timers and alarms our instructions Get the Google Assistant to Set multiple timers and wake read you news feeds up to alarms 28 Get the weather 38 Create shopping lists Ask Google Assistant about Create shopping lists and add the weather for the day items to them 30 Get sports news 40 Get traffic updates Stay up to date on your Know which roads to avoid favourite teams on the way to work 22 Talk to Home Ask questions, issue 32 Set up Calendars 42 Find local businesses commands and more Get Google Home to tell you Looking for a restaurant or using just your voice what you have planned shop? Ask Google Home

6 Apps Enhance your Google Home with a range of 44 Google shop 50 Protect your privacy apps, from news and sport Make the most of your shop Lock down your settings and to fun for all the family with Google Home keep your data safe Page 90 46 Stock market 52 Link and unlink accounts Keep an eye on the markets, Set up multiple Google users stocks and shares on your Google Home 68 Multiroom Audio 47 Find your parked car 54 Enable Guest Mode Get the same music playing Record the location of your Allow visiting friends to cast concurrently across rooms car and get Google to tell you through your Google Home 70 Watch TV 48 Check flights 56 Relax with Google Home Google Home can become Google Home can tell you a TV remote about your booked flights Get your Google Home 58 Use Google Cast 72 View photos Cast media to your devices Showcase your snaps in a through Google Home voice-controlled slideshow 74 Make your home smart 60 Media playback Use Google Home as the hub Play media on your of your smart house setup Google Home or other devices 78 Introducing IFTTT Create custom actions for 64 Listen to your Google Home the radio Listen to 82 Fix 10 common problems commercial or Essential solutions to your web radio through Google Home issues Google Home 86 Top 50 easter eggs 66 Pair Bluetooth Amuse and entertain fwith speakers these hidden functions Boost your music experience by 88 Add apps adding Bluetooth Make your Google Home do speakers even more with added apps

7 Introducing… Google Home Introducing Google Home The Google Home voice-controlled smart speaker helps you make the most of Google Assistant, using only your voice

The Google Home is a voice-controlled smart speaker, powered by Google Assistant, which enables owners to use a wide range of Google and third-party services. Originally released in mid-2016, Google Home has a growing number of integrations with many different types of services and products including music, video, news, weather, games and home automation. Updates are released frequently by Google ‘over the air’ and install transparently, adding new features and improvements to enhance the abilities of the Home device. Several different Google Home devices are available including the original unit (simply ‘Google Home’), a smaller version called the ‘Google Home Mini’, a larger ‘Google Home Max’ that focuses on excellent audio quality and models featuring screens, called ‘Google Smart Displays’. Google has designed the range to fit in in the home, not to look like technology showcases, with neutral colours, curved edges and neatly designed power cables. Each of the units offers a degree of customisation, either with multiple colour purchase options or removable coloured speaker mesh. The products are designed to compete with the Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Show from Amazon, which offer similar functionality but without the rich knowledge that comes from being powered by the world’s favourite search engine and its advanced ‘knowledge graph’. The original Google Home product has a touch sensitive panel on the top which is used to control volume, play and pause modes. Google’s signature coloured lights illuminate when the Google Home hears its wake word (‘Hey Google’

8 Google Home Introducing…

9 Introducing… Google Home

The Google Home Mini in particular is designed to sit unobtrusively amid the rest of your decor

by default). Also on the top of the device are the two far-ﬁeld microphones. Despite having fewer microphones than the six on the Amazon Echo, the Google Home is still great at hearing commands, even when music is playing or in a loud environment. Of course, in order for Google Home to respond to commands, it has to be always listening. A mute button is on the back of the device if you are concerned about privacy and you can review your Google Home’s activity online at the Google website at any time. The Google Home Mini comes at less than half the price of the full-size Google Home, but still packs a punch! The speaker is incredible for its size, easily outperforming the Echo Dot, but it won’t ﬁll a room in quite the same way as the regular Home. The touch controls remain, but on the Mini they require small taps on the left or right of the fabric top to lower or raise the volume, rather than the circular motion needed on the Google Home. Google’s signature coloured lights are again present, as is a physical mute switch on the back. The Mini is just as good at hearing your voice as the full-size home as it has the same microphone setup. If you plan to use your Mini for music playback, you can link it to another Above: Google Home is larger, but still subtle. speaker if it supports the Cast protocol, but unlike on its arch rival, The colourways on the speaker grille can be switched out to blend into your room the Echo Dot, there’s no 3.5mm output for a physical audio link.

10 Google Home Introducing…

Get more from Google The Google Home Mini comes at less than half the price of the full-size Google Home, but still packs a punch!

The Google Home Max shares the Mini design language but it’s big, brash and unashamedly loud. It’s not cheap and is very heavy, but it’s all about the audio quality. It has four drivers (two woofers Listen to music and two tweeters), the ability to automatically tune its settings to One of the most used aspects suit your room (it even detects when you’ve moved it around), six of Google Home… Whether it’s from Google Play Music, Spotify microphones this time round to help it hear over the booming or even the radio, Google Home audio, a 3.5mm input and a USB-C port for Ethernet connectivity. makes listening easy. Size and power aside, the experience is largely as it is for any other Google Home device, with touch controls and the same mute switch once again. Two Home Max devices can be paired to give powerful stereo audio. Google Smart Displays respond to commands in the same way as a Google Home device, but also have a screen for watching content and for making video calls. They are still in their infancy, but the ability to build visual content into Google Assistant apps will increase their utility, with launch applications including viewing Smart Home control footage from a Nest camera; watching step by step cooking Google Home connects to a wide directions; or viewing a map with directions. A key launch feature is range of Smart Home products, allowing you to set your heating, integration with YouTube and the YouTube TV service. hot water, power devices on and What Google doesn’t oﬀer is a portable Google Home product off and control smart lighting. in the style of the battery-powered Amazon Echo Tap. It’s likely that third-party Google Assistant enabled speakers will emerge to meet this need in the same way that Assistant-powered headphones are now available on the market. By providing the underlying platform and allowing other manufacturers to integrate it into their products, Google can ensure there’s a Home or Assistant to suit everyone. Owners of multiple Google Home devices throughout the home can take advantage of synchronised music playback similar to that oﬀered by the Sonos range of devices. The Home range Use Google Assistant make fantastic media playback devices thanks to their support for If you can ask Google Assistant, the open Google Cast protocol, which is now included in most you can ask Google Home. Weather, sports scores or just media apps on Android as well as in the Chrome browser. While general knowledge, Google’s supporting Google Cast natively, Google Home devices can be knowledge is always on tap.

11 Introducing… Google Home

Google Home compatible devices

Nest Thermostat Logitech Harmony The Nest Thermostat provides a The Harmony is an all-in-one remote taken connected way to control the heating to the next level. As well as controlling all and hot water in your home. Not only can your devices from a single remote, Harmony it be controlled from your Google Home actions can be launched using Google Home. device, it learns your usage too. Price: £229 (Harmony 950) Price: £279 (installed) Web: www.logitech. Web: nest.com/uk/thermostats/nest- com/en-gb/ learning-thermostat/overview/ harmony- universal- remotes

Neato Robot Vacuum Cleaner Setting off the Robot Vacuum Cleaner while sitting in your chair with a cup of tea has to be living the dream. The Neato range enables exactly this, with full voice control. Price: £599.99 (Botvac D5) Web: www.neatorobotics.com/robot-vacuum/botvac- connected-series/

Samsung SmartThings Samsung SmartThings is a hub for your Smart Home devices. It supports a vast range of Z-Wave Nvidia Shield and Zigbee devices, including Samsung’s own, The Nvidia Shield is the perfect centralising control of your Smart Home technology. companion to your Google Home device, Price: £199.99 (starter kit) providing the ability to cast audio to Web: the Google Home and play, pause, fast- www.samsung.com/uk/smartthings/ forward or adjust the volume on your TV. Price: £179.99 (remote only version) Web: www.nvidia.co.uk/ shield/shield-tv/

Philips Hue Philips Hue allows you to control your lighting from your Google Home – not just whether the lights are on and off but the colour too, individually or in groups. Price: £149.99 (colour starter kit) Web: www.meethue.com/ en-gb

12 Google Home Introducing…

Google Home is much smaller than its rival smart speakers from Amazon and Apple

used as a media controller themselves when the whole family’s eclectic music preferences on paired with a Chromecast, Chromecast Audio or your treasured Google Music account! Android TV device such as the Nvidia Shield. A While the Google Home range will be used request to cast a YouTube video to the TV, pause mostly for music playback, you’d be barely and resume works well and similar commands scratching the surface of the device. Google can be used to display your Google Photos Assistant integrates with a wide range of Smart library on the screen. Another neat feature for Home services including Nest, SmartThings, the multiple Home equipped household is the Hue and Hive with many more supported via ability to ‘Broadcast’. Provided you have two or the third-party service IFTTT (‘If This Then That’). more Home devices on the same Wi-Fi network, Google attempts to surface popular ‘actions’ you can dictate a message to play on all devices. (the Google equivalent of ‘skills’ on Alexa) for You can also do this using your Assistant-enabled Google Home devices within the Home app and phone – perfect for if you need to call the kids also provides a website where a full list can be down for dinner! browsed, broken down by category, or searched. Google Home works well in a busy household, Actions can also be rated, making it easier to see with support for up to six users recognised by at a glance which are worth trying out. If you lose their voice. This functionality allows the content your phone, you can also use Google Home to returned by the device to be tailored to the user track it down! Asking Google to ‘find my phone’ and any reminders to be added to the correct uses Android’s own find my phone feature (yes, account. This is handy when you have reminders Android only) to make it ring loudly to help you you don’t want everyone to hear, and particularly locate it. Using Home’s voice identification, it will useful if playing music – you won’t end up with automatically ring the right person’s phone too.

13 Introducing… Google Home

Google Home products are set up and conﬁgured using a Google account

And following a recent update, you can now Play Store for Android devices and the App Store make calls using your Google Home. Calls to both for iOS. This is used to connect the device to mobiles and landlines are completely free, with your Wi-Fi network, train different voices, change the exception of international calls. All you need settings and install applications. As Google to do to make a call is ensure that the person you Home is powered by Google Assistant, when want to speak to is set up in Google Contacts, applications are added they work not only on the then ask Google to give them a call. Easy! Home products, but on other Assistant-powered Interacting with the Google Home is natural, devices too such as phones, tablets and even as it has support for contextual conversation flows Android Auto-enabled cars. (such as ‘What’s the weather going to be today?’ Google Home devices are fun to use and they followed by ‘And tomorrow?’) and can mine contain some clever little easter eggs hidden the vast Google knowledge graph for answers. away. Try ‘Hey Google, make me a sandwich’ Questions have less need to be specific in or ‘Hey Google, what did my cat say?’ There are structure than on rival products; commands such loads more hidden away too! If you’re looking for as ‘How old is this celebrity, ‘How far is this place’ a Google Home action to impress your friends, or ‘Tell me the score in the football’ work when one of our favourites is Akinator. A spin on the phrased in different ways. classic ’20 questions’ game, Akinator prompts you Google Home products are set up and to think of a person, real or fictional, which it will configured using a Google account and the then try and guess using a series of questions. Get Google Home app, which is available from the started by saying ‘Hey Google, Play Akinator’.

14 Google Home Introducing…

Apps

TuneIn: TuneIn provides the ability to BBC News: The BBC app provides an IFTTT: The IFTTT allows customisation listen to radio on your Google Home. extra news source for Google Home. of Google Home by enabling you to You can request your station by name Asking to ‘listen to the news’ will alter custom voice actions for a range or frequency as well. include the latest BBC headlines. of third party services.

Sky Sports: The Sky Sports app works Recipes by Course: Google’s culinary Routine Machine: Get fit with the in a similar way to the BBC, adding the offering allows you to retrieve step Routine Machine and Google. The latest updates from the Sky Sports by step recipe instructions using your app will generate a bespoke exercise News HQ channel to your sources. Google Home. regime based on your request.

Trainline: The Trainline app allows you Shopping List: You can add items to Lucky Trivia: Lucky Trivia provides to plan your journey and check train the list from your Google Home and a fun trivia game for up to 5 players times. It also includes the ability to add retrieve them on your phone when at directly on your Google Home device a regular commute for quick access. the supermarket – so useful! – fun for all kinds of parties and ages.

Interacting with the Google Home is natural, as it has support for contextual conversation ﬂows

15 How to... Set up your Google Home Set up your Google Home The Google Home is a powerful device, but its not complicated to set up, especially with our instructions

Mute button Stop the Home from listening LED Ring by tapping the This will light button located up differently at the back depending on what the Google Home is doing

Touch surface Control the device by tapping, pressing or swiping on this

LEDs Four LED lights change colour and pulse to indicate what it is doing

Volume controls Adjust the Mini’s volume by tapping Colours on either side of The Google Home the device Mini comes in three colours: Chalk, Charcoal and Coral

Speakers and microphones Power jack The Google Home has two Located at the back of microphones as well as one driver the device is a micro and two passive radiator speakers USB input to power it

16 Set up your Google Home How to...

1 Check you have everything you’ll need Before you get started, check that you have everything you need to get the device running. You will need the Google Home or Google Home Mini and the power supply, which is located under a compartment in the box. You will also need a phone or tablet for the software part of the setup. Both Android and iOS devices support the Google Home app.

2 Download the Google Home app All of the settings and controls during the setup process are carried out through the Google Home app, so you’ll need to download it to your phone or tablet. Go into the app store on your device. On iOS this is the App Store and on Android devices it is the Google Play Store. Once in the store, search for Google Home and when you’ve found the correct app, download and install it. Fig 1 The app from the Google Play store

3 Plug in the device Now that we have the software we need, it’s time to get the hardware itself set up. Take the Google Home and turn it upside down to find the power jack input. Take the power adaptor that came packaged with the device and plug it into the port, then take the other end of the cable and plug it into your wall. Your Google Home should now have power.

4 Wait Once the Google Home is plugged in and has power you will have to wait a couple of seconds for it to be ready. The Google Assistant will tell you when it is ready and ask you to download the Google Home app (which you should already have). The LEDs on top of the device will slowly pulse white to let you Fig 2 The app’s ‘Get Started’ page know that it is waiting to be set up.

5 Open the app Now you’re going to need to open the Google Home app that you downloaded earlier. Once the app is open, tap on ‘Get Started’ in the bottom- left corner of the screen. You will be asked to select the Google account that you would like to use and then the app will search for any available devices., ie your Google Home.

6 Select your device Once it has found a Google Home it will ask you if you would like to set up this device; press ‘Yes.’ Your smartphone or tablet may disconnect from your Wi-Fi router during this step as it will be trying to connect to the Google Home’s Fig 3 Select the device’s location network. After the app has linked to the Google Home, your device will make a noise. The app will ask you if you have heard this, tap ‘Yes’ if you could hear it.

If anything goes wrong, don’t be afraid to reset the device. Simply unplug the device and restart the app Fig 4 Select your Wi-Fi network from the list

17 How to... Set up your Google Home

7 Select a room The Google Home app will now ask you where in the house you will be placing the device. You can select from the list of rooms provided or create your own. This will come in handy if you plan on adding more devices in the future as your Google Home in the living room will be known as ‘living room speaker’ to make it easier to recognise, as opposed to giving individual gadgets nicknames.

8 Wi-Fi settings You will now be taken to a page where you select your Wi-Fi network. It will list all available networks to you. The network your phone or tablet is connected to will be highlighted in blue; you can select next to use the same network you’re already on and you won’t need to input a password. There is also an option to Fig 5 Teach it to recognise your voice use this network for all future devices.

9 Voice Match You will be asked if you would like to teach Google Assistant to recognise your voice. You may want to use this if you plan on having personal data such as calendars, emails and more but don’t want the other users in the house to access the information. Google does warn however that this system isn’t perfect and someone with a similar voice may be able to access it.

10 Your address Google Home will ask you for your home address. The text box will initially appear blank but Google will perform a quick search and enter an address based on your Wi-Fi network. As you type an address Google will make Fig 6 Input your Home’s address suggestions. You can enter a postcode, road or city depending on how accurate you want the information.

11 Music service If you have a subscription to Spotify, Google Play Music, Deezer or YouTube Music you can link your account to stream music through that service. Tap on the plus icon and fill in the appropriate information to link the account and then tap ‘Continue’. Google will then ask you if you would like to receive information via email about the latest features for Google Home and Assistant.

12 You’re done You will be shown all of the information you have entered for you to review. If there are any mistakes, tap on them to change, but if it’s all good tap on Fig 7 Review the information before you finish ‘Continue’. The Google Home app will then begin a tutorial, displaying a number of basic commands for you to try. Scroll through these and tap ‘Finished’. Congratulations, your Google Home is set up and ready to go.

You can make changes to the settings later by going to the ‘Devices’ section of the Google home app Fig 8 The tutorial’s opening screen

18 Set up your Google Home How to...

Pinpoint your location

For you to be able to receive customised traﬃc reports, weather updates, local business information and many other useful services, you will need to set up your address in the Google Home app. Tap on the menu icon, select ‘More settings’ and under the Devices tab select ‘Device address.’ Enter your address and when you are done tap on OK.

You can enter a postcode, road or city depending on how accurate you want the address information to be

19 How to... Set up your Google Home

The LED Ring explained

The top of the Google Home shows the mode that the device is currently in. Here are a few examples:

Waiting Microphone Mute This is what you will see the most when using your Google This indicates the Google Home’s microphone has no Home. The four colours will spin clockwise and pulse to power so it cannot listen for the wake word or respond to show it is waiting for a command. anything you say.

Setup mode Starting up When you plug in your Google Home for the first time it will When you turn on the device after having already set it up, display four white LEDs that slowly pulse to indicate that it is its light will spin and blink with white and coloured lights as ready to be set up. it turns on.

20 Set up your Google Home How to...

Mini LEDs

The Google Home Mini also has LEDs at the top of the device, but these display the device’s modes differently to the standard Google Home. The Mini’s LEDs don’t move around like they do on the regular Home’s touch panel, instead they pulse in different patterns and switch colours to indicate what the device is doing. When it is processing a question or command it will pulse white lights, when it is muted the lights will be amber and when it is turning on each LED will be a different colour. If your device is displaying something not covered in this guide, go to support. google.com/googlehome/ answer/7073219 for more examples of its notifications.

Volume The Google Home displays its volumes with up to ten white LED dots. One dot means it is muted while ten means it is at max volume.

Your Google Home will emit a range of colourful Error visual notiﬁcations during We hope you never see this colour, but six static amber lights means that the Google Home has come across an setup and while in use error while trying to complete a task.

21 How to... Talk to Home

Talk to Home Ask questions, issue commands and more using just your voice

The thing that makes the Google Home so convenient is its voice control. By using its wake word you have access to all of its tools and all it takes is a few words. We will show you how to get started using the Home with some basic commands.

Use your voice The Google Home has two microphones built into the top of the device to listen for voice commands. But the device won’t respond to just any noise, instead it listens for its wake phrase “OK Google” or “Hey Google.” When you ask a question, you are asking the Above: Google Home listens out for Google Assistant – an intelligent assistant that runs the device.When its wake word, so it’s best to place it somewhere it’s likely to hear it speaking to the Assistant, you don’t need to speak up for it to hear

22 Talk to Home How to... you even if you are across the room from it – speak to it in a normal OK Google… tone and speed. Even in noisy environments, the Google Home can pick out your voice over all other sounds in the room. Too much noise will effect whether it can hear you so be aware of that. What’s the latest After you’ve said the wake word, pause briefly to see if the Home in sports? responds. If the Home hears its wake word, the top of the device Google Assistant will play the will light up to indicate it is listening for a command or question. If latest headlines in that particular this doesn’t happen, either move closer to the Home, talk louder or news category. stop any noise that may be interfering. Volume to 60% Give it a command This will set the volume to a When speaking to Google Assistant we suggest you speak as clearly specific level. You can also use a as possible to avoid the possibility of it mishearing you. After saying scale between one and ten. “OK Google,” the Home will begin listening; now you can ask it a question or issue a command. For example, you can listen to a news Stop report by saying “OK Google, tell me the news”. After you’ve asked This command will stop anything this Google Assistant will play the latest headlines. At any point of that the Assistant is currently the report you can say “Hey Google, stop” and the news will end. If doing such as playing music. you can’t hear the news say “OK Google, turn it up” or alternatively you can set the volume by asking the assistant to set the volume to How long is my a set number between one and ten or a percentage between 1-100. commute? You can also ask Assistant questions and it will use Google’s vast Assistant will find your home and search engine to find the answer. What’s cool is it will remember the work from your addresses and tell last question so you can ask a follow up question. For example, you you how long the fastest route can ask “Where is the nearest cafe?” and then follow up by asking will take. “When does it close?” and Assistant will know you are referring to the cafe from the initial question. How many If Google Assistant doesn’t understand what you’ve asked it will Grammys has respond by saying “I don’t know that yet” or something similar. If this Adele won? happens try rephrasing the question or simplifying it. Google Home The Assistant will use Google’s utilises the incredible power of Google’s search so it should usually search engine to find the answer find something, but this may not be exactly what you’re looking for. to your question. Try to be really specific to get the best results.

If the multi-coloured dots on top of the Home start spinning, it means that Google Assistant is thinking

23 How to... Set up My Day Set up My Day Get a quick snapshot of the latest news, weather and more personal events with the MyDay feature

My Day is one of Google Home’s key features – it gives you a complete rundown of your day including weather, traﬃc conditions on your commute, what’s in your calendar and news headlines. Most of what Google Home can tell you is customisable and here we’ll explore how to customise it.

Conﬁguring My Day To conﬁgure My Day, open the Google Home app and then tap the menu in the top left. Ensure you’re using the Google Account connected to your Google Home. You might have a second Google Account on your phone, perhaps for work, so it’s important to select the right one. To switch accounts, tap the triangle to the right of the account name. Now scroll down to More settings and tap My Day. Choose what you want to have in your My Day sequence using the checkboxes. Weather, News and Commute all have their own settings so click the appropriate cog if you want to adjust them. So, for weather you can choose if you’d like to see it in Fahrenheit or Celsius, and for commuting you need to add your home and work

Above: Choose what you want to hear as part of My Day. Don’t want to hear about your commute? No problem!

Right: Keep up-to-date with everything before you head out on a busy day of meetings and important news

24 Set up My Day How to... addresses. This can then tell you about traﬃc diﬃculties or tell you OK Google… what time the next bus is depending on your preference.

A personal touch OK Google, tell me If you’re having trouble getting My Day to give you personal about My Day information, you might not have set up the device to access your This command will start the My personal information, such as where you live to give you an accurate Day sequence which starts with weather forecast. Again in More settings, go to devices and then tap your local weather. your Google Home (make sure you select the right one if you have several). You’ll then see OK Google, tell a Personal results setting – slide the slider On. me my next Configuring My Day is a little different appointment if you want to set it up for multiple users. Again ensure the Google Home app is using Google Home will delve into your calendar (or calendars, depending the correct Google Account. At the top-right on what you’ve configured) and corner of the Google Home app’s Home tell you what you’re up to next. screen, tap Devices. Tap the device you want to set up and then go to Settings > Voice OK Google, tell me Match. You’ll then be asked to set up your voice with a bit of training. the news This will play you just the news Adjusting Google’s calendars portion of My Day; the sources you’ve selected. Lots of different Unfortunately you can’t preview My Day for tomorrow, but you sources are available. can ask Google Home for a rundown of your calendar events. And, speaking of calendars, Google Home will only reference your default calendar by itself, which can be a trifle annoying if you work for a company with a load of Google Calendars. To add more calendars you’re subscribed to, go to the Settings > More Settings menu and find Calendars at the bottom of the list. From there, you can tick which calendars you want Google Home to refer to as well as choosing your default calendar. Be aware, it will only work with calendars shared to the Google Account that the Google Home is linked to, so you’ll need to share calendars with the main account.

It gives you a complete rundown of your day including weather, traﬃc conditions on your commute

25 How to... Get the news Get the news Get the Google Assistant to read you a selection of personalised news feeds

The Google Assistant can be your own personal news reader thanks to the News function, which will read out the latest headlines when you say “OK Google, what is in the news?” or “Hey Google, give me my news update”.

Stay up to date Your Google Home can quickly get an overview of the news on a variety of topics by simply asking Google Home “What’s in the news?” Throughout the day the news sources will update with the latest breaking news and you can navigate through stories by saying “OK Google, next” or “OK Google, skip”. Best of all, you can edit which news sources are used for your updates, so if you have a favourite news site you should be able to ﬁnd it and get your headlines from there.

Choose your sources Customising your news reports and editing the news sources Google Assistant pulls its headlines from is handled in the Google Above: You can add a variety of news Home app on your smartphone or tablet. Open the app, go to sources so that you can hear reportage on the issues that matter most to you devices, tap on the More icon in the corner of your device’s card Right: Your chosen news sources are listed and select settings, then ﬁnd ‘More Settings’, select ‘News’ and then in the app; you can add and remove sources at any time ‘Add news sources’.

26 Get the news How to...

OK Google… OK Google, tell me my news Google Assistant will tell you the latest stories from your chosen news sources.

Next This will skip the news story currently being read and go on to the next one. At the top of the menu is a language selection. As well as English news reports from the UK you can listen to Irish news broadcasts, Stop American, as well as broadcasts in Japanese or French languages. Google Assistant will stop giving Scroll down the list to see other categories – as well as general news you your news update. there are technology-based news reports, business, world news and more. Whatever it is you want to stay up to date with, there should Tell me the latest be a news source you can listen to. To use any news source, tap on news from CNN it in the list and a tick will be added to its box. You can then go back and your sources will be listed. You can ask Google Assistant for the news from a specific source without it being on your list. Edit your sources Once you have a number of sources on your list, you can change the order they are read in. Simply tap on ‘Change Order’ at the top of your list of sources, then tap and drag a source up and down the list to where you want it. Tap on the ‘X’ icon to remove the source or you can tap on ‘Change Order’ to rearrange the order they are played in when you ask for your news update.

If your news updates are taking too long, you can go into the Home app and delete a few sources

27 How to... Get the weather

Get the weather Want to know what the weather will be like throughout the day? Ask Google Assistant

Thanks to the Google Assistant you can get the latest local weather forecasts, so you hopefully shouldn’t get caught out in the rain anymore. Find the immediate forecast, ask about a certain day or ask what it will be like for up to the next ten days.

Check the weather To get an accurate forecast for your local weather you must ﬁrst set your address and weather preferences in the Google Home app. See page 19 for information on how to do this. If you ever need to change your device’s location, this will need to be done through the Above: You don’t have to be really specific Google Home app and cannot be done using voice commands. about weather conditions. One of the most useful questions is “Do I need an umbrella?” After you have added your location information, all you have to

28 Get the weather How to... do is ask “OK Google, what’s the weather?” and Google Assistant OK Google… will provide an update on the weather at the device’s location. The Home will also tell you the high and low temperatures as well as if there is a chance of rain or snow. You can ask Google Assistant What’s the weather? “Hey Google, will I need my umbrella today?” for a quick and Ask this and Google Assistant will straightforward answer. tell you the forecast for the current day at your device’s location. If you want a forecast for the next couple of days ask, “Hey Google, what’s the weather like this weekend?” If you want to hear the forecast over a longer period of time, the Assistant can tell you Will it rain in weather for up to the next ten days by asking “OK Google, what’s London? the weather for the next xx days?” This will give you the forecast Google Assistant will tell you the with details on the weather for each day. day’s forecast in the location you asked about. Get the forecast for specific days Want to know what the weather forecast is on a specific day? By Do I need an asking, “Hey Google, what will the weather be like on Monday?” for umbrella? example, you can get the information. Remember that the further You can ask about certain weather away the day, the less accurate the forecast may be. If you want to conditions on certain days. hear a different unit of measurement, you can ask for example, “Hey Google, what’s the weather in Celsius?” What’s the weather The weather in other locations over the next Unless you mention a place in the question, whenever you ask ten days? for the weather it will tell you about the conditions at the device’s You will hear the forecast details location. If you want to know the forecast somewhere else, all you on every day over the time period have to do is mention the place when you ask your Google Home. you specified. For example you could ask “OK Google, what’s the weather this weekend in London?” This can be helpful if you’re planning a trip What’s the weather away and you want to make sure you have the appropriate clothing in Celsius? for the weather. Bear in mind that there are lots of places in the If you want to hear the weather world that have the same name. If you’re asking about the weather expressed in a different unit of in Syracuse, for example, you need to tell Google Home whether measurement you can. you’re interested in Sicily, or in one of seven US destinations!

If you are getting weather forecasts for the wrong location, try being more speciﬁc – for example say “Paris, France”

29 How to.... Get sports news Get sports news Stay up to date on the latest results from your favourite team with Google Assistant

If you are a sports fanatic who doesn’t want to miss a single goal, or you need to be kept up to date with when your favourite team is playing next, the Google Assistant can make sure you are aware of everything that is happening.

Get the results The Google Home covers teams from a number of sports and leagues all around the world, such as the Premier League, MLB (Major League Baseball), NFL, NBA and more. The Google Assistant currently supports seven sports: baseball, basketball, American football, Canadian football, hockey, cricket and football (soccer). Google has said that over time this list will continue to grow, with more sports and leagues added. You can hear the result of a game by asking for example, “OK Google, what was the score of the Bradford City game?” and the Assistant will tell you the date of the last game played and what the ﬁnal score was. Alternatively you can ask, “How is Manchester City doing?” and if the team is currently playing you will get the latest

If Google Assistant doesn’t seem to have the correct information, try being more speciﬁc in your question

30 Get sports news How to...

OK Google… Did [team] win? Assistant will say yes or no and tell you the score of the game.

What is [team]’s standings? Google Assistant will tell you how that team is doing in their league.

How is [team] doing? score, or if they’re not in a game you will hear where they are in If a game is currently on you will the league as well as their win/loss record. If Google Assistant has hear the current score, if not then you will hear their standings. trouble providing you with information, try to be speciﬁc on a team name and avoid slang. For example, ask for “Manchester United” rather than “Man U”. If at any point you want to stop hearing results Who is [team] you can ask “OK Google, cancel” and the Assistant will stop. You can playing? also ask when leagues start and Google Assistant will tell you who is Google Assistant will tell you who playing in the opening game and the date it starts. that team is playing next and If you want to know the current standings you can ask Google when the game is on. Assistant and it will tell you top teams. You can ask about a tournament such as the World Cup and the Google Home will tell you the top team in each group. There are a variety of ways you can ask for standings, scores and game times, so play around and see what works best for you.

Stay up to date If you’re interested in the latest sports news, you can simply ask your Google Home for any updates. You can ask the Assistant about the latest sports news or if you know the name of one of its sources you can ask for the news from that one in particular. The Assistant has a number of diﬀerent news sources to keep you up to date and you can skip through news stories by saying “OK Google, skip”. See page Above: If your team are playing you can get a current score, otherwise the Assistant will 26 for more information on how to select your source of sports default to the score for their previous match news or ask for the latest updates. Left: Keep up to date on the performance of your favourite teams and sports with Google Home’s functionality

31 How to... Set up and use Google Calendars

Set up and use Google Calendars Ask Google Assistant to see what you have planned for your day and add new events in

You can link your personal or work calendars to Google Assistant if you use Google’s calendars, and then ask the Assistant to read out your events, or you can add new ones.

Get your schedule The Calendar function allows you to connect your main Google calendar as well as any shared ones to the Google Assistant. It Above: Your Google Home can read out the doesn’t support G Suite, imported or what Google categorises as day’s agenda to you when asked, although functionality is limited “other Google Calendars” (birthday, weather and holiday calendars).

32 Set up and use Google Calendars How to...

OK Google… Before you can get started using your Calendar, first you must enable ‘Personal results’ in the Google Home app. Go into the app and tap on the menu icon in the top-left corner of the screen, What’s on my scroll down to find ‘More settings’, select it then scroll down to calendar? your Google Home device and tap on it. There will be a slider for Google Assistant will read out Personal results; tap on this to enable it. Once that is done you your first three events for the must then set up Voice Match to access or create events on your current day. personal Google Calendar. Voice Match is required as it makes your information a bit more secure. We say a bit because Google say Create an event the technology isn’t 100 per cent reliable as someone with a similar voice could access your calendar. Google Assistant will ask you for the details of an event before Go to main screen of the Google Home app, tap on the devices adding it to the calendar. icon in the top-right corner then select the more icon of your device and select ‘Settings.’ Scroll up to find the Voice Match option and then select the option to teach Google Assistant your voice. List my events for Your Google Assistant can tell you about individual events you 1st June have listed or you can ask about multiple events on certain dates Google Assistant will read you and your Google Home will read out the first three events on the first three events listed for a your calendar. Just Ask “What’s on my agenda?” or “What’s on my specific date. calendar for today” and Google Assistant will tell you.

Multiple users and accounts For houses with multiple users, each person can have their own Calendar available on the Google Home. They just need to link their account to the Google Home and set up Voice Match as well. If you have shared calendars you can add them to the list of ones accessible to Google Assistant.

Create an event The Assistant will ask you to name the event, then you will give it a date and a time. Google Assistant will then say the details back to you for you to conﬁrm; you can then make changes or save it.

Your Google Assistant can tell you about individual events or you can ask about multiple events on certain dates

33 How to... Set up and use reminders Set up and use reminders Ask Google Assistant to see what you have planned for your day and remind you about events

You can use Google Assistant to create reminders that will notify you on your phone or via Google Home at certain times of the day or when you approach locations.

Set and receive reminders For you to be able to use Reminders, you must ﬁrst enable Personal Results. To do this, go into the Google Home app and tap on the menu icon in the top-left corner of the screen, scroll down to ﬁnd ‘More settings’, select it then scroll down to your Google Home device and tap on it. There will be a slider for Personal Results, tap on this to enable it. Once that is done you must then set up Voice Match to access or create events on your personal Google Calendar. After you’ve set everything up creating a reminder is as simple as asking. You can create a reminder from either your Google Home or the Google app and you will be reminded on both devices.

Right: Your Google Home can notify you of reminders; so can the Google Assistant app, which is handy when you’re out and about

34 Set up and use reminders How to...

There are two types of reminders: Located or time. To create OK Google… reminders simply say “Hey Google, set a reminder” and the Assistant will ask you what you want to be reminded about and when. When it reaches the correct time, you will receive a notiﬁcation Create a reminder on your phone at the same time your Google Home plays a jingle Google Assistant will ask you what and tells you that you have a reminder. You can ask “OK Google, tell you wanted to be reminded of and when. me about my reminder” and your Assistant will tell you what the reminder is for. If you have something that needs doing every day you can ask Google to set a continuous reminder. You can set these Delete my to be as frequent as you like. reminders for tomorrow Location-based reminders Google Assistant will remove any The Assistant will always create a timed reminders you have set. reminder unless you specify it as a location-based one. Location reminders Set a location are useful if for example you were going to the shops and you wanted to a reminder reminder to pick up a new shirt, you can ask you Google Assistant will ask you Google Home to send you a notiﬁcation where you want to be reminded and what it should say. when you get near to the store. Say “OK Google, set a location reminder,” and your Assistant will ask you for the location. What are my Unlike time-based reminders, which notify reminders? you on both your mobile device and Google Home, location-based Google Assistant will read you reminders only notify you on your mobile device, as there’s no point reminders’ dates and names. Google Home reminding you of these.

Delete your reminders Removing reminders you have saved is as simple as making them. To delete any reminders you just need to ask your Assistant. You can be speciﬁc on which reminders you want to remove, you can ask to remove all reminders from a certain date or you can delete your entire collection of reminders.

The Assistant will always create a timed reminder unless you specify it as a location-based one

35 How to... Set timers and alarms Set timers and alarms Time your cooking, give yourself a reminder or ask Google Home to wake you up

One of the most underrated and useful features of the Google Home is that it can be used to set reminders and timers for things as well as wake you up. The Google Home is designed both aesthetically and functionally to ﬁt into any room, like the kitchen or bedroom, and make your life easier – timers and alarms are a perfect example of this function. Your Google Home can take on a number of alarm and timer functions we would normally rely on our smartphones for. For the kitchen the timer can be used for cooking, in the living room it can provide handy reminders and in the bedroom it can get your up from a nap.

Set a timer You can set up or cancel a timer using just your voice and then manage them in the Google Home app. You can have multiple timers set at one time and give each individual one a name so you can ask Google Assistant about how much time is left on a speciﬁc one. For example, if you set an alarm for your dishwasher you can say “OK Google, set a timer for Dishwasher”. If you’re cooking you can set separate timers for speciﬁc foods. Once a timer is set you can check how much time is left, or pause, stop, cancel or resume the timer by asking Google Assistant.

Setting and editing alarms Like a timer, you can set alarms using your voice and then check on them in the Google Home app. You can set up or cancel a timer or alarm using just your voice and then manage them in the Google Home app. Alarm tones cannot be changed at the time of writing this but if you want Right: You can choose to have a Music Alarm to make waking up that bit easier something more enjoyable to wake up to than your standard alarm

36 Set timers and alarms How to...

OK Google… Set an alarm for 8 am tomorrow Google Assistant will ask you to confirm the time before setting it.

Set an alarm for 8 am every day of the week Google Assistant will ask you to confirm time before it sets the recurring alarm.

When is my alarm set for? noise, Google Home has introduced Music Alarms. Ask Google to Google Assistant will tell you set a music alarm and it will ask you what music you would like about every upcoming alarm it to play. Alarm tones and songs will only be played through the you have. device’s speaker and cannot be cast to other devices. You can cancel an alarm at any time or ask Google Assistant to Set a timer for ten snooze one when it has gone oﬀ and you can specify for how long. minutes Although you cannot set an alarm in the Google Home app, you The Assistant will start timing. can edit or delete them via the app. Go into the Devices tab, ﬁnd your Google Home, then tap the More icon and go into the device’s settings. Select the Alarms and Timers option and all of your current How much time alarms will be displayed. Tap on the ‘X’ icon to delete an alarm. This is left? can be useful if you can’t talk to your device to cancel an alarm; The Assistant will tell you how perhaps you are away from home and forgot to cancel it before much remaining time there is on your timer. you left or you need to cancel an alarm in the middle of the night without disturbing others in the house.

If you have more than one Google Home be aware that alarms and timers are speciﬁc to each device

37 How to... Create shopping lists

Create shopping lists Create shopping lists, add items to it and have Google Assistant read it back to you

The ability to create lists wouldn’t be top of everyone’s feature wishlist for Google Home, but it is incredibly useful. That’s because your Google Home is most likely in an accessible part of the home. So when you’re cooking, cleaning, reading or sitting down and you suddenly remember something you need, you can just ask Google Assistant to add that to the shopping list. While the ability create a shopping list is available on all Google Home devices, being able to buy things from your lists is currently a US-only feature. This may change in the near future, however.

38 Create shopping lists How to...

Create and manage lists OK Google… To add something to your list say, “OK Google, add to my new shopping list” and Google Assistant will ask what you want to add Add to my to it. Alternatively you can just tell Google “Add [item name] to my shopping list shopping list”. If you try to use the “OK Google, cancel” command Google Assistant will ask what you after you’ve asked to add an item this won’t stop the process, would like to add to your list. instead your Google Assistant will add an item titled “cancel” into your shopping list. Don’t worry though, as this is easy to remove. Deleting and editing items in your shopping list is done through Add [items] to my the Google Home app. Open the app and click on the menu icon shopping list in the top-left corner of the screen. Tap on the Shopping List option What you said will be immediately and your phone’s internet browser will open. To delete something added to your primary list. from your list, simply find it the item and swipe it to the left. A red bar with a bin icon will appear to indicate it had been deleted. When viewing the list, you can tap on items to edit the text, or you What’s on my can tap on the box next to the item to check it off the list. When shopping list? an item is checked off the list it will be put into a dropdown menu Google Assistant will read out titled ‘Checked items’. You can tap on this menu to uncheck it. what’s on your primary list.

Create more lists You can create extra shopping lists in the Google Home app. When viewing your shopping list, tap on the menu icon and tap on “ + New List.” If you want this to be your main shopping list, tap on “Make this my primary list”. Your primary list will be the one that items are automatically added to when you ask Google Home to add items, but you can change which list is your primary one at any time by viewing a list, tapping on ‘Manage’ and selecting ‘Make primary’. When viewing the ‘Manage’ menu you can select the More icon to share, rename or delete your lists.

Deleting and editing items on your Above: Put individual items on your shopping list just by telling Google Home shopping list is done through the to add them Google Home app Left: You can create a primary list, used by default, and then specific secondary lists – for example for a specific event, like a party

39 How to... Get traffic updates

Get traffic updates Know which roads to avoid on the way to work by asking your Google Home for the traﬃc situation

There are very few things as frustrating as being stuck in a traﬃc jam – especially if you have somewhere important to be, like a meeting or appointment. Thankfully the Google Home devices have a useful feature to help you avoid these situations.

Enter your travel information Getting traﬃc updates requires only a few bits of information on Above: It can’t solve travel problems on your commute. All you need to set up is your work, home and your commute, but it can warn you about them quicker than local radio can! Google Home device location in the Google Home app. If you want

40 Get traffic updates How to... to get information about travel times to locations that are not your OK Google… work or home address, then you will need to specify when you ask Google Assistant for traﬃc information. How long is my Set your route commute? To create your route, go into the Google Home app and tap the You will get the estimated to time menu icon in the top-left corner of the screen. Under ‘More settings’ to drive between your home and click on ‘Personal info’ and then ‘Home and work locations’. You will work addresses. see a box for your work address and another for your home’s. Enter the addresses you would like to use for your route and tap OK. You How long will can go back to this page at any time and enter diﬀerent addresses. it take to bus to To set the address of the Google Home device go back to the ‘More [location] settings’ menu in the Google Home app and under ‘Devices’ tap on your Google Home and then ‘Device address.’ Enter the address of Google Assistant will tell you how long it will take to get the bus to the Google Home and then tap on OK. wherever you ask.

Listen to your traffic update How long will it With your home, work and device locations all set you can now ask Google Assistant about your commute. Say “OK Google, how long take to get from is my commute?” and Google Assistant will give you an estimate of work to Heathrow the conditions. airport? Your Home will tell you the estimated time go between your You can specify a start and end work and home address along the fastest route by car. If you would destination and Google Assistant like to take a different mode of transport, you can ask Google how will you the estimated driving long it would take to travel by train, bus, bike or walk. Unless you time using the fastest route. specify a transport method, Google Assistant will always tell you about a driving route. You can also ask about traffic conditions to other locations such as stores or airports by asking and Google will tell you how long it will take from your Home. Bear in mind that when you’re asking Google Home questions about travel, it will always take its location as your start destination unless you specify another, such as “OK Google, how long will it take to get from London to Hull?”

Unless you specify a transport method, Google Assistant will always tell you the travel time by car

41 How to... Find local businesses and restaurants Find local businesses and restaurants Need to ﬁnd a local restaurant or want to ﬁnd a nearby shop? Your Google Home can help

One of the handiest features of the Google Home is its ability to ﬁnd local businesses and restaurants. Google uses its diverse search engine to ﬁnd the best places near to your device’s location.

Find nearby places Before you get started, the Google Home’s local business and restaurant search function requires you to input your home’s address. Go to page 19 to see how you can set this up. With your address set you can now use your Google Home and Google Assistant for recommendations for local restaurants or businesses that suit your tastes or needs. For example, if your car has broken down you can ask, “Hey Google, what is the phone number

Right: Your Google Home can help you find the nearest, best-rated businesses and restaurants quickly and easily

42 Find local businesses and restaurants How to...

OK Google… With your address set, you can use your Google Home and Google What Chinese Assistant for recommendations restaurants are nearby? Google Assistant will find a of a nearby mechanic?” Google Assistant will then perform a quick number of restaurants nearby and search, find one near to your location then tell you the address and tell you their addresses. the phone number. You can also ask your Google Home for the highest rated What are the restaurant nearby. Google Assistant will list the best ones close by opening times for and tell you their addresses. You can also be specific about which restaurant types you’re looking for at the time. For example you can the nearest bakery? ask, “What are the highest-rated Chinese restaurants nearby?” You You will get the opening and may want to grab a piece of paper and pen beforehand to write closing time of the nearest bakery to your location. down what the Assistant says, as annoyingly, the information isn’t sent to the app for later reference. What are the top- Find your way reviewed coffee If you want to find the address of a nearby business you can say shops nearby? “OK Google, tell me the address of a nearby printers” for example. If Google Assistant will tell you the you want to check if that place is open before you go out you can the three top-rated places close to ask Google Assistant for its opening times. You can also ask broader your location. questions such as “What are the opening times of the nearest bakery?” So if you’re not sure where you want to go out to eat – or How long would it if you’re looking for a specific shop or nearby business – all of these take to walk to the commands can help narrow down the best places for what you need. Thanks to Google’s search engine you can check how each nearest bakery? restaurant was reviewed, and the Assistant will tell you the average Google Assistant will find the score and how many people reviewed it. nearest business and calculate the time to travel. If you are looking to travel to these locations, Google can assist with this too. You can ask your Google Home, for example, “How long would it take for me to walk to the nearest Indian restaurant?” Find me a and Google Assistant will find the nearest restaurant to you then restaurant calculate how long it would take to walk there – all within a few If you want a broader search you seconds of you asking. can ask this to be told about the best-reviewed places locally. You can also ask about business and restaurant times in other places by specifying when speaking to Google Assistant – handy when you’re planning a holiday destination.

43 How to… Shopping online with Google

Google shop Make the most of your shop with Google

Shopping has long been dependent on you seeing items to buy, but the advent of widespread online shopping over the last 20 years has made us more open to buying stuﬀ unseen. And repeatedly over the last decade we’ve seen our high streets reshaped as big names crash out and others adapt and evolve. Now retailers are having to adapt again to new ways of consumers buying stuﬀ, just as it had to with online shopping and thereafter the advent of smartphones and shopping with apps.

The new frontier Now e-commerce has moved to a new frontier – shopping with your voice. In the US, Google Home makes use of the Google Above: This IFTTT applet enables Google Express app which enables you to buy stuff from a variety of Assistant and your Tesco account to talk to each other different retailers. In the UK, things are a bit more specific since Top: Ensure that you’re getting every Google hasn’t rolled out its Express app here quite yet. Keep an grocery you need to fill the bellies of everyone in your household eye on the future – you never know what will happen.

44 Shopping online with Google How to…

Working together OK Google… For now, it’s possible to shop with the Google Assistant using the Tesco home grocery app. This requires an extra piece of software from a site called IFTTT.com (it means If This OK Google, ask Then That). It’s a conduit between different Asda to add types of smart devices and isn’t owned by bananas to my Google or Tesco. In this case it’s enabling your basket Tesco app and your Google Assistant to work together – check it out at ifttt.com/tesco. Bananas will then be added to your basket ready for your next Once set up, you’ll be able to add your Google checkout on the Asda app or at Home to “add milk to your Tesco basket” or Asda.com “buy more bread”. To set up the service, you’ll need to sign up to an account with IFTTT and OK Google, ask then set up the Tesco applet as well as the Google Assistant one – Asda to check the you’ll need your login details for both services. Cleverly, if you have an existing delivery slot booked with Tesco.com then your Google price of Brillo pads Assistant will just add the new item to your existing order. If you Your Google Assistant will fetch don’t have an order it will be added to your basket waiting for you the price of the item and you then add them to your basket. to check out on your Tesco app or at Tesco.com on your computer. Making the most of your shop OK Google, buy Regular Tesco shoppers stand to gain most from their use of the more milk service since Tesco will add the products you’d choose, so you won’t The type of milk you normally get any old bread or the first one that would come up in a Tesco order will be added to your store search (you’ll get the one you’ve had several times before). existing Tesco order or added to You can also use Asda with the Google Assistant. Again you’ll your basket. need to have an Asda account and the Asda app (but it doesn’t go via IFTTT). You can add items to your basket in the same way as you can with the Tesco app, while you can ask Asda to price check prices of various products. You’ll also see offers for anything you’ve added to your basket, according to Asda. Go to assistant.google. com/services/a/uid/000000ae48763054?hl=en to link your Google account with your Asda.com account.

Regular Tesco shoppers stand to gain most from their use of the service since Tesco will add the products you’d choose

45 How to… Get stock market information Stock market Google Home oﬀers an ace service for keeping an eye on stocks and portfolio information

OK Google… Because stocks and shares are data-driven, they’re easy for computers to process and understand what you’re after when OK Google, what’s you do a Google search. And that’s also the case if you ask Google Home about stock markets, too – it’s quite impressive what Google the FTSE 100 Home is able to pull out of the bag in this instance. trading at? You’re able to ask Google to tell Watchful stockmarket eye you about individual markets as While you can be very speciﬁc with what you ask, such as “What did well as individual companies. Apple open at?” or What did Marks and Spencer close at?” to get the day’s gain or loss for that stock, you can also ask “What was HP’s OK Google, what’s pre-market price?” or “after hours price” should you wish, although Unilever trading at? you can get that just by asking what the company is trading at. Asking about specific companies You’re able to get broader market information, too. You can ask will deliver you a summary of the a general “How are the markets doing?” question, which will give gain or loss and each price you’re you an excellent summary of the current market trading conditions. given is also given a time so you know it’s up-to-date. If you’re in the UK then Google Home will refer to UK markets, but there’s no reason you can’t ask about stock in other countries as well. We successfully asked about several Chinese companies trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. You can use the ticker symbol or the company name depending on what you’re used to.

Above: Google is a top resource when it comes to market information and Google Home is no different

Right: Keep an eye on the ever-changing stock markets with Google Home, no matter where they are

46 Find your parked car How to…

OK Google… OK Google, where did I park my car? The Google Assistant will automatically fill you in on your car’s location.

OK Google, my How to find parking spot is 15 The Google Assistant will remember this information for your parked car later retrieval. Can’t remember where you parked your car? Don’t worry, Google has you covered

We’ve all been there – we’ve parked in a vast shopping centre car park and then, because everything looks the same, we’ve not quite remembered where we’ve parked when we attempt to ﬁnd our car.

OK Google, where have I parked? If you ask Google Home right now where you’ve parked, it will tell you that it doesn’t know, but it will remember if you tell it where you’ve parked. However, you can use Google Assistant on your iOS or Android device to log the location of your car. If you’re having problems, check that you’ve enabled your phone to access your location. On Android, go to the Settings app and under Personal, tap Location and turn it on. If you’ve got an iPhone, go to the Settings app then go to Privacy > Location Above: As well as remembering which level we’ve parked on, the Google Assistant will Services. Ensure the Google Assistant Setting is set to Always. To tell also save a map of our current location your phone where you’ve parked, say Hey Google and then tell it Top: It’s happened to us all, so don’t worry! Google will help you find your car in no “I parked my car on level ﬁve” or “my parking spot is 15” or similar. time at all

47 How to… Check flights with Google Home

Checking flights Google Home can check ﬂight statuses and delays so you’ll never be too early or late again

Google is a fantastic resource for tracking your upcoming flights, booking new ones and making sure that you’ll never be late for a flight. Indeed, we’d even go as far as saying it’s one of the things Google does best aside from the obvious search. Google Home comes into its own with flight info as it enables you to ask about upcoming flights and plan when you’re going to leave for the airport if there’s a delay, sudden or otherwise. To get started, ensure you’re signed into the correct Google Account for your Google Home. Then make sure your Personal results setting is turned on – in the Google Home app open up the Settings menu, then go to More settings. Then tap on the device in question and you’ll see the Personal results setting there.

48 Check flights with Google Home How to…

Information on existing flights OK Google… To get information on your existing flights, ask Google Home simply “OK Google, when is my next flight?”. You can also ask when your next British Airways flight is or specify a destination, too, so ask “OK OK Google, is my Google, when is my next flight to New York City?”. flight on time? You can also get information about multiple flights if you’re You can get information on the a frequent flyer: “OK Google, when are my upcoming flights?” or date, time, destination or origin of “OK Google, what times are my flights?” – you can also alter that an upcoming flight. to “What times are my Virgin Atlantic flights?” or “…my flights in September?”. Customisation is the name of the game. OK Google, find me flights to Paris Flight times The Google Assistant can Then you can ask for information on flight find flights by airline, origin or times to check if your flight is on time or destination depending on what delayed: “OK Google, is my flight on time?” or you want. “OK Google, is my Delta flight on time?”. Google Home can help you search for new OK Google, how flights as well, although you’ll need to use your much is a flight to phone or computer to do the booking. Ask “OK Google, how much are flights to Munich in New York? three weeks?” or “OK Google, find me flights to You can get up-to-the-minute Singapore”. Note that costs are only a guide and are centred around flight costs. You can also give Google Home a date to look for. the destination and date rather than a specific airline – Google Assistant just reels off the best price it can find on the date you’ve given to the destination you’ve chosen.

Getting things exact Information around scheduling is more precise and you can feed Google Home dates such as “I’d like to depart on the 12th of May” or “return one day later,” that kind of thing. You can also specifically say you only want one-stop flights if that is particularly important: “OK Google, find me non-stop flights”. It’s pretty clever although if you need to get specific (or price is an issue) you might be better off doing the legwork on a computer to pick out the right flight for you. You can also ask for flights with specific airlines and, if you’re keen to travel soon, you can ask for the schedule of flights to a destination today (“OK Google, what’s the schedule of flights to Madrid”) or “OK Google, what’s the next flight to Berlin?” Once you start tracking a particular flight, the Google Assistant will helpfully keep tabs on that flight for you.

49 How to... Protect your privacy on Google Home Protect your privacy on Google Home

Here are some tips to keep your personal data secure when using Google Home

Anyone in your household can use the Google Home, and using a device with so much personal information saved can be a problem. But what is Google doing with your data and what can you do to make your information safe?

Stop Google Assistant from listening By its nature, the Google Home is always listening for its wake word but there may be times when you don’t want the Assistant to hear what you’re talking about. For peace of mind, Google included a mute button on the back of the Google Home and a switch on the base of the Google Home Mini that allows you to stop it. When on, the LEDs on top of the device will turn to a static orange to indicate that the device isn’t currently listening and cannot respond.

What does the Assistant know? As you use your Google Home more and talk to Google Assistant on a regular basis, it will get better at responding. This is because the Google Home records everything you ask or tell it to do. If you opted to allow Google to see your personal information, Google will use this along with your interaction history with the Assistant to provide more accurate responses to questions. You can view your Google Assistant history by going to myactivity.google.com and going to the ‘My

50 Protect your privacy on Google Home How to...

OK Google… OK Google This will wake the Google Home and make it listen for a command or question.

Repeat the question? Listen to the last thing that was said to Google Home

Activity’ section. Here you can select individual items to delete or you can delete the entire history of you want. This activity history is saved onto Google’s servers forever or until you delete it.

Use Voice Match One way you can make your Google Home a little more secure is to set up Voice Match. With this feature on, visitors cannot access your personal information such as payments, photos, services and more. Before settings up Voice Match make sure your mobile device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the Google Home and then open the Google Home app, tap the menu and check if the account listed is the one you want to link your voice to. Once you’re on the correct account, tap on ‘Devices’ ﬁnd your Google Home and there will be an option to link your account, tap this and select ‘Get personal results with Voice Match.’ You will be asked to repeat the phrases “OK Google” and “Hey Google” a couple of times. After this has been set up, your friends and family can still use the Google Home, but they should not be able to access your personal information. Voice Match doesn’t work perfectly, but it should help.

When setting up your device, remember

Above: You can use the device’s mute that anyone can use it so it may not be function to stop the devices listening to best to keep it in a shared environment what you are saying Right: You can set up Voice Match by going into the Google Home app

51 How to... Link and unlink accounts Link and unlink accounts OK Google… Set up multiple Google users so everyone in the home can talk to Google Assistant OK Google / The Google Home allows up to six diﬀerent accounts to be linked to Hey Google the device. Each person can then access their own media and data. You’ll say these phrases twice when setting up Voice Match on your Google Home Link a new account To add a new account to the Google Home device, open the app on your smartphone or tablet and make sure the device is on the same Wi-Fi network as the Home. Tap the menu icon in the top-left corner of the screen, select the downwards-pointing arrow next to the current account and then tap on Manage Accounts. To unlink an account, tap on the More icon above the Home device and go into the device settings. Scroll up until you ﬁnd ‘Linked account(s),’ tap this and then tap on the ‘X’ icon.

Voice Match In order to access the new account’s emails, calendars or any other personal information that user must ﬁrst set up the Voice Match feature. This is a safety precaution to protect that user’s data.

Above: Set up Voice Match on your Google Home and it’ll identify your voice

Right: Using Voice Match technology allows you to personalise your content

52 Enable Guest Mode How to...

OK Google… OK Google, play [song name] You can request that Google Home plays you the song you’ve specified, but guests will need to Enable Guest cast from a Google Cast- enabled Mode phone or tablet Guest mode makes your Google Home available for friends and family to access

The Google Home can be great at parties, playing music with its array of speakers. If a friend has a song suggestion, guest mode allows your friends to cast media from their smartphone or tablet.

Set up Guest Mode To set up Guest mode open the Google Home app, tap on the devices icon in the top-right corner of the screen, select the More icon on your Google Home device, select ‘Guest mode’ and tap on the slider to enable the feature.

Let guests connect Once this has been completed anyone in the same room can connect to the device without needing to sign in to the Wi-Fi network. All the guest must do is open their Chromecast-enabled app, tap on the Cast icon to ﬁnd your Google Home and then wait Above: Set up Guest Mode to enable your visitors to play audio through your Google for the devices to connect. The guest may be asked to enter a four- Home speaker digit PIN, this can be found on the ‘Guest Mode’ page of the Google Above left: Guest Mode won’t allow guests to give voice commands but will let them Home app where you enabled the feature, located under the slider. play music on your device

53 How to... Relax with Google Home Relax with Google Home Have problems chilling out? Don’t worry, because Google Home is here to help

It’s easy to jump to the conclusion that Google Home is just for barking productivity-related commands at. Of course, you can also use it for entertainment and leisure purposes such as casting YouTube videos to another device such as a TV or Chromecast. And then there’s all the music you can play from the device, too, whether you use Spotify or Google Play Music. But did you know that Google Home can also help you lead a more relaxed life? We’re all bombarded by more and more information these days, whether it’s the sheer amount of news, notiﬁcations on our phones or the bane of all our lives that is email (unsubscribe from all those lists you’ve been meaning to!).

Relax with Google But over the next few years we’ll see technology go out of its way to help us relax. Google has already been talking about this as the next

Far right: Ask the Google Assistant to help you relax generally, or ask for white noise or other ambient sounds specifically

Right: For a mindful moment anytime in your day, simply ask Google to help you to relax

54 Relax with Google Home How to... version of Android will feature ways to minimise notifications and OK Google… other interruptions at times when we simply need to spend some quality time with our families; when we shouldn’t be bothered by work emails or notifications about news events. Essentially, Google OK Google, play wants to help us relax more and we can expect other large tech ambient noise companies to follow suit. Coincidentally, the main gesture that The Google Assistant will select Android P will recognise when it needs to minimise interruptions is relaxing noises randomly from its if the phone is placed face down, say if you’re in a meeting or you’re array of random sounds. having dinner. OK Google, play Nature noises river sounds Google Home and the Google Assistant can Our personal favourite, but be also help us relax more using audio. Research warned, they may make you want published in the journal Scientific Reports last to go to the loo! year showed the benefit of listening to nature noises – namely that they encourage the OK Google, play brain to focus on external-focused attention whereas more artificial noises encourage us to white noise focus more on ourselves. That means that our The Google Assistant will treat you mind wanders to things that make us worried to the very best audio of pretty much nothing. and stressed. Those who took part in the study also had improved reaction times when they listened to nature sounds as well.

Ambient sounds You can simply say “OK Google, help me relax” and you’ll immediately hear a programme of relaxing sounds. If you want to change things up you can ask “OK Google, what other ambient sounds do you know?” That will pick randomly, but you can ask specifically for a certain type of ambient noise. The options available are relaxing sounds, nature sounds, water sounds, running water sounds, outdoor sounds, babbling brook sounds, oscillating fan sounds, fireplace sounds, forest sounds, country night sounds, ocean sounds, rain sounds, river sounds, thunderstorm sounds and, finally, white noise. There are quite a lot of very specific water-related sounds in there! If you’re a bad sleeper, it’s been shown that white noise can help you block out any disturbing noises and help you get the sleep you need. Give it a go! You can also get a snapshot of the kinds of sounds Google Home can play you in this YouTube video: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=__Aoj13SElQ.

55 How to... Play media with Google Cast

Play media with Google Cast What exactly is Google Cast? The protocol that underpins Chromecast devices

Google Cast, now more commonly known as ‘Chromecast built-in’, is a protocol developed by Google that enables compatible devices (primarily Android and iOS devices or the Chrome web browser) to initiate and control playback of streaming audio or video content to another device, such as a Chromecast, Chromecast Audio or Above: When in a Google Cast application, other Google Cast-enabled audio system component. The protocol an icon will appear when a target is available to select launched alongside the ﬁrst-generation Chromecast dongle in 2013 Top right: After choosing the cast option, a and was made available widely in early 2014 with the launch of the list of available devices will be presented for you to choose from Google Cast SDK.

56 Play media with Google Cast How to...

Building for the future How To… This allowed software developers to build support into their application. There are currently tens of thousands of compatible apps and a wide range of supporting hardware products outside of Google’s own devices – third party Android TVs, soundbars and speakers also have 1 Chromecast built-in for video Google Cast support. As well as the Chromecast, video is supported on a range of devices, including Sony TVs. How Google Cast works Google Cast works in one of two ways: in the most commonly used case, an application is launched on an Android, iOS phone or tablet that supports casting and the user presses a button to connect to a 2 Chromecast built-in for audio compatible device. A list is presented, the target is chosen and Philips speakers and soundbars from that point onwards, any media commands on the device provide an audio-focused will take eﬀect on the target. In this mode the mobile device Google Cast alternative to Google’s Chromecast Audio. functions as a remote control for playback, which is important as many Cast-enabled devices (such as the Chromecast range) don’t have remotes of their own (although some do support HDMI-CEC, allowing remote command passthrough from the remotes of the connected device, for example a television). A point to note is that after a target is selected, media playback takes place between that cast receiver and the internet using an embedded, invisible version of the Google Chrome browser. This 3 Chromecast on Android TV Dedicated Android TV boxes means if the device that originally initiated the connection (for like the Nvidia Shield provide example a phone) goes oﬄine or is doing something else, playback one of the richest Google Cast won’t be interrupted. This functionality is now built into the core experiences, with Android apps. Chrome codebase – no installation required!

This functionality is now built into the core Chrome codebase – no installation required!

57 How to... Play media with Google Cast

Alternative methods An alternative method of using Google Cast is to stream content from the device rather than from an internet source. In this mode, some Android devices are able to cast the contents of their screen and Chrome web browsers can cast the content of a chosen tab. In this mode, the quality of playback is more dependent on the processing power of the PC and the quality of the Wi-Fi connection between devices. When tab-casting, not all types of content can be sent, video playback plugins such as Silverlight or Quicktime for example do not yet fully work.

Guest mode Unless using a Chromecast, sender and receiver devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If using a Chromecast, a Above: Playback controls will be visible within the application when you are ‘Guest mode’ feature is available, which allows devices to discover casting, providing a virtual remote and pair with a nearby player by creating a temporary Wi-Fi network and either detecting ultrasonic audio emitted by the television or speaker system to which the player is connected, or prompting the user to enter a 4 digit PIN. Guest mode is ideal for visitors who might want to show oﬀ their photos to the TV or control the music. Google has designed the cast SDK for Android to be part of the Google Play Services framework rather than Android itself, making installation much easier and making the system accessible to far more users. For iOS, the cast SDK is within supported applications themselves and opens up the ﬂoor to even more developers.

Moving forward While Google Cast initially supported only video, in 2015 Google added an audio only version of the protocol, ‘Google Cast for Audio’, which was announced alongside the Chromecast Audio product. This release broadened the ecosystem considerably, no longer limiting third party products to those with video support but also opening up the SDK to connected speakers, soundbars and audio receivers. Google Cast supports multi-room playback by adding audio devices to a group. Groups must contain at least two devices (which makes sense) and you can only create them from an Android or iOS device,

58 Play media with Google Cast How to...

OK Google… Google is encouraging software developers to use the protocol to provide OK Google, play ‘second screen’ experiences for games Adele videos on Chromecast Whether it’s audio or video, simply not from your browser. Configuration options are available for group tell Google Home what you want playback delay (ensuring your speakers are perfectly in sync) and to it to play and where. manage volume individually or on the group as a whole. Google Cast has continued to be refined since its launch. OK Google, turn on Google is encouraging software developers to use the protocol / off subtitles to provide ‘second screen’ experiences for games, as well as encouraging developers to create games on Chromecast devices. Provided the service supports it, you can enable / disable subtitles In 2017 Google announced the ‘CAF Receiver SDK’, making life much on the currently playing video easier than before for developers who want to create their own cast content using voice commands. receivers in their app. Using the CAF SDK means those applications will automatically receive new features from Google. OK Google, Pause / Google has announced, although not yet shipped, a new Resume / Skip feature for the Cast protocol called ‘Fast Play’. Fast Play allows application developers to pre-buffer content so that when the user You can use all the normal playback controls via voice, if you presses the play button, there is less of a delay before playback have multiple devices you can starts. Initially demoed with Netflix and a Chromecast, the feature include a name. looked impressive, but Google felt they could refine the experience – hence the delay of the feature.

59 How to… Media playback on Google Home

Media playback on Google Home Google Home provides great media playback, directly on the device and on other Google Cast kit

One of the key uses of smart speakers like Google Home is for media playback. As standard, Google Home devices are conﬁgured Above: YouTube restricted content can be disabled on Google Home. Play Music to use Google Play Music, Google’s own music service. When the explicit content can also be limited in the same way original Google Home launched, only Play Music and the paid Top: As well as YouTube, additional video version of Spotify were supported for the ‘Hey Google, play [song services (including Netflix) can be linked to Google Home and controlled using voice name]’ command, but other options are now available.

60 Media playback on Google Home How to…

Where to start How To… The free tier of Spotify and the paid version of Deezer are fully supported options; YouTube is also supported when connected to a device with a screen, like a Chromecast or Android TV. Google Home does allow multiple providers. 1 Set playback service Use the The usual command will play music menu in the Google music using your default Home application to configure provider, but if you have your default playback service – others can still be manually multiple services conﬁgured, specified too. you can ask Google Home to use that for playback, with a command like ‘Play [song name] using Spotify’. As well as requesting individual songs using Google Home, a powerful feature supported by many of the connected services is the ability to use playlists, which can be requested by 2 Add new devices The TVs and name. Using Google Play Music, playlists can consist not only of Speakers menu in the Home tracks that are available on the service, but tracks can be uploaded app is used to add new devices, manually too – perfect if you have some obscure music not including screens for video/ movie playback. available on the service. A point to note is that while you can use the standard audio controls when listening to a playlist, you can’t ask Google Home to skip to a speciﬁc track within the playlist.

Extra services In addition to the main music services, Google Home supports radio too. This can be either using dedicated apps for the service you want to listen to (BBC Radio and Capital Radio are examples of 3 Setup voice match Use Voice this), but also using apps that cover a broad range of radio stations – Match to teach Google Home to recognise your voice and use your own specific services and Tracks can be uploaded manually too – playlists with it. perfect if you have some obscure music not available on the service

61 How to… Media playback on Google Home

TuneIn Radio is one of the leading Google Home / Google Assistant radio applications. Stations can be requested by name, frequency or location when a local station is desired.

The commands After configuring your audio sources on Google Home, what commands can you use? As well as requesting playlists or a specific song using ‘Play [song name]’, ‘Play [song name] by [artist name]’ or ‘Play [song name] from [album name]’, music can be played based on genre or mood. The ‘play’ command can be replaced with Above: If a device is to be used in a location such as an office, personal results can be ‘shuffle’ to randomise the playback order. When music is playing, disabled for privacy purposes pause, resume, stop and skip commands can be used. If you want to identify the song that is currently playing, use ‘What’s playing?’ (note that this doesn’t work on radio services). Volume can be controlled by specifying a level between 1 and 10 or as a percentage, ‘set volume to 5’ or ‘set volume to 50%’ both work, as do ‘louder’ and ‘softer’. Google Home’s flexibility in language processing means that it’s versatile in understanding these kinds of commands. Note that each music service may have its own unique commands. If multiple devices are available, you can also specify the play target – ‘Play music on my bedroom speaker’ will work just fine if you have that configured. If you have multiroom groups set up, you can reference these by name.

Podcasts and beyond Like music and radio, podcasts have special functionality within the Google Home system. As well as using the command ‘Listen to [podcast name]’, ‘continue listening to [podcast name]’, ‘listen to the latest episode of [podcast name]’ and ‘listen to the next episode of [podcast name]’ also work. As with music, it’s possible to ask ‘What podcast is playing?’ Note that podcasts are not currently listed within the Google Home app itself and can only be referenced by voice. A particularly handy feature when listening to a podcast is that you can interrupt with a command for Google Assistant. When you do so, the podcast will temporarily pause and resume when you’re ﬁnished. This is useful if you hear something on a podcast you want to refer to later – you can use Google Assistant to a set reminder, then carry on listening.

62 Media playback on Google Home How to…

OK Google… Google Home devices include ‘Voice Match’, where the device can be trained OK Google, read my to recognise voices of speciﬁc people book Use the read command to listen to Audiobooks from Google Vocal coaching Play Books. You can buy on your mobile device then listen on your Google Home devices include ‘Voice Match’, where the device Google Home. can be trained to recognise voices of speciﬁc people who use it. This voice print is then linked to that person’s account and used to OK Google, how determine which service should be called. This is useful for media playback, as voice match then provides the ability to load a user’s much time is left? own playlists and apply a user’s music service preferences. This command will tell you how To use Google Home to play video content, the Google Home much time is left in the book you are currently listening to. app needs to be used to link at least one device with a display – an Android TV equipped device (such as a Sony TV or a Nvidia Shield) or a Google Smart Display. The Google Home app will automatically OK Google, skip detect compatible devices on your Wi-Fi network, making the back pairing process straightforward. After the display equipped devices Use this command to skip back are added, they can be referenced as a target in commands in just (or use ‘skip’ to go forward) by the the same way as any other Google Home device. The commands amount of time you specify. for video playback are similar to those for audio, referencing show, category, YouTube channel or artist. ‘Play [artist name] video on [device]’ will begin playback, as will ‘play [activity] videos on [device]’.

63 How to... Listen to the radio

Listen to the radio Ask the Google Assistant for your favourite radio station by name – plus much more

Listening to the radio is one of life’s great pleasures. While there’s been a slight decline in radio listening since 2010, radio stations still reach somewhere around 90 per cent of UK adults each week. And while you might expect listening time to have declined in the face of services like Spotify and Google Play Music, that’s not the case. Above: If you have a problem getting Indeed, the average amount we listen has remained fairly static at Google to understand you, try adding ‘on TuneIn’ to your request around 21 to 22 hours. And, what’s more, nearly half of all listening Top: Use your Google Home to listen to is to digital radio in some way, whether that’s online, through a radio broadcasts from a wide range of providers, from commercial to web radio digital TV setup such as Freeview, YouView or Sky or through a DAB

64 Listen to the radio How to... radio set. Increasingly more of us are listening to stations online and OK Google… that includes through devices such as Google Home, which pick up online radio stations in much the same way as you would if you listened to them through your computer’s web browser or through OK Google, play an app on your smartphone. Capital FM Ask for any station you like by Home or away name or frequency and it will be Of course, you can listen through your Google Home device itself playing on your Google Home within seconds. or you can use Google Home to ‘cast’ to another Chromecast- enabled speaker. This could be another Google Home device, such as a Google Home Mini or it could be a third-party speaker such as OK Google, pause the excellent JBL Link 10. It could be an old hi-ﬁ with a Chromecast the radio audio device or it could be a TV with a Chromecast Ultra (or the Google Home’s radio function basic Chromecast, for that matter). There are many options. works in pretty much the same If you want to listen to listen to the radio you can say “OK way as music does, so you can pause, resume and stop. Google, play BBC Radio 1”. The Google Assistant is quite clever and will understand you if you say “OK Google, play Kiss” or “OK Google, play Magic” – it will recognise the name of stations that OK Google, play don’t have the word ‘radio’ or ‘FM’ in the title. You can even say Radio 4 on my an FM frequency, too: “Hey Google, play 98.5” for example. If you kitchen speaker want to listen to a station on another device on your network say “Hey Google, play Heart radio on my living room speaker” using Providing you’ve got a device called kitchen speaker, the Google the name you’ve chosen for your other device (replace the words Assistant will play your chosen ‘living room speaker’ in that command, as that’s what ours is called). station there. Cleverly, you’re also able to ask the Google Assistant to play local radio but in another location. So say we’re talking about Heart, you can say “OK Google, play Heart radio in Bristol” for example. You’re also able to say frequencies for another location as well, so “OK Google, play 98.5 in London” for example.

Spoken commands Google Home will also respond to standard pause or resume commands as well – handy if the phone rings while you’re listening to a radio play, sports match or interview, for example – while you can also ask Google Home to identify the radio station that’s currently playing if you don’t know – “Hey Google, what’s playing?” Naturally you can also adjust the volume while the radio is on, too, with commands such as “Hey Google, set volume to 5” or “Hey Google, set volume to 40 per cent”. Take complete control of your radio listening with Google Home!

65 How to... Pair Bluetooth speakers Pair Bluetooth speakers Use a secondary speaker with Google Home for superior sound quality

Google Home is a decent speaker for a kitchen or bedroom, but it’s not a premium audio device and its low price point shows as much. So it’s handy that a relatively recent update to Google Home’s software now means you can pair it with other, beeﬁer, speakers via the wonder of Bluetooth – good news if you have an existing audio device that’s decent but which lacks the voice-activated power of the Google Assistant. This is especially excellent if you have a Google Home Mini, because that device only has a speaker that’s good for answering back to you and very little else. Pairing with a Bluetooth speaker means you can still command Google Home in the same way – it obviously doesn’t mean that your second Bluetooth speaker becomes voice-enabled, and you’ll still need to be within range of your original Google Home speaker to issue voice commands; it doesn’t suddenly increase the range. But the thing it changes is

Above: Available Bluetooth speakers will appear in the Google Home app when it scans, pick the one you want

Right: A Bluetooth speaker (or set of speakers) will give audiophiles higher quality sound

66 Pair Bluetooth speakers How to... that when you ask Google Home to play music, you can conﬁgure OK Google… it to play it on your other speaker instead. We’ll tell you how to sync things up right now. Note that we’re not telling you how to pair up a phone here so you can play music through Google Home itself, OK Google, play we’ve covered that elsewhere. some music The Google Assistant will play Connect devices some a selection from Google First, you’ll need to place the speaker you want to connect to in Play Music. pairing mode. There’s often a Bluetooth button for this which usually you just hold down for a few seconds – if in doubt though, OK Google, play consult the instructions for your speaker. Albatross by Next, open the Google Home app and tap the Devices icon Fleetwood Mac in the top right. Now select the Google Home you want to pair up – note that we don’t mean your second Bluetooth speaker but Google Home will play the specific song you asked for. your original Google Home device – and tap the three dots to go into Settings. Now from that list select the entry that says Default speaker, which is way down the list. As you can see we have a OK Google, play couple of devices already in here, which is basically because they’re Taylor Swift Google-connected devices already. However, we want to choose Google Home will play Taylor Pair Bluetooth speaker. The app will now search for devices. Once Swift from Google Play Music. it appears, tap it (make sure it’s the right one). Google Home will now always default to that speaker when it is available. You might be aware that you can connect up more than one Google Home speaker in a group; the Bluetooth speaker can play music as part of this group. Currently, however, only one Bluetooth speaker can be added to the group. Note that if you play music to Google Home via Bluetooth, this doesn’t get transferred to the second Bluetooth speaker, it will still play on Google Home. Note also that if Google Home is paired with several mobile devices, it connects to the most recently paired device. In the Google Home app, you can click Devices in the top right corner. You’ll then see a ‘card’ for each of the devices which you can select from.

When you ask Google Home to play music, you can conﬁgure it to play it on

Above: You can change the default your other speaker instead speaker at any point – if you want to switch between speakers in different rooms

67 How to... Set up Multiroom Audio Set up Multiroom Audio Google’s Home and Chromecast products now include multiroom audio streaming

Since the launch of the Chromecast Audio, Google has taken adoption of its Google Cast protocol for audio-only use much more seriously. The protocol, which also underpins the audio streaming functionality on Google Home devices, is now supported by a vast range of applications across both Android and iOS and most importantly, can now enable multiroom audio streaming. This development has been considered vital in order for Google Cast enabled speakers (also known as ‘Chromecast built-in’) to compete with other multiroom platforms such as Sonos. In order to use the multiroom functionality, you’ll need more than one Google Cast audio-enabled product connected to the same Wi-Fi network. This can include your Google Home, Chromecast Audio devices or third party Google Cast enabled speakers. After you have your devices set up you can start your ﬁrst group by choosing one of the devices in the list and pressing the

Right: When configuring group audio sync, adjust the speaker that you hear playing last (delayed compared to the other)

68 Set up Multiroom Audio How to...

‘…’ button. Choose ‘Create Group’ and a OK Google… setup page appears where you can give the group a name, for example ‘Upstairs’ or ‘Downstairs’, whatever works for your setup. OK Google, play Hit ‘Save’ and in 5-10 seconds the group [playlist] on all will appear in your list in exactly the same speakers way as a single device does. The all speakers command, as you might expect, plays your content Audio groups on all speakers across all groups. If you want to edit your group later to add or remove speakers, from the ‘Devices’ OK Google, play screen press the ‘…’ button on the group next song on you want to change and select ‘Edit Group’. Check the box next to the names of the speakers you want to be in the group and press [group name] ‘Save’. Note that if you make a change to a group that is currently in You can play different content on use, playback will be stopped. Delete one by selecting ‘Delete’ from different groups simultaneously and direct commands to the the card menu. desired group. From this point onwards, you can refer to your multiroom group in the usual way. Saying ‘Play [track name] on [group name]’ OK Google, stop works exactly as you’d expect. When using multiroom playback, volume commands will by default affect the group as a whole. It [group name] is however also possible to change the volume of a specific device Use the stop command to end within the group. Using voice commands on your Google Home, casting to a specific group, future commands will only control an say ‘Set volume to [level] on [device]’, for example ‘Set volume to 5 individual device. on kitchen’. In the Google Home app, the group’s card in the device screen includes a volume control. When using multiroom, the experience works best when all the devices are perfectly in sync. The Chromecast Audio experience has a setting to help correct a speaker’s inherent delay. This needs to be configured in the Google Home app and can’t be changed using voice commands. To adjust, select ‘Group delay correction’. Stand between the two speakers, adjust the volume levels so you can hear them playing at about the same volume, and move the slider.

In order to use the multiroom functionality, you’ll need more than one Google Cast audio-enabled product

69 How to... Watch TV with Google Home

Watch TV with Google Home Google Home can become the TV remote you always dreamed of

Connecting Google Home to a TV is far easier than you may expect. Provided you own a relatively modern TV you can use a Chromecast device that plugs in the back to immediately make it smarter for a small ﬁnancial outlay. Some TVs come with Chromecast functionality built in, which is an even better solution, but no matter what you choose, Google Home will be ready and waiting to let you manage your viewing with your voice alone. Plug your Chromecast into the back of the TV and make sure that it has power. Now download the Chromecast app to your phone and it

70 Watch TV with Google Home How to... will be discovered straight away. Follow the simple instructions to OK Google… set it up, which usually involves installing the latest update, and you will now be all set to start enjoying your Google Home setup in a whole new way. Google has honed the process over time to make OK Google, play it as easy and reliable as possible, and it really is very impressive how some music on rarely problems occur for people when they first start using it. my TV Google Home will know what Control your TV device your TV is and you can use You will have to give your Chromecast a name, and at this point it it as a music player. effectively will be your TV as far as Google Home is concerned. You will see the device listed in the Google Home app which means it OK Google, pause is ready to be controlled by voice alone. Depending on the exact on my TV TV you own, the capabilities may differ, but it is surprising just how much control over the hardware your Google Home device Many of the tasks your remote does can be replaced by using will have. If, for example, you say ‘OK Google, play the radio on Google Chromecast instead. my living room TV’ it will turn on and start playing a radio station through the TV speakers. You can then turn the TV off with one OK Google, power command and also use it for a variety of entertainment purposes that are compatible with Google Home. From podcasts to news off my TV to radio stations to your favourite music, your TV can be used as a It will soon become second high quality Bluetooth speaker and can also be used for YouTube nature to manage your TV hardware using just your voice. It is via Google Home. Add to this the ability to cast content from your extremely convenient. phone or tablet through a multitude of apps and the TV could quickly become a very important part of your connected home system. It is surprising how many benefits can come from such a small financial outlay, but it goes to show that buying a Google Home device is merely the start of a journey that can help you to enjoy digital content and devices in your home more than ever before. It can seamlessly connect and integrate with other products and with so much content available, the TV feels like an ideal addition to the Google Home family. Your new smarter TV could once again become the hub for family entertainment thanks to its new abilities to playback all of the content that Google supports.

It is surprising just how much control over the hardware your Google Home device will have Above: You can connect almost any TV to Google Chrome using a Chromecast

71 How to... View big screen photos View big screen photos It is easy to view any of your photos on your TV, and in any order you prefer.

Viewing photos on your phone is the default for most people and we have reached the point where printing them and blowing them up to larger sizes is rare indeed. With Google Home you can easily display any of your photos on a TV and, like most other processes on Home, the setup process and ease of use is as simple as you could hope for.

Set up photo viewing Open the Google Home app and then press the menu icon. Now tap ‘More settings’ and then scroll down to ‘Videos and photos’. Tap it and you will see a couple of options, one of which is ‘Google Photos’ - make sure that the email account listed within it is correct and then tap the slider to turn the facility on. That is literally all you need to do to be able to view all of your stored images on your TV. Once you have done this your photos, no matter how many of

Above: Google Home will use the clever Photos software to let you view images

Right: Slideshows are a popular way to display photos and Google Home makes this a breeze on your TV

72 View big screen photos How to...

OK Google… OK Google, show me photos of cats Google Home will use the Photos software to analyse and then display specific types of photo.

OK Google, show me photos of Orlando 2016 If you know an event name you can specify it and view the photos from the time in question. them there are, will be available to view on connected devices. You can ask Google Home to ‘play a slideshow of photos from (insert OK Google, next location or time or whatever else you can think of)’ and they will be shown as requested on your TV. You may need to specify the TV in photo on living your command, but aside from that you are free to display and view room TV your photos in almost any way you like. You can control slideshows and Within slideshows you can also pause, move to the next or scroll through images with simple previous photos with simple voice commands, and consign commands directed to the device you want to use. memories of traditional photo albums to history once and for all. The way that Google has ensured that the data you add over time is utilised in a variety of ways by Google Home is clever, but it is ingenious how simple it is to set up and use. It is almost as if your photos were waiting for Google Home to bring them to life, and we are sure that once you view and manipulate your photos on a much larger screen, you will do so time and time again in the future. Potentially, this will be one of the tasks that you use Google Home for more than any other, because it is fun alone and even better with a group of people.

It’s ingenious... almost as if your photos were waiting for Google Home to bring them to life

73 How to… Make your home smart

Make your home smart With Google Home as the hub you can make your home smart with no technical knowledge at all

Perhaps more than any other topic, the smart home is the most prominent area in which the Google Home system can demonstrate its prowess. The more you explore the topic, the more you can do and the process of adding new devices can actually become quite addictive, and potentially expensive if the habit grabs you. We will demonstrate how to set up a new device, which is Above: A huge amount of detailed information is available for every device you surprisingly easy, and you will see that Google has done work to connect to your home ensure that the Google Home software already supports as many Top: The name of each device is spoken to specify it when using your voice for control third party apps and devices as possible. Some can be connected

74 Make your home smart How to… directly while others are connected to their own service, which is Syncing your device then piggy-backed on to Google Home. No matter what method is used you should still experience a seamless install of each device. If problems do happen to occur it’s most likely that your Wi-Fi network will be the culprit. Before you start the process of installing smart devices in your home, please take some time to check your Wi-Fi coverage and, if necessary, look at Wi-Fi extenders that can ensure complete coverage in every single room. Some rooms work as barriers to Wi-Fi; the bathroom is a prime example. The tiles and common location away from your main router could mean that the signal 1 Find your device will struggle to reach the device. So if you run in to problems try In the Google Home app tap the device in a location closer to the menu > Devices > Add New router before you look at a Google Device and scroll through the list to find yours. Home error. We have detailed how to set up a new smart device to work with your Google Home product, but there are some simple checks that should be made before you purchase new additions for your automated home. Always check that they are quoted as compatible with the Google Assistant, and if you have the time check out reviews online. This is an 2 Link the account area that has been quickly populated You may need to input your account details for the service the by a myriad of companies, large and device is currently running on. small, and the quality of the oﬀerings varies wildly. With most digital setups it makes sense to stick to one brand of digital devices. However, Google Home works in a way that allows you to link multiple devices seamlessly. This means you can purchase each device that you consider to be the best and not have to worry about compatibility between diﬀerent brands.

However, Google Home works in a way that allows you to link multiple 3 Wait a little Give it a few seconds and your devices seamlessly smart device will be added to the list of controllable products.

75 How to… Make your home smart

Above: Don’t get up to adjust the thermostat – if you have a smart one, Google Home aims to smooth out the creases that can often occur Google Home can do this for you with such setups and does a brilliant job of leaving you to just deal with one main interface. The main things to consider when setting up a new smart device is to place it in the location you want to use in the future, make sure it is powered up and then head over to the Google Home app to let it be discovered. Doing this will enable you to check that the Wi-Fi connects as it should in that location and it should also ensure that Google Home finds it first time. For some devices you may need to connect them manually to your Wi-Fi network before you begin, but provided you use the same network for Google Home and the device you shouldn’t experience many issues. There will inevitably be some trial and error with connecting some devices and this is unavoidable, because you are using multiple technologies and trying to make them work seamlessly throughout your home. Consider how many signals are flying around your house and it becomes obvious that the occasional blip may occur. There’s not much else to consider with regards to the actual setup of each smart device because each will come with instructions for how to connect them to Google Home, and the majority can be added to your network by just using

76 Make your home smart How to…

OK Google… Think carefully about the things you do each day and the advantages that can OK Google, turn on be gained from a smart home the living room light You no longer need to go to the hassle of standing up to the Google Home app and following the ‘Add New Device’ option change the lighting when you are relaxing. in the menu. You should, however, spend some time thinking about what you are intending to do with your smart home. It is tempting to jump in and buy as many different products as possible that do OK Google, turn the novel things, but this could lead to confusion and a setup that takes temperature down more time to use than the benefits it offers. Think carefully about to 10 degrees the things you do each day and the advantages that can be gained Everything from adjusting the from a smart home. For example, a dimmable bathroom light is thermostat to scheduling the useful if your bathroom window points to the street and you need powering of devices is a simple extra privacy, and being able to control your thermostat with your voice command away. voice will help if it is otherwise difficult to reach. As we said before, this area is where the Google Home system OK Google, lock the shines and in our tests we have been surprised at how easy it is to front door add new devices to work with the main Google Home device. The Even your household security voice-driven controls also work remarkably well. There is a bedding- can be handled without leaving in period where you need to get used to managing devices in a your chair or bed with the right new way, but once you have done that the act of actually flicking a accessories and Google Home. light switch may feel like a chore. The smart home isn’t coming, it is already here, and you can experience it today.

If you have smart lights, you no longer need to use their app if they’re compatible with Google Home Above: For some devices, you can make changes to how they work in the app

77 How to… IFTTT / If This Then That

Introducing IFTTT IFTTT allows the creation of custom actions to integrate your Google Home with other services

The library of actions available for Google Home is extensive, but with a vast range of connected services available on the internet, there are always going to be times where the service you are trying to use doesn’t have an Assistant action available. Dealing with these kinds of scenarios is exactly why If This Then That (IFTTT) was Above: After selecting your trigger, choose created. IFTTT takes APIs (‘Application Programming Interfaces’), which ingredients (if any) you want to be processed via speech to text the technical building blocks needed to make computer systems Top: Rather than having the exact phrase, work with each other, and provides the glue in-between to get you can create alternatives that work things talking – making it possible to connect things together

78 IFTTT / If This Then That How to…

with no programming or technical How To… skills required. In order to use IFTTT, there are some simple concepts to understand before you can get started with it.

The three concepts The system is built on three key concepts – ‘Triggers’, ‘Ingredients’ 1 View your applets Using the and ‘Actions’. Triggers represent the right-most tab in the IFTTT ‘this’ part of the platform. As the app you can view a list of your name suggests, they are the items applets, which can then be filtered by service. that trigger something happening. Speaking a command to your Google Home is an example of this. Actions are the ‘that’ part of IFTTT. They are the output that results from the input of the trigger. As an example, you might choose to send yourself an e-mail / text message reminder to do something. Ingredients are the data made available by a Trigger and vary for each scenario – in this case it might be the words you’ve spoken. These triggers and actions on a ‘Service’ provide everything you need in the form of an ‘Applet’. 2 Temporarily disable an applet When viewing an applet, a A ‘Service’ (formerly known as a ‘Channel’) is IFTTT’s name for toggle is available to temporarily an online functionality provider. Both the website and mobile disable the applet rather than apps provide search functionality in order to ﬁnd the Services you deleting it. You can also see the execution time or test it. need, together with a full list broken down by category to facilitate browsing. Scrolling through the list of supported services and connecting those you use is a great way to ﬁnd inspiration on how you can make the most of the powerful IFTTT tool.

Applets An ‘Applet’ (formerly known as a ‘Recipe’) is the term used to describe the complete functionality constructed from Triggers and Actions. Just as with Services, a huge number of pre-made applets 3 View the activity log You can check for any applet errors or see when your applets have been executed using the IFTTT Dealing with these kinds of scenarios activity log on the centre tab. is exactly why If This Then That (IFTTT) was created

79 How to… IFTTT/ If This Then That

Above: Connect your Gmail account to IFTTT to provide a simple way to send yourself, or others, email messages

are available on the IFTTT site performing a vast range of functions. While Applets you create are available only for your own use, you can register as a ‘Maker’ on the platform to then start creating Applets for others – this is how IFTTT is able to provide such an extensive library ready to go. The ‘Discover’ function in the app and on the website is where to go to browse new Applets. You will automatically see only Applets that are suitable for the Services that you have connected – this is one reason why it’s useful to connect all the Services you use beforehand to help you make the most of IFTTT.

Google Home integration Now that you know how IFTTT works, let’s go ahead and set up your ﬁrst Google Home integration. Although IFTTT can be conﬁgured and used via the website, the best experience is achieved using one of the provided mobile apps. The download is available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store free of charge. After installing the app, you will need to create an account. You can do this directly in the app by entering your email address and choosing a password. You can also connect using an existing Google or Facebook login. After installation you will be guided through a basic tutorial before arriving at the ‘Discover’ tab. We know which service we want to start with, so click the search icon

80 IFTTT / If This Then That How to…

OK Google… You’re ready to create new applets that work not just on your Home device, OK Google, add this but on your other devices item to my Trello list If you want a more organised list than the built-in functionality at the top of the screen, choose the ‘Services’ tab and type ‘Google provides, you can integrate with a Trello board. Assistant’ (Google Assistant is the ‘engine’ that sits at the core of the Google Home devices). You’ll be prompted to connect your Google account and when that is done, you’re ready to create new applets OK Google, post that work not just on your Home device, but on your other devices. this message to In the main menu of the app, click the right-most tab to open Facebook the Applets screen. Press the ‘+’ at the top of the screen to create You can use Google Home’s a new Applet. You will now see the main IFTTT interface where voice recognition functionality you choose ‘this’ and ‘that’. Click ‘this’, and select ‘Google Assistant’, with ingredients to post status your trigger. You’ll then have the option to say a simple phrase messages directly to Facebook. or a slightly more complex phrase with number and / or text ingredients. On the next screen, tell IFTTT what you want to say OK Google, add (with variations if needed) and set a response. Next you need to this product to my set up your ‘Action’, using ‘Ingredients’, the numbers and text if you basket chose to pass them. Start with something rather simple like sending an email. Hit ﬁnish, and you’re ready to test on your real device as IFTTT can even integrate with supermarkets such as Tesco, so the action is deployed almost immediately! you can add items to your basket using voice commands.

81 How to… Fix 10 common Google Home problems Fix 10 common Google Home problems Here are solutions to some problems you may encounter using the Google Home devices

Before you give up, you should know that a lot of issues with the Google Home devices are easy to solve. Due to the Google Home being a software- heavy device, many solutions will involve making changes in the Google Home app or with a soft reset by unplugging it from its power source. We’re going to take you through some of the Google Home’s more common problems and let you know the best way to resolve any issues. If you have an issue not covered in the following pages, we recommend you go to support. google.com/googlehome and look for a solution in the links provided by Google.

My Google Home won’t connect to 1my Wi-Fi network For problems with Wi-Fi connections it is best to minute before plugging it back in and turning it split the problem into two possible categories: on. Having too many devices in the household your Wi-Fi router and the Google Home device. using Wi-Fi could cause issues. Keeping the Start by checking if your other devices in the Google Home in the same room as the Wi-Fi house can connect to the Wi-Fi. If they are also router can improve the signal as obstacles such as having problems connecting, then the problem wall and doors might interfere. If this doesn’t work, is your Wi-Fi network. Turn oﬀ the router, unplug factory reset your Google Home (see problem 10) it for around a minute before plugging it back in. and set it up again. If the router is still having problems after this we recommend you contact your internet provider. My Google Home won’t connect If the Wi-Fi is ﬁne, check your Google Home 2 to my smart home devices device. Unplug the power supply from your Before purchasing a smart home device you Google Home device and leave it for around one should check that it is compatible with Google

82 Fix 10 common Google Home problems How to…

Assistant. If you are unsure whether or not your device is, Google provide a list of all compatible devices: support.google.com/googlehome/ answer/7172483?hl=en-GB to see the list. If your device is compatible then you should say “OK Google, sync my devices” and it will sync to any devices it knows. If this doesn’t work, check that the Google Home and the device you are trying to connect it to are both on the same Wi-Fi network. Check that the device you are trying to connect to Google Home works on its own with its native app if it has one. If these steps don’t Above: Your Google Home work, go into the Google Home app, unlink the will tell you if it’s had a device and re-link it and try again. problem , by displaying this

My Google Home won’t connect on a table or shelf is ideal because if it is too low 3 to my Bluetooth devices to the ground then it may have difficulty hearing If your Bluetooth device is battery-powered, you. When the wake word is said the Home’s LED check that it is fully charged; this can affect the Ring should come on and pulse. If it doesn’t come connection process. If your device has removable on turn the device off and then on again. batteries, remove the ones in the device and When speaking to your Google Home, speak replace them with new ones. as clearly as you can and avoid using slang. When pairing, keep the two devices close to Talking too fast may cause it to misinterpret what each other, anything in between the two can you’ve said and it will perform the wrong task, or cause interference such as walls, door or even it may just do nothing. You can ask “OK Google, other wireless devices. repeat the question” and Google Assistant will If your Google Home is already connected to a say back what it heard. Listening to this can help few Bluetooth devices but it won’t connect to one you understand how to phrase the question. more, you should clear the existing devices before Rephrasing questions or commands and making adding the new one. After you’ve removed the them as precise as possible will get better results. devices, unplug it and wait around one minute before plugging it back in. Put Google Home into Alarms and timers are too quiet pairing mode and then do the same with the 5 The volume settings for alarms and timers other device using its instruction manual. are different from the volume settings for Google Assistant and the media it plays. You cannot Google Assistant doesn’t hear/ adjust the alarm’s volume using the light ring on 4 understand me top of the device. Instead, you must go into the To get the best results from your Google Google Home app on your smartphone or tablet. Home we recommend that the device be kept Tap on the devices icon in the top-right corner somewhere that is at least waist high. Placing it of the screen, scroll until you find your Google

83 How to… Fix 10 common Google Home problems

across all your Google Homes. The ﬁrst thing to do would be to close the Google Home app and reopen it. Check the devices in your house haven’t been moved or the Wi-Fi network hasn’t changed as this could aﬀect it. Make sure each Google Home and Home Mini is plugged in, working and can access Wi-Fi. Check to see if every Google Home device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network and on the same band; some are on 2.4 GHz and others on 5 GHz. When testing multi-room audio, it is best to start with two devices in the same room and then add more devices one at a time.

I have problems streaming audio 7 or using apps If you’re having problems with streaming music or activating an app (for example, it won’t respond to your commands) the ﬁrst thing you should do is check your Wi-Fi connection. If an app isn’t working, you can try unlinking and then linking the app. This only takes a few minutes but you may need to re-enter any information you already input into the app. Open the Google Home app, tap the Menu icon and select Explore. Find the app that is at fault and tap on it. Click on Unlink, conﬁrm and then link to Home device and then select Settings. Tap on it again. If unlinking and re-linking doesn’t work, Alarms and Timers and there will be a volume disconnect the Google Home from its power slider underneath the current alarms. Drag the source and leave it for a minute before plugging slider to adjust the volume to your preferred level. it back in. Make sure the Google Home and Wi-Fi Currently you cannot set the volume for individual router are kept within 4.5-6 metres of each other. alarms, all alarms must be the same volume. Alarms are also linked to individual devices, so you must go into the settings for each Google Home One way to avoid having the to adjust their volumes as well. Assistant respond to everyone Multi-room audio doesn’t work is to train the Google Home 6 Multi-room audio only works with music, so to recognise just your voice if you’re using a podcast app this won’t be played

84 Fix 10 common Google Home problems How to…

My Google Home responds previously and all options have failed, then you 8 without prompting could try a factory reset for your Google Home There may be a time when your Google Home device. This should only be done as a last resort responds as if you have asked a question when as doing do will wipe all of your data from the you haven’t spoken to it. This may be because the device and it cannot be undone. Home is responding to the word “Google”, which For the regular Google Home, press and hold it might have heard from the radio or TV. the Microphone Mute button located at the One way to avoid having the Assistant back of the device. Hold the button for around respond to everyone is to train the Google Home 15 seconds or until you hear Google Assistant tell to recognise just your voice through the Google you that is resetting the device. Home app, so it should only respond to you. On the Google Home Mini there is a Factory Open the app, click on Menu > More settings Data Reset button located at the base of the > Voice Match, select the option to teach the device by the power cable input (there will be a Assistant your voice and follow the prompts. small etching to indicate it). Press and hold this button until Google Assistant tells you that it is Both my phone and Google Home resetting the device. 9 respond to “OK Google” Google Assistant isn’t just available for Google Home devices; it is also available on Android phones and tablets running Android Lollipop or newer. Because Assistant has been integrated into these devices that means it will also respond when it hears “OK Google” or “Hey Google”. At the time of writing this there isn’t a way of changing the wake word for Google Assistant so you cannot set the phone to respond to one wake word while the Home responds to another. Google says that if you’re near both a Home and phone, the Google Home should respond, but that’s not always the case. Currently, the only solution for the problem is to turn oﬀ hands-free voice Assistant on your smartphone to stop it responding. The Assistant has other methods of being activated on smartphones like a dedicated button on the side of the Google Pixel or a long press of the home button on Android devices.

I need to factory reset my Above: The Microphone Mute 10 Google Home button doubles as a factory reset button If you encounter any of the problems mentioned

85 How to... Top 50 Google Home easter eggs

Top 50 Google Home easter eggs You won’t ﬁnd these commands and questions in your Google Home instruction manual

Your Google Home can answer your general knowledge questions, fetch you the latest news and can let you control other devices in the house. But it’s not all work and no play, as the Google Assistant does have a sense of humour. We’ve tried all kinds of commands, Above: You can have hours of fun exploring comments and questions, and these are our favourite to say that the quirky easter eggs that have been programmed into Google Home elicit funny, interesting or quirky responses.

86 Top 50 Google Home easter eggs How to...

1 Let’s party 19 Where do you live? 36 I am your father 2 Entertain me 20 What are you afraid of? 37 Open the pod bay doors 3 Tell me a joke 21 Self-destruct 38 Tea. Earl Grey. Hot 4 Tell me a story 22 Clean my room 39 Who lives in a pineapple under 5 Surprise me 23 Ask me a question the sea? 6 Sing me a song 24 Who would win in a fight between 40 I’ll be back Superman and Batman? 7 What’s the longest word you know? 41 inconceivable! 8 Can you rap? 25 Do a barrel roll 42 What is best in life? 9 What is the meaning of life? 26 What are the three laws of robotics? 43 Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, 27 Flip a coin 10 Do you know Alexa? right, B, A , start 11 Are you friends with Cortana? 28 Roll a dice 44 Do you know Glados? 12 What is your quest? 29 Beam me up Scotty 45 What is the loneliest number? 13 Who is the fairest of them all? 30 Do you drink? 46 Who let the dogs out? 14 What’s cooler than being cool? 31 Do you speak Morse Code? 47 Where’s Waldo? 15 Use the force 32 Do you have an imagination? 16 Who is your mother? 33 Are you ticklish? 48 Who’s on first? 17 Do you have feelings? 34 Do you drive? 49 This statement is false 18 What are you wearing? 35 What’s you favourite colour? 50 How do you like your coffee?

87 How to... Add apps Add apps Make your Google Home even smarter by ﬁnding new apps

Out of the box, your Google Home and Google Assistant are incredibly smart and ﬂexible – being able to perform a vast variety of tasks. But you can add further functionality to your Google Home by adding new apps.

What are apps? Apps are interactive programs that are available on your Google Home and bring new features and commands to the Google Assistant. Third-party developers and companies, some of whom make apps so the Google Home is compatible with their products, make these apps. The library of available apps is still growing – which means your Assistant can become even more useful the more you use it. The apps are available to use at any time and don’t need to be downloaded onto the Google Home device. All you need to do to use any of these is say, “OK Google, speak to [app name]” and Google Assistant will open the app. There are a wide variety of apps and they are split into categories so you can easily ﬁnd

Right: Apps add functionality to your Google Home, let you play games, monitor your fitness and much more

88 Add apps How to...

one to manage your task. To find the Link and use apps different categories, open the Google Home app, tap on the Menu icon, and then select Explore and scroll down to the ‘All categories’ link. There are 17 categories including arts & lifestyle, health & fitness, music, productivity, sports, weather, and shopping. so you’re bound to find something that suits you. 1 Open the app Go into the There is even a whole section called Google Home app and tap on ‘Home control’ dedicated to controlling other smart devices the menu icon. you may have in the house such as Philips Hue light bulbs, Nest thermostats and Logitech Harmony among others.

Fun and games Not all apps are entirely serious – there are plenty that add the ability to play games with your Google Assistant. These can be found under the ‘Games & fun’ category. The popular Quiz Time Trivia is an interactive trivia game in which your Google Assistant will 2 Select Explore In the menu ask you a series of multiple-answer questions. All you have to do to that appears, tap on ‘Explore’ to go into the app section. give it a go is say “OK Google, play Quiz Time Trivia.” There are other quiz apps made by developers that focus on speciﬁc topics such as television programmes or chemistry.

Link apps Not all apps can be immediately activated with voice commands to your Google Home; some will need you to link an account before they can be used. The Netﬂix app, for example, requires you to sign in to that service, but after you do you can use your Google Home 3 Have a look Search through the menus until you find an app that to communicate with a Chromecast device and stream movies and interests you. TV shows to your TV. To ﬁnd out how to link an app, follow our step-by-step tutorial in the side bar. Be aware that this process may vary between apps.

You can easily ﬁnd the best new apps by asking your Google Home, “OK Google, 4 Use it Tap on the ‘Link’ icon and app of the day” then sign in to that app when you’re prompted to.

89 Apps Our pick of the best apps to enhance your Google Home

092 BBC News 094 The Guardian 096 The Economist 098 The Financial Times 100 CNN 102 Lonely Planet 104 Chromecast 106 YouTube 108 Netflix 110 Chromecast Audio 112 Google Play Music 114 Spotify 116 Deezer 118 BBC Radio 120 Wonder 122 Akinator 124 The Magic Door 126 Mad Libs

90 There are hundreds of apps for the Google Home, from news to sports to games for all the family

Do more with the Google Home

91 Apps Get instant BBC news updates Get instant BBC news updates The BBC is renowned around the world for its quality and it works perfectly with Google Home

For many people the BBC represents the pinnacle of unbiased quality news reporting and as such having access to the service is vital for Google Home. You will be able to ask for news summaries from the BBC in Google Home that work extremely well and which will give you a round up of what is happening, but you have to tweak your setup to ensure that the BBC is played by default above the myriad of other news services available.

Decisions, decisions Google has deliberately set up Google Home to access as many services as possible which is ideal for the user because they will receive the fullest possible range of topics. This means it can be confusing and time-consuming when setting up Google Home to prioritise one service over another. You need to go to the Google Home app and tap the menu followed by ‘More settings’. Scroll

Right: You have some control over how the news is spoken on Google Home

Above: BBC content can easily be given priority over other sources for your daily news intake

92 Get instant BBC news updates Apps down to ‘News’ and then check the list of sources. If there are OK Google… sources that you do not want to listen to just tap the ‘X’ next to them and then tap ‘Add news sources’. A long list of news services will appear with a country and language displayed at the top. OK Google, give me Tapping this will help narrow down the service you want to use, but the news we would advise to scroll through the list to see what is available. If you have BBC set as your main news priority, this command will The BBC and beyond give you what you want to hear. There will be BBC services included in the list such as BBC Minute and BBC News Summary (for world news) and each of these can OK Google, play be ticked so that you can have them play when you next ask Google Home for the latest news. The result will be a consistent BBC Minute news update when you wake up in the morning, and all of the For a quick catch up on the latest information you need will be presented to you without you having events, ask for the BBC Minute to touch any device at all. There is a sense that Google is aiming service to play. to oﬀer the broadest possible news source repository, which is obviously an advantage, but it can mean that accessing your OK Google, preferred news service in-depth is not so easy to do, with just the play BBC News headlines available to read on Google Home. This, however, does not mean that you will miss out, because there are other ways to Summary get BBC content through Google Home and you shouldn’t see one Add ‘BBC News Summary’ to your solution as the only one when multiple ones can work together to news sources and the world news service can be played to you. give you what you need. With a bit of tweaking, you have the ability to get your Google Home to present the news to you in almost exactly the way you want. OK Google, play the Ultimately, if you undertake a little setup in the Google Home news app you will be able to access the headlines you want at any time, which makes your Google Home device a little more useful This simple phrase will play news from any source unless you set a each day thanks to its ability to deliver content at the time of your BBC option in your preferences. choosing. A radio cannot do this, and having the news read out on phones is not so convenient, so spend a few minutes setting it up and you will get what you want from the BBC using just your Google Home device.

Google is aiming to oﬀer the broadest possible news source repository which is obviously an advantage

93 Apps Experience the Guardian every day

Experience the Guardian every day Are you a fan of the Guardian’s content? If so, with Google Home you can listen whenever you want

It takes some time to listen to a range of publications in order to understand which ones deserve a place at the top, but this will come and the simple setup process will soon be forgotten as your favourite news publications become a daily or weekly habit.

Audio Long Reads The Guardian’s Audio Long Reads is a selection of its Long Reads content in podcast form. They can run for up to an hour, which makes it similar in length to many other podcasts, but the quality

Above: It’s possible that the Guardian will of the production and the research that has gone in to each topic make its way to the top of your news list does make it stand out in a crowded sector. The frequency of new Right: There are not many options from the Guardian, but the content is quite superb episodes varies, but it can range from 3 to 7 days, which makes for

94 Experience the Guardian every day Apps such a short space between each that it’s surprising, considering the OK Google… amount of research that must be required to create each episode. The Science Weekly audio show tends to be slightly shorter than the Long Reads, but the variety of topics transcends the ‘science’ Hey Google, play moniker to make it accessible to anyone who has an interest in new The Guardian’s things and a desire to learn. Audio Long Reads If you have a spare hour, this is Accurate voice recognition worthy of your attention because Again, the quality will drag you in and the offerings can be amazing. add just one more beneficial facet to your Google Home device, which will likely make Hey Google, play you appreciate it even more. With so many The Guardian’s publications available in the news sector on Google Home you can take a completely Science Weekly different approach and simply remember For science fans there is a lot to what you want to listen to and then say it. The like in this educational weekly science podcast. system is so good at understanding what you say that saying ‘The Guardian’ plus a description of the audio show you want to listen to should be enough to start it playing. Setting Hey Google, give up the news section in the Google Home app is an efficient way to me the news ensure that your favourites take their place in your preferences, but If Guardian content is at the top of nothing makes the Google Home system feel more natural than your news list, this will be enough just speaking to it and letting it go from there. Of course, this tends to start it playing. to work accurately almost all of the time. There is no Guardian app as such that works directly with Google Home, but the content is Hey Google, read there for you to access with a couple of simple phrases. me the Guardian Quality content A variety of commands can take What could be a better example of how modern-day computing you to the same publication. Vary your words for a more natural devices offer an experience that defies logic than saying one phrase voice-command experience. and being rewarded with hours of quality journalistic content? We are well and truly living in the future and this is your opportunity to see what the increasingly bright future can offer you.

The variety of topics transcends the ‘science’ moniker to make it accessible to anyone

95 Apps The best of The Economist The best of The Economist Use Google Home to access the most interesting and educational content in seconds

The Economist is a highly respected publication that has fully embraced modern technology by oﬀering a range of audio shows and podcasts to help you keep up with the most important matters. No matter what your sphere of interest there will be a show or episode that oﬀers content presented in a way that many other publications would love to rival.

How it works On Google Home there is no dedicated app as such, but rather a selection of different shows that can be either activated manually each time you talk to your device or added as part of your preferred news settings. In the Google Home app, go to ‘More settings’ and then tap ‘News’ followed by ‘Add news sources’. You can now explore the offerings and select the shows from The Economist that you would like to listen to. If you want an overview of current events we would suggest Tasting Menu because it offers a lot

Above: The amount of available Economist content for Google Home is surprisingly deep and varied

Right: Select your favourite bits of The Economist and listen to it whenever you like on Google Home

96 The best of The Economist Apps of information in a short space of time, which is ideal if you are OK Google… experiencing a busy day.

Choose a show OK Google, play The Babbage offering concentrates on The Economist technology and approaches it in a way that Tasting Menu is different to most technology sources. The A simple command to play the content is somewhat wider and encompasses latest Tasting Menu podcast from large parts of the sector so we would suggest The Economist. It’s succinct, but to give it a try to see if it suits your tastes. For always very interesting. politics, which The Economist excels in, try the Asks’ offering. Again, the coverage is slightly OK Google, play different to other publications, but if it works The Economist for you it is likely that the entire publication will become a firm Babbage favourite over a long period of time. Finally, Money Talks offers a view of the financial world that is not only interesting, but which If technology is your thing, ask for Babbage and you can listen to the could benefit you personally. Again, give it a whirl and see if it works latest from the world of tech. for you. OK Google, play Your preferences As long as you use the words ‘The Economist’ your Google Home The Economist Asks device will know what show to play, and if you just say those words For a round up of the latest in the without specifying a show you will be taken to the one that is political world, The Economist Asks will suit you perfectly. highest in your news preferences in the Google Home app. Like so many services linked to Google Home, the setup process is minimal and so are the instructions, but we would advise to still think OK Google, play carefully about how you select and order your news services. With The Economist so many options available it could be a case of trialling a variety of Money Talks services over time and continually changing the order until you are happy. Just like podcasts or music playlists, there is no right answer Get your finances in order by requesting Money Talks from The and your list will likely change many times. Don’t think of this as a Economist. The content is very bad thing – just enjoy the constant refreshing of your news content impressive indeed! on Google Home and the depth and quality of information on offer.

If you want an overview of current events we would suggest Tasting Menu because it oﬀers a lot of information

97 Apps Listen to the Financial Times

Listen to the Financial Times The Financial Times is just an ask away at any moment. It’s also highly informative

The Financial Times no doubt feels rather specialist and high brow to the majority, but if you take the time to listen to some of the content through Google Home you may be surprised at just how interesting and wide-ranging the topics are. All of the history of the publication comes through in each audio selection, but there is a sense that at no point has the publication been left behind by the digital age.

Choose your topic Above: A broad range of topics are The FT News is the mainstay that oﬀers a wide range of the latest available to listen to under the FT banner news whereas the Big Read tends to concentrate on a topic that Right: Pick a show, sit back and absorb the intelligent and insightful content you may not be aware of, making it feel more like a podcast from

98 Listen to the Financial Times Apps the likes of This American Life. The Money Show concentrates on OK Google… finance, the specialist subject of the Financial Times, and World Weekly takes a wider geographical look at global economics. No matter what your preference, you can add all of them to the News OK Google, play FT list by going to ‘More settings’, selecting ‘News’ and then ticking all News of the FT titles. When you are back in your list of news sources you The FT News option gives you can now change the order so that maybe an FT title is at the top for a decent overview of the latest the next time you ask Google Home to play news without a source content from the Financial Times. specified. Besides the setting up there is no more interaction aside from asking Google Home to play an FT-based episode. OK Google, play FT Money Show Sit back and enjoy The Money Show will appeal if This is ideal when you think about it, because this is your speciality. It is most it means that the content can be accessed certainly the FT’s focus. without any delays and you do not have to think about special commands to get your OK Google, play FT daily fix of financial information. Like some other news sources Google Home is able World Weekly to present information in a way that makes The entire financial globe is reading longer articles on websites feel like a covered by the FT and there is naturally a Google Home offering time-consuming chore. It feels a little alien at as well. first, but over time it will feel like second nature to ask Google Home for your content and to then sit back and listen to it, or even to let it play in the background while you are doing something else. It is OK Google, play FT surprising just how much information we can take in when content Big Read is playing in the background, and it offers further evidence that One major subject per episode is Google Home can entertain, educate and inform in the shortest what you get with the Big Read. possible time periods. With your preferences set up to your exact The content is fascinating at times. requirements the Financial Times can become a part of your daily routine or even dominate it if this is your specialist field. You do not need to read a lengthy newspaper to catch the most informed financial information, but it does help. The FT content on Google Home is the icing on the cake from a trusted source.

You may be surprised at just how interesting and wide-ranging the topics on the Financial Times’ oﬀerings are

99 Apps Get the latest news from CNN Get the latest news from CNN Google Assistant can always tell you the latest news, but CNN can give you an alternative view

Smart devices like Google Home are great for finding out about news, but there’s a lot to be said for alternative voices. After all, if you read one newspaper, you tend to get one point of view. So it’s great that more and more news providers are preparing stories specifically for smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home. Often these services are just voice representations of an RSS feed said in the Assistant’s voice. Sometimes it will play you a bulletin that’s pre-recorded, maybe an hour beforehand. As in the BBC’s case, this is often a simple, UK-focused bulletin that sounds as if it was prepared for radio but is different than those found on the national radio networks. Naturally you can change your default news sources in the Google Home app – tap Menu then More settings. And then, under ‘Services’, tap News. You’ll see a list of news sources that will play when you say, “OK Google, listen to news.”

Above: You can easily enable the CNN Google Assistant app on your Google Home device

Right: The international version of the CNN website will give you a good idea of what to expect

100 Get the latest news from CNN Apps

As always, make sure you OK Google… check that you’re signed into the right Google account if you have more than one (change OK Google, ask accounts by tapping the triangle CNN for the latest next to the account name. news You’ll be read a selection of the Ask for news latest headlines by the Google You’re also able to delve into Assistant. particular news sources outside of what you select in the Google Home app. CNN is one of several news providers that has their own OK Google, ask Google Assistant app, which you can open by saying “OK Google, CNN for the top open CNN”. You’ll then hear the latest stories the station is covering. As you’d expect, CNN covers all the latest international news. There stories is an international edition of CNN – both online and on TV, and the Ask this to be read a selection of stories it covers do tend to be of international interest. However, the top stories on CNN by the Google Assistant. there is a very slight tinge of Americanism and certainly there is in the presentation of the programming on TV and some of the story reporting. However, CNN’s advantage is that, like the BBC, it has OK Google, tell CNN reporters and presenters across the globe. to list all stories You’re also able to ask for the latest stories - “OK Google, ask You’ll hear some headlines by the CNN for the latest news”. You can also ask CNN for the latest on Google Assistant that you can particular names, such as “OK Google, ask CNN for the latest on then choose from. Theresa May”. You’ll then be played a clip with the latest news on that subject. When you’re listening to a news clip, you can OK Google, ask say “OK Google, stop” to stop the clip – you can do this at any CNN for the latest time with Google Home, of course, even if you’re playing music on Donald Trump or listening to Google Assistant read the weather – it’s a bit of a Ask Google Assistant to find catch-all command! You can always hear the full list of stories CNN out about the latest stories on a is covering by saying, “OK Google, ask CNN for more stories” or if particular topic or person. you want to move on to the next story on the current topic you can then say “OK Google, next”. You’re also able to ask for stories by topic, should you prefer to do that.

CNN’s advantage is that, like the BBC, it has reporters and presenters across the globe

101 Apps Ask Lonely Planet where to go Ask Lonely Planet where to go Explore the world with Lonely Planet and the Google Assistant

You don’t have to buy a Lonely Planet book to ﬁnd out basic information about upcoming destinations; you can just ask Google Home to tell you instead.

A brief overview The narration is light and breezy – powered by the Assist automated voice platform that’s used by numerous apps and devices. You’ll soon find that Lonely Planet plus the Google Assistant is a great way to find out about places you’ve always wanted to know more about. Much of the commentary is general rather than specific, so it’s not exactly a way to plan a trip in detail but it will give you a really decent overview. It’s a place to start, anyway. It will be especially useful for people going away on business who don’t have a lot of time to explore a place but just want to find out a bit about the background of the city they’re going to. Be aware that the granularity of destinations isn’t total, so it’s large destinations only for now – we easily found information on Athens, but specific Greek islands weren’t covered despite there being Lonely Planet titles available that cover them – you get the rather irritating error “Sorry, this experience is not available”.

Talk to the app To get to the Lonely Planet app for Google Assistant, browse to https://assistant.google.com/services/a/uid/000000cbdce06cd6. Note that you don’t have to know the exact web address for an app; you can browse available apps, too. Open the Google Home. Above: The best way to start the Lonely In the top left corner of the Home screen, tap the menu icon. Then Planet app is to ask to be told about a specific destination tap Explore. Right: The Lonely Planet app is a good first To open the Lonely Planet app you can ask “OK Google, can I port of call when considering a potential holiday destination talk to Lonely Planet” or “OK Google, I want to talk to Lonely Planet”

102 Ask Lonely Planet where to go Apps

OK Google… OK Google, I want to talk to Lonely Planet This will open the Lonely Planet app and ask you what you want to do next.

Tell me the best place to be today or similar. You can also ask the Google Assistant to tell you about a If you’re already in the app, Lonely Planet will tell you about a desination without first opening the app – “OK Google, ask Lonely ‘destination of the day’. Planet about Georgia”, for example. As with all apps, you can say stop to exit the app and return to the standard Google Home OK Google, ask experience. If you don’t do this, the app ends up in a bit of a loop of asking you what you want it to do. You can also tap the top Lonely Planet about of Google Home to put an end to the app asking you questions. Athens Before you’ve finished, you can ask the Lonely Planet agent to The app will give you send you an email with all the information it told you previously. the background to a This is rather handy but again it’s often headline stuff, so it’s not chosen destination. information you can’t find out from Wikipedia or the tourism website for the city concerned. Tell me more... When Google Home finishes Browse apps telling you a bit about a It can be a lot easier to browse through apps via a desktop web destination, you can ask it to tell browser – go to https://assistant.google.com/explore to do this. you more or stop there. Ensure you’re logged in using the Google Account that your Google Home is connected to. To switch accounts, tap the triangle to the right of the account name if you’re using the Google Home app or click your profile picture if you’re using a desktop web browser.

You can ask the Google Assistant to tell you about a desination without ﬁrst opening the app

103 Apps Using Chromecast on Google Home

Using Chromecast on Google Home Google’s Chromecast allows playback over HDMI, directly from your mobile or Google Home

The Google Chromecast is a line of digital media players from Google that is designed to deliver music and video playback over a Above: When casting content to the Chromecast, playback can be controlled HDMI connection to a television. Several versions are available – the using Google Home voice commands or a mobile device full HD ﬁrst and second generation products, together with a 4K

Right: Use the ‘Browse’ tab in the Google ready ‘Ultra’ model. An ‘Audio’ version is also available, with a 3.5mm Home app to find services that support media playback on a Chromecast jack instead of HDMI for audio use only.

104 Using Chromecast on Google Home Apps

Set up Chromecast OK Google… The Chromecast is designed to be simple to set up and use. It plugs straight into the device you want to use it with and aside from a USB OK Google, stop in power cable, you’ll find nothing else in the 20 minutes box – there’s no remote control, everything Google Home can work with is managed from your Android or iOS phone your Chromecast as a sleep timer, or tablet or your Google Assistant-equipped accepting a time period as part of the command. device, including the Google Home. Note that some TVs can power the Chromecast over HDMI directly, but not all. After the Chromecast is configured, the OK Google, look same voice commands used to control media playback on your at what’s trending Google Home can also be used to ‘cast’ media to the new device. on YouTube on Chromecast Play your media After you’ve started playback on the Chromecast device, you can Use this command to play YouTube trending content on use the audio control commands that you use on the Home too. your Chromecast device. Your ‘OK Google, pause’ and ‘OK Google, volume 6’ will automatically be restricted content settings will applied to the Chromecast (and the connected device using HDMI- apply to this command. CEC if compatible). If you want to stop casting via Google Home to the Chromecast, use the command ‘OK Google, stop casting’. After OK Google, issuing this command, your voice requests will again apply directly turn on / off the to the Google Home. Chromecast As well as sending music and video content to Chromecast, a handy feature is casting your Google Photos library – perfect for Provided your device supports HDMI-CEC, you can use this boring your family with your latest holiday pictures! The feature is device to turn the connected TV actually very powerful. If you have a specific album configured, you on or off. can use ‘Show me photos from [album name] on [device name]’. You can also specify a date range, location or – using the power of Google Photos’ AI – a free format filter, such as ‘Show me photos of OK Google, mute dogs’. When the slideshow is running, you can use ‘next photo’ or / unmute the ‘previous photo’ commands together with pause, resume or stop Chromecast (the default duration for each photo is 5 seconds). Rather than specifying a specific volume level, you can easily mute or unmute the Chromecast using The same voice commands used to this command. control playback can also be used to ‘cast’ media to a device

105 Apps Use YouTube Use YouTube Google Home can be a control point for watching videos on other devices

YouTube is one of the best things the internet has given us. Missed the interview with Tom Hanks last week? Want to see some highlights of yesterday’s cricket? Need to check out Duran Duran’s Rio video? None of this is a problem for the world’s biggest video sharing site, which is now spawning and supporting the careers of content makers everywhere. Over a billion people (a third of the internet) use the site and its reach is much bigger than any TV networks, with 88 countries having their own versions.

Check TV compatibility A whopping billion hours of videos are watched daily. As another Google-owned property, you’d rightly expect Google Assistant to work well with it – here’s how to use YouTube with Google Home. Now, it sounds obvious, but YouTube is a video site – you can’t just listen to audio from YouTube on Google Home; you need a TV to play videos on. And that needs to have Google Chromecast built- in or have a Google Chromecast dongle attached. If you have a smart TV already, then check out www.google.com/intl/en_us/ chromecast/built-in/tv to see if your TV is Google Chromecast compatible. TVs running the Android TV interface support

Above: Google has a site where you can check if your smart TV is compatible with Chromecast (though you can always add the separate Chromecast dongle).

Right: It’s easy to use Google Home to control videos played through a Chromecast device.

106 Use YouTube Apps

Chromecast but aren’t yet compatible with voice control. Google OK Google… says this will be ‘supported soon’.

Use Chromecast Hey Google, play If you’re starting from scratch doing this, then Taylor Swift videos the best way is to buy a Google Chromecast on my TV that plugs into your TV. It’s available for £30 The Google Assistant will search from all the usual electronics retailers. It’s not YouTube and play a selection on compatible with the new generation of 4K your linked TV. video; instead that’s available with the £69 Chromecast Ultra. Naturally, the device you OK Google, want Google Home to cast to needs to be play England listed in your Google Account – in the Google Home app go to the Menu and tap More cricket videos on settings. Under Services, tap TVs and Speakers. You’ll see a list of Chromecast all your linked devices – if you’ve previously set up a Chromecast Google will search for the latest with the same Google Account you’ll probably see it here. Naturally, videos matching the keywords your devices all need to be on the same Wi-Fi network. To link up ‘England cricket’. a new Chromecast or TV with Chromecast built-in, tap the + in the bottom-right corner of your device’s screen. The Google Home app OK Google, pause will search for Chromecast-enabled TVs and Chromecasts on the on TV (or “pause on same Wi-Fi network as your Google Home. Chromecast”) Cast videos You can pause and resume videos on your connected To cast videos from YouTube to your Chromecast device using Chromecast-compatible device. Google Home, just ask Google Home to play the video of your choice on your chosen device, for example, “OK Google, play Adele videos on Chromecast”. Ensure you’re using the actual device OK Google, turn on name. Maybe you gave your Chromecast the name “[your name]’s subtitles Chromecast” when setting it up, so that’s what you’ll need to use. Google will turn on subtitles You can ask for particular YouTube channel names, people’s as your videos are playing – names or more general search queries like “pilates videos”. You can potentially very useful. also ask for speciﬁc music videos, which works pretty well.

You can’t just listen to audio from YouTube on Google Home; you need a TV to play videos on

107 Apps Use Netflix

Use Netflix How to cast Netﬂix video to a Chromecast using the power of your voice and Google Assistant

We’ve already covered how Google Home works with YouTube, but it stands to reason that Google wants to make Google Home devices – and the Google Assistant for that matter – compatible with as many devices and services as possible.

Connect a Chromecast Famed for its eclectic mix of content and original TV shows, Netﬂix has well in excess of 100 million subscribers paying £5.99 (SD), Above: You’ll need to enter your Netflix login details when you choose to link £7.99 (HD) or £9.99 (Ultra HD) per month. All three packages will up your Netflix account in the Google Home app work with Google Home voice commands provided you have a Right: The Google Home app is ready for Chromecast-enabled TV, whether that’s built in or you’re using the you to link up your Netflix account – there’s even a special section for it £30 Chromecast dongle that plugs into any HDMI-enabled TV. Note

108 Use Netflix Apps that the standard Chromecast isn’t Ultra HD compatible; for that OK Google… you need the doubly-expensive £69 Chromecast Ultra. If you’re not interested in Ultra HD then it’s not worth the extra expense, but it is if you want the very best quality. OK Google, play The Crown from Netflix Set up and log in on Chromecast Assuming you’ve already connected This will play your chosen show Chromecast or your Chromecast-supporting on the device you specify. TV with your Google account, it’s time to set up Google Home with Netflix. You need to link OK Google, skip up your Google Home app with your Netflix account. Launch the Google Home app on back 15 minutes on your mobile device. Go to the Menu and select Chromecast TV More settings. Select Videos and Photos. You’ll This will skip the show being then see Netflix shown there, almost certainly watched back by 15 minutes alongside a panel showing Google Photos as an enabled source. – makes sure you use the right device name, though. Tap the Link button under Netflix. The Google Home app will then ask you if you’re happy for Google to be able to control your Netflix account. If you are, tap Link account. You’ll then be directed to a OK Google, turn on Netflix sign-in screen where you log in using your account details. [Spanish] subtitles Subtitles will be turned on, and Command Netflix you can try asking for foreign You’re now able to use the Google Assistant to control Netflix subtitles, too. You can also say using voice commands. To cast Netflix videos on your TV, ask “switch language to…”. for things by name and make sure you use the specific name of your Chromecast or Chromecast-enabled TV. For example, if you OK Google, play gave your Chromecast a custom name on set up, then use that. So you can say things like “Hey Google, watch Stranger Things on the next episode on Chromecast” or “Hey Google, watch Stranger Things from Netflix Chromecast on Chromecast”. You’re also able to ask Google Home to turn the Skip to the next episode if you subtitles on and off (and even ask for subtitles in other languages) decide you’ve already seen this as well as ask for the next or previous episode (pretty important one. You can skip back too. for long series where you’ve no idea where you are). You can also pause, resume and stop episodes or ask Google Assistant to skip forward or back in time in the show. Note that if you have a smart TV running the Android TV platform, it supports Chromecast but isn’t yet compatible with voice control. Google says this will be ‘supported soon’. As always, the Chromecast device you want Google Home to cast to needs to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

109 Apps Using Chromecast Audio Using Chromecast Audio ChromeCast Audio, also known as ‘Chromecast for Speakers’, is speciﬁcally designed for audio playback

The Google Chromecast Audio is a specialised product from Google’s line of digital media players that is designed to provide casted stereo-audio playback over a 3.5mm or optical connection to an aux input, in contrast to the HDMI connection used on the rest of the Chromecast product range. The tiny 2” round device is designed to evoke the image of a vinyl record and ships with everything you need to get started – the unit itself, a 3.5mm cable and a microUSB power supply. It’s small enough to ﬁt anywhere, yet has excellent reception on it’s dual- band Wi-Fi. Note that the connector on the unit is a analogue / optical hybrid, but only the 3.5mm cable is included in the standard package, while the optical cable is a £15 option.

Above: The ‘Offers’ tab in the Google Home app frequently has free music offers exclusive to Chromecast owners

Right: Use the ‘Media accounts’ menu in the Google Home app to enable multiple services for use when casting

110 Using Chromecast Audio Apps

Set up and play OK Google… A newly connected Chromecast creates its own Wi-Fi network which the Google Home identifies, before OK Google, help me confirming pairing via an on-screen PIN. relax The Chromecast then automatically You can use your Chromecast receives your home Wi-FI network Audio for playing ambient music settings, after which all devices on to help you wind down after a long day. your network will have access to the Chromecast Audio. The initial setup process prompts you for a name for OK Google, when the Chromecast Audio, which can then did this album be used in playback commands – ‘Play come out? [track name] using Amazon Music on [Chromecast Audio name]’ Use the power of Google to find will start playback. Chromecast Audio devices can be included out additional information about in a multi-room setup and multi-room groups can be referenced the music you are listening to. directly in commands. When playback is active on the Chromecast Audio, the full OK Google, read range of control commands can be used. ‘Hey Google, pause’ and my book on ‘Hey Google, what’s playing?’ will work just fine. If you want to stop casting via Google Home to Chromecast Audio, use the command Chromecast ‘Hey Google, stop casting’. After issuing this command, your voice Just as on the Google Home, a commands will again apply directly to the Google Home. Chromecast Audio can be used for listening to audiobooks. One of the most fun applications of the Chromecast Audio is using the ‘Guest Mode’ at parties. This allows other people to control the device without joining your home Wi-Fi network, which OK Google, like / is great for impromptu DJ sets when you have people round, or just dislike this song letting multiple people guest and listening to them battle it out! It’s not supported on all music In the settings you’ll find the ‘full dynamic range’ option. Off by services, but some allow you to default, this is designed for premium audio equipment to provide like / dislike the currently playing track using your voice. the highest quality sound output. In reality, we’ve never found a reason to switch this off, unless you are using a particularly low- quality speaker and you notice distortion with the setting enabled.

Chromecast Audio devices can be included in a multi-room setup and groups can be referenced in commands

111 Apps Use Google Play Music Use Google Play Music Google Play Music works perfectly with Google Home to entertain you at any time.

When you subscribe to Google Play Music you get access to more than 40 million songs, unlimited radio and the ability to upload up to 50,000 tracks that are in your collection. When you add Google Home to the mix the experience becomes even more fulfilling. If you are relaxing at home and want some background atmosphere, simply ask Google Home to play a particular song or to surprise you and your subscription will be utilised immediately. It sounds like a simple thing, but it effectively offers an automated home stereo system with unlimited music that will possibly find use more on Google Home than with any other device you own. It is limited purely by your imagination and comes with all of the audible controls you could possibly need to find any track, navigate through the largest of collections and to take time and actually enjoy the music. You can specify specific artists, songs or even albums and ideally you will need to use the words ‘Google

Above: Setting Google Play Music as your default will enhance the experience a great deal

Right: Google Play Music easily competes with the likes of Spotify and Apple Music

112 Use Google Play Music Apps

Play Music’ so that Google Home OK Google… understands what music service you want to use, but there is a way to avoid that for ease of use. OK Google, play Google Play Music Set the default If you simply ask to play Google If you go to the Google Home Play Music, you will hear a random app and tap ‘Music’ you can then song in seconds. choose your default provider which in this case would be Google Play OK Google, play Music. At this point you can then Queen on Google just ask for music or artists with no Play Music need to specify the provider which will make the system feel even You can specify just an artist to listen to a selection of related more natural. It is like a music-based tracks in any order. personal assistant who just happens to have the largest music collection OK Google, skip to in the world and who understands everything you say. As in all of the Google ecosystem using Google Home with a particular service the next track will make it feel like even better value than it was before thanks to While Google Play Music is playing the added versatility and accessibility. Give the Play Music trial a go you can navigate between songs in an instant and change the if you have not used it before and make every effort to explore all of volume, etc. the commands and features available to you. The natural language capabilities of Google Home give you the OK Google, play chance to simply say whatever you like to it and to see what works best in terms of the music offering. With so many options and such ‘Hey Jude’ by The natural communication on offer you will likely discover more new Beatles music and artists that you have never heard before, which is one of No matter what song you want to the major benefits of any subscription service. The ability of Google listen to, it is highly likely that it will Home to leverage all that is on offer music-wise makes it one of the be available to you. areas that is enhanced more than any other by your favourite audio- driven personal assistant, because the world’s music just become a lot more accessible.

The natural language capabilities of Google Home give you the chance to simply say whatever you like to it

113 Apps Play any song with Spotify

Google Home supports a variety of options such as Google Play Music Premium, Spotify and Deezer+. Spotify is the only service that is supported in its free variant so could be a good place to start.

Set Spotify as your music service Open the Google Home app on your phone and to then tap ‘Music’. Above: Spotify will help you easily find new Now tap the service you want to use by default and Google Home music using the Discover Weekly service will use this service in future when you ask a music-related question. Right: In the Google Home app you can set Spotify to be your default music service You will be asked to link your account so make sure that you have

114 Play any song with Spotify Apps

your Spotify account details handy and enter OK Google… them when required. Remember that there will be limits to what you can do within Spotify if you are using a free account, such as not being OK Google, play able to ask for specific tracks, artists or personal rock music playlists, but these are the same restrictions no Pick a genre that you like and ask matter how you use Spotify for free. Google Home to play tracks that fit within it. Premium advantages With a paid-for subscription you will have OK Google, play access to all of the features and all of the music you could possibly ‘Rock It’ by Queen need throughout the day. The ability to ask for specific music Specify a track and artist, and requests such as playing tracks or artists works very quickly and you Google Home will find it in an can also ask Google Home to repeat a song or even to skip within a instant and start playing it. song. It makes for a setup that allows you full control over playback without needing to touch anything at all. There are also advanced OK Google, play commands that let you skip forward a desired number of seconds music by Adele within a track, shuffle the currently chosen playlist or album, save albums and tracks and advise Spotify if you like or dislike a song. Pick an artist and ask Google Home to play tracks by them. A Remember that you more often you rate songs, the more decent selection will be chosen. accurate the Spotify engine will be, which means that the Discover Weekly feature will be even more enjoyable because it should fit OK Google, play the kind of music that you already enjoy. Even using the service through Google Home will add to your library and the ability of Discover Weekly Spotify to understand your tastes so there is no reason to not give This feature will offer a selection the service a try. Also, using Voice Match will mean that others of songs that Spotify believes you will enjoy based on your tastes. cannot access your music library within Spotify which is actually a benefit because your known tastes will not be tainted, but they can if Voice Match has not been activated. Spotify is without doubt one of the most popular music services available today and with good reason, and the good news is that the implementation for Google Home is complete and as efficient in use as the service is on any other platform.

It makes for a setup that allows you full control over playback without needing to touch anything at all

115 Apps Enhance your music collection with Deezer Enhance your music collection with Deezer Deezer oﬀers personalised music every day that will grow your music collection every day

Deezer is not the most well known music subscription service, but it oﬀers some features that are absent from others. For starters, the layout of the app on desktop and mobile devices is very clean and when used on Google Home the responses come instantly and you can use a variety of natural sayings to play tracks in any order that you like.

Premium only As with all other supported music services, you can go to the Google Home app and set Deezer to be your default player in the ‘Music’ settings, but you will have to subscribe to do this. The free service is not supported in default Above: You will need to subscribe to mode and so you should ideally spend some time trying it out to Deezer to use it as a default music service on Google Home see if it is worth the monthly cost to you. Once you have set up Right: The Flow feature is easily the Deezer for Google Home you can now start to play with the various highlight of what is already an impressive music service phrases that can be used to control the music. The standards are

116 Enhance your music collection with Deezer Apps available such as ‘Play (artist)’ and ‘Play (song) by (artist)’ alongside OK Google… others that show the care that has been put in to developing the service. For example, you can simply say ‘Back’ or ‘Previous’ to jump through songs in a playlist or an album and you can also OK Google, play my say ‘Shuﬄe’ for a completely random experience. Add to this the Flow ability to skip forward and back to the exact second and you have Your Flow is a collection of a system that makes using your voice feel as natural as pressing a personalised music designed for button on a CD player or even dropping a stylus on a vinyl record. your tastes specifically.

Unique features OK Google, play Now that you have mastered the voice controls available, we would Leonard Cohen suggest you look closely at the unusual benefits Deezer offers, of You can choose any artist and which Flow is the highlight. It is built based upon the songs you Deezer will play selected songs for choose to play, the playlists you create and the choices that are you instantly. made when first signing up to the service, and this of course is not particularly unusual. However, it is only when you start using Flow OK Google, skip that you realise just how clever the system is and how accurately forward 20 seconds it can decipher the music that you will want to listen to each day. Time and time again Flow offers up varied tracks that will surprise When a song is playing, you can skip forwards and backwards and amaze you in equal measure, and ultimately you will be able to using just your voice. easily grow your collection based on the selections offered. Like any music service, Deezer works better when paired with Google Home OK Google, play it and it easily competes in terms of features and quality with rival offerings, so the combination makes for a positive experience every again single time you use it. Use natural phrasing to ask Deezer to play a song again. You can also say ‘repeat’ to do this.

We suggest you look closely at the unusual beneﬁts Deezer oﬀers, of which Flow is the highlight

117 Apps Play all of BBC radio Play all of BBC radio You can access a huge variety of entertainment through BBC Radio on your Google Home device.

The humble radio has entertained us for decades and to this day it still remains a rich source of entertainment, education and silence ﬁlling wonder. Whether you have the radio playing in the background for hours on end throughout the day or you have a particular show you listen to, your Google Home setup will let you enjoy radio shows on any of your connected devices with ease.

Make it seamless The setup process to connect to BBC radio stations does not actually exist because they will be provided automatically, but you do need to do a tiny bit of work to ensure that the process is seamless in the future. You will need to go to the Google Home app and tap ‘More settings’. Now scroll to the ‘Music’ option and then choose your provider whether it be Spotify, Google or another. If you choose Apple Music or have not set up a default you will

Above: If it’s on BBC radio, you can access it through your Google Home setup

Right: BBC radio stations can be played on any device that’s connected to your Google Home

118 Play all of BBC radio Apps

receive an audible instruction asking OK Google… you to do so if you simply ask to play the radio in the future without quoting the BBC. Once this is done, OK Google, play however, you are free to play any of BBC Radio 1 the BBC radio stations at any time Just ask for a BBC radio station using Google Home. and it will start playing instantly When you say the words ‘BBC through your main device. radio’ followed by the station number it will begin to play on OK Google, play your preferred device and it is quite BBC Radio 1 impressive how if, for example, through my living you say “Play BBC Radio 1 on my living room TV” the TV will turn room TV on and start playing the station You can specify which device you immediately. The fact that all of the want to play the radio through in just one sentence. BBC stations are automatically available through Google Home, and indeed a raft of other stations from different providers, makes the setup even more useful and impressive because it gives a OK Google, play glimpse of just how much is on offer. It also highlights the way that BBC Radio 6 Google Home benefits anyone who uses the system because it Choose any BBC radio channel has an unrivalled ability to seamlessly connect you to thousands and it will be available. No set up of different apps, games and services through a few spoken is required. instructions, and behind all of this are countless podcasts, radio stations and music tracks to back everything up. If you are new to OK Google, play the Google Home the way the radio stations work offers a glimpse of radio what you should do in the early stages. No matter what you want This command will default to your to access, ask Google Home and if it does not work you’ll soon find chosen music provider so make out how to set it up. Chances are that many more services than you sure that you say ‘BBC Radio’ in may expect will work out of the box with no user intervention at all, your request. which shows just how complete the system is now. If you enjoy BBC radio content, your Google Home device offers an entirely new way to enjoy it all on every device.

Once set up, you are free to play any of the BBC radio stations at any time using Google Home

119 Apps Remember everything with Wonder

Remember everything with Wonder Wonder is the ideal natural language assistant to store everything you need to remember

Wonder is a service that is designed to do just one thing and because of this it is able to carry out its main task very well indeed. It does not remind you of things you need to do and it will not Above: The more you use Wonder, the activate at any time unless you ask Google Home to open it, which more you can get out of the service makes it somewhat novel in the modern day connected world Right: Wonder is designed to be as natural as possible to use and feels very human where the aim is to automate as much of our lives as possible.

120 Remember everything with Wonder Apps

Be reminded OK Google… You start by asking Google Home to “Talk to Wonder” and at this point the service is ready for you to begin a seamless conversation that OK Google, talk to requires nothing but natural language to use. Wonder It feels like a conversation with a human most This simple phrase will open the of the time and simply involves asking the service ready for you to start a bot to store things you need to remember natural conversation with the Wonder bot. and to answer questions you have about the stored items. You can ask the bot to remember birthdays, gate codes, Wi-Fi passwords and anything else that you Remember that the often forget. It feels slightly strange to not have this data in a visual gate code is 9895 list, but logically it makes sense because Google Home is a voice- You don’t need to say “OK driven service and so Wonder works perfectly normally within Google” each time when in this environment. Over time you will be storing more and more Wonder and you can ask it to remember anything. information and it will likely become second nature to ask Wonder for the little things you need to know at the time which makes it ideal for anyone who needs to access data at home and especially What is my when on the move during busy days. gate code? Like any service that stores potentially sensitive information, If you have stored a code or you will need to consider carefully what you store on it. We would anything else in Wonder, simply suggest you don’t include PIN numbers for bank cards and other ask and the answer will be provided to you. data that could be harmful if shared, but to be fair to Wonder we would advise to not store ultra-sensitive information on any service. Setting up Voice Match on your Google Home device is a good Remember John’s ﬁrst step when using a service like Wonder, but in our eyes the bot birthday is 3rd June is perfect for all of those little things that you need to be reminded There are no limits to what you of and should not necessarily be considered a ‘do it all’ service for can store in Wonder. Use your everything. Use it in conjunction with other apps on your phone imagination and it will become very powerful. and computer and it could be the icing on the cake to help you keep organised and eﬃcient when you need to get the simplest of things done. Potentially, Wonder could be one of the most important services you use, which will grow in usefulness over time.

Like any service that stores potentially sensitive information, you will need to consider carefully what you store on it

121 Apps Can Akinator read your mind? Can Akinator read your mind? The premise of Akinator will feel familiar, but it can really surprise you at times

Akinator is a game that is perfectly suited to a voice platform because all you need to do is answer a set of questions by simply saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The closed questions that are used will feel familiar from the start because most people will have played the game in the past, but the idea behind Akinator is to surprise you by mimicking the idea of mind reading and by guessing who you are thinking of much earlier than you would expect. No matter who or what character you are thinking of, the game uses a set of clever questions to try to narrow down the answer in ever decreasing segments until it can safely guess who you are thinking of.

Think of a name... Technically, this is not ingenious, but a huge amount of variety has had to be programmed in to make the game worth playing multiple times and you will ﬁnd that there is just enough

Above: Akinator is a fun experience that can frustrate and amuse in equal measure

Right: Closed questions can make the game take a while or surprise you very quickly

122 Can Akinator read your mind? Apps

re-playability to keep you OK Google… coming back. When you first play it will feel like a strange experience and one that can OK Google, play potentially take longer than you Akinator expect. If you have chosen an Four words will be enough to unusual person or character that start playing Akinator and the the game cannot predict easily experience should be different every single time. you should prepare yourself for the long haul and the potential for repetitive questions that Yes, no, yes, no will keep going until there is a The game follows the premise sense that it will eventually find of closed questions to guess the person or character you are out what it needs to know. The thinking of. repeating aspect can feel slightly draining, but remember that this OK Google, can I is the goal of the game. If it cannot guess who you are thinking of then you will beat talk to Akinator? Akinator: trust us when we say that this will not happen too often! You can vary the way you open The trick is to actually not try too hard to think of an unusual the conversation with Akinator and use a variety of commonly character, but to find the balance between someone who is not used openers. completely obvious and but that may still fit within a genre that many other people or characters inhabit. You will get used to the OK Google, I want tricks that are required over time, and at that point the challenge grows in comparison to the way you play in the initial stages. The to talk to Akinator game feels like it grows along with your knowledge, and there is a The number of phrases you can sense of it taking on a different form, but to get to this stage you will say to Akinator are limited, but that is actually an advantage. have to stick with it and for some that may be difficult. If, however, you make it part of your routine there is fun to be had, and this is why we would suggest you at least give it a try. It is free to play, easy to understand and suitable for adults and children alike, which makes it one of those Google Home games that fits the platform well thanks to the considered programming.

A huge amount of variety has had to be programmed in to make the game worth playing multiple times

123 Apps Enter The Magic Door Enter The Magic Door Determine the direction of the story while enjoying this atmospheric audible adventure

A classic adventure game is the ideal scenario for a system like Google Home, which relies on your instructions to know what to do. It is normally a one-way experience where you ask Google Home to do something and it is completed for you, but in The Magic Door you have to answer questions in order for the game to ﬂow in a particular direction.

Open the door There is no setup at all because the game will automatically be available and all you have to do is say “OK Google, open The Magic Door” and the game will start. A status report detailing where you are and a description of the situation you find yourself in will be followed by your first question. The game will almost always offer two choices, and all you need to do is repeat one of the choices for it to proceed along the path you have chosen. It will flow in a natural way until Above: The premise of the game is simple, its conclusion. It almost feels like you are having a conversation with but some thought is needed to succeed your Google Home device because of the way it is programmed Right: Answer the questions to see how they change the direction of the story and at no point will it be difficult to understand.

124 Enter The Magic Door Apps

OK Google… OK Google, play The Magic Door This is all you need to say to start the game , at which point you receive a status report followed by a question.

Get out of here You only need to repeat one of the options the game presents to you to proceed. The narrator explains the current situation in a very clear manner and you should always be aware of what is happening thanks to the language used, at which point your answer will guide the story Go to the portal forward. The impact of each answer is explained very clearly and Your choices control the path of you will continue until the next question, but you should listen the game at every single step. It’s easy to understand, but difficult carefully to what is being said so that you do not miss anything to master. important. Sound eﬀects create atmosphere throughout and on occasion a small chill down your spine in the scarier moments. OK Google, stop Getting used to the lack of visuals, however, feels a little strange at ﬁrst and this is why we say to listen carefully to make the most Stopping the game will save your progress and when you next play of the story and to improve the overall gaming experience. It can you continue from the same spot. be a game you play for two minutes or one in which you immerse yourself in the story and play for much longer. If you make a decision and follow a particular direction you will often be given the chance further on to change your mind and go back to the previous location. This sounds repetitive, but is actually a core part of the game, because over time you start to picture the entire map in your mind and know where you have been and where you are headed to. It is surprising how much you can remember when you are an integral part of the story!

Playing it almost feels like you are having a real conversation with your Google Home device

125 Apps Learn with Mad Libs

Learn with Mad Libs Mad Libs is a quick game that you can play using Google Home and it is educational as well

Mad Libs is a game that is ideally suited to Google Home because it is fun to play, incredibly easy to understand and almost always produces a result that will make you laugh. The process involves the game asking you to respond with words including adjectives, nouns, verbs and plural nouns, and once you have done this a story will be produced and read aloud for you to enjoy. The game will tell Above: There is nothing to install. Simply you how many words the current story requires and this can vary ask to play Mad Libs and away you go in length from very short to more complex than you may expect. It Right: The words you know will be key to creating an interesting and humorous story can take some time to complete the words needed for the longer

126 Learn with Mad Libs Apps

stories, but the end result will be a funnier and OK Google… more off-the-wall result that makes you laugh harder than you may expect. You may also find yourself struggling to find some words OK Google, play because, despite being fed simple requests Mad Libs throughout, that gameshow feeling will hit and This is all you need to say to start you may suddenly not be able to remember the ball rolling and to play your the most basic of words. This makes it more first game. challenging than it should be and is also what makes it ideal for teaching children the Angry different types of words we use and the power each word holds. The game will ask for adjectives, nouns and verbs and your Fun and educational responses are used in the story. If you take some time to explain to a child what an adjective, a noun and a verb is they can then explore the different types of words Tree that fall within each genre and which will then be used in the final Try to think of strange nouns story. It really does not matter what words are used because the when asked to add more humour stranger the offerings, the funnier the story will become. However, to the story. to get the most out of the game it is advisable to use words that are true to the requests coming from Google Home. This will ultimately OK Google, stop benefit your child because they will quickly begin to understand If the game is asking for too many what different words mean and how they fit into sentences, and in words, simply say this to move on many cases how strange they sound when they do not fit as they to something else. normally would. The game pulls off the trick of being very simple to play and to understand, and to then rise above this to achieve entertainment, education and an immersive experience that can be played for an hour or for a couple of minutes at a time. Sometimes a game needs to fit the platform it is running on and with this will come the need to strip away the parts that may entice a Google Home user to try it in the first place, but in this instance we have a game that has been balanced to offer a myriad of benefits that only enhance the usefulness of your Google Home setup. Give it a try and see what stories you can come up with.

It’s ideally suited to Google Home because it’s fun to play, easy to understand and always produces a laugh

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