Google Assistant commands: Here are the ones you need to know

Google Assistant is a useful digital companion, which is a good thing considering how closely integrated it is with Android. Whether you’re on your phone, tablet, or Nest speaker, there are endless things you can do with it. Getting results does depends on knowing the right phrases, though, so here’s a look at some of the most important Google Assistant commands.

Google Assistant commands:

How do you get Google Assistant to listen to you?

Whenever you want to start a Google Assistant command, say “OK Google” or “Hey Google.” Note that if both your phone and a compatible speaker or display hear you, only the closest device will keep listening.

Unlike Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant doesn’t have an option to change its wake word. You’re stuck with “Google,” at least for now.

Google Assistant commands for controlling your smart speaker

• To turn up the volume on your Google speaker, you can say: “Hey Google, increase volume,” “Hey Google, turn it up,” or “Hey Google, increase volume to maximum.” Other variants may work.
• To turn the volume down, say: “Hey Google, decrease volume,” “Hey Google, turn it down,” or “Hey Google, decrease volume to minimum.”
• To set the volume to a specific level, say: “Hey Google, set the volume to 5,” or “Hey Google, set the volume to 50%.” Numbers between 1 and 10 and percentages in 10% increments should work.
• If you need Google Assistant to pause, resume or stop, just say: “Hey Google, pause,” “Hey Google, resume,” or “Hey Google, stop.”
• Want to know some examples of things Google speakers can do? Just say: “Hey Google, help.”

Google Assistant commands for productivity

• Set an alarm: “Hey Google, set an alarm for 7 AM,” “Hey Google, set an alarm for every Friday morning at 7 AM,” “Hey Google, set an alarm in 25 minutes,” or “Hey Google, wake me up at 7 AM every day.”
• Check your alarms: “Hey Google, when is my next alarm?”
• Snooze an alarm: “Hey Google, snooze alarm.”
• Cancel an alarm: “Hey Google, cancel alarm for [time].”
• Set a timer: “Hey Google, set a timer for [duration].”
• Check timer: “Hey Google, how much time is left on my timer?”
• Check the time: “Hey Google, what time is it?”
• International time: “Hey Google, what time is it in [location]?”
• Convert currency: “Hey Google, how much is $5 in euros?”
• Check your location: “Hey Google, where am I?”
• Translate something: “Hey Google, how do you say ‘hello’ in Spanish?”
• Roll a die: “Hey Google, roll a die.”
• Flip a coin: “Hey Google, flip a coin.”
• Add to your shopping list: “Hey Google, add [item] to my shopping list.”
• Check your shopping list: “Hey Google, what’s on my shopping list?”
• Find out a recipe: “Hey Google, how do you make chicken soup?”
• Math: “Hey Google, what is 14 x 5?”
• Count: “Count: “OK, Google, count to 20.”
• Random number: “OK, Google, give me a random number between 5 and 50.”
• Measurements: “Hey Google, how many centimeters are in an inch?”
• Remember things: “OK, Google, remember that I put my passport in the filing cabinet,” or “Remember that my password is ‘money.'”
• Recall things: “OK, Google, where is my passport?” or “What is my password?”
• Get a recipe: “OK, Google, how do I make [dish]?”

Google Assistant privacy commands

If you’re concerned about voice recordings being saved by Google, there are a few Assistant commands you can use to protect your privacy. Remember though that Google doesn’t save recordings by default, and that all of its Nest speakers and displays have a mute button or toggle, just in case you don’t want Assistant listening for a wake word when you’re not using it. You can turn off Google Assistant on an Android device.

• Access Google’s privacy portal: “OK, Google, how are you keeping my data safe?”
• Delete your most recent voice command: “OK, Google, delete what I just said.”
• To delete commands from a past time frame: “OK, Google, delete everything I said today/this week/this month/this year.”

Google Assistant commands for broadcasting over more than one speaker

If you own more than one Assistant-based speaker or display, you can broadcast messages across all of them or make calls between a pair of them.

• Wake up: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘wake everyone up,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s time to wake up.'”
• Breakfast: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘breakfast is ready,'” “OK, Google, broadcast ‘breakfast is served,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s time for breakfast.'”
• Lunch: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘lunch is ready,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s lunchtime.'”
• Dinner: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘dinner is ready/served,'” “OK, Google, broadcast ‘ring the dinner bell,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s dinner time.'”
• Time to leave: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘time to leave,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘time to get out.'”
• Arrived home: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘I’m home,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘I’m here.'”
• On the way: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘I’m on the way,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘I’ll be home soon.'”
• Movie time: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s movie time,'” “OK, Google, broadcast ‘the movie is about to start,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘let’s go to the movie.'”
• TV time: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘the show is about to start,'” “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s time to watch TV,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘TV time.'”
• Bedtime: “OK, Google, broadcast ‘time for bed,'” “OK, Google, broadcast ‘it’s time to go to bed,'” or “OK, Google, broadcast ‘sleep time.'”
• Custom: “OK, Google, broadcast/shout/announce/tell everyone [custom message].”
• Contact another speaker within your home: “OK, Google, call [speaker/display name],” or “OK, Google, video call [speaker/display name].”

Google Assistant commands for searching information

• Check the weather: “Hey Google, what’s the weather like today?,” “Hey Google, do I need an umbrella today?,” “Hey Google, what’s the weather going to be like in [location] on [day/time]?,” “Hey Google, what’s the temperature outside?,” “Hey Google, is there a chance of rain on [day]?”
• Check traffic: “Hey Google, what’s the traffic like on the way to work?” This requires you to have home and work addresses saved via Google Maps.
• Check stocks: “Hey Google, what’s the Alphabet stock price?” or “Hey Google, what’s Samsung trading at?”
• Get a definition: “Hey Google, define [word],” “Hey Google, what’s the definition of [word]?,” or “Hey Google, what’s the meaning of [word]?”
• Spelling: “Hey Google, how do you spell [word]?”
• Holidays and events: “Hey Google, when is Thanksgiving this year?”
• People and relationships: “Hey Google, who is [person]?,” “Hey Google, how old is [he/she]?,” “Hey Google, who is [person] married to?,” “Hey Google, who is [person] ‘s brother/sister/mother/father?”
• Places: “Hey Google, what country is [location] in?”
• Things: “Hey Google, what is [thing]?”
• Facts: “Hey Google, how tall is [person]?”
• Distance: “Hey Google, how far is [location] from [location]?,” “Hey Google, how far is [location] from here?”
• Businesses and information: “Hey Google, how far is [business] from here?,” “Hey Google, are there any [business type] around here?,” “Hey Google, how late is [business] open?”
• Quotes: “Hey Google, give me a quote.”
• Poems: “Hey Google, tell me a poem.”
• Medical information: “Hey Google, what is a heart attack?” or “Hey Google, what are the symptoms of COVID-19?” Don’t rely exclusively on Google for a diagnosis though — follow up with a real doctor.
• Calories: “Hey Google, how many calories are in [food]?”
• Animal sounds: “Hey Google, what sound does a [animal] make?”
• Today’s news: “Hey Google, what’s today’s news?”
• Daily briefing (includes weather, traffic, and news): “Hey Google, good morning.” You’ll need to configure your news sources in Assistant and/or the Good Morning routine.
• Sports updates, scores, and information: “Hey Google, when are the [sports team] playing next?,” “Hey Google, did the [sports team] win?,” “Hey Google, what was the score for the last [sports team] game?,” “Hey Google, tell me about [sports team].”
• Actors, movies, and shows: “Hey Google, what actors are in [movie]?,” “Hey Google, what movies came out last week?”
• Recommendations: “Hey Google, what are the best restaurants in [target location]?,” “Hey Google, what restaurants are nearby?”
• Find out how long it will take to go to work: “Hey Google, how long is my commute?,” “Hey Google, how long will it take to walk/bike/take a bus/take a train to [target location]?,” “Hey Google, how long will it take to get to [target location]?,” “Hey Google, how long with it take to get from work to [target location]?”

Google Assistant commands for scheduling and travel

• Check the daily schedule: “Hey Google, what does my day look like?,” “Hey Google, list all events for [specific date],” “Hey Google, what’s on my calendar for [day of the week]?”
• Create a new calendar event: “OK, Google, new calendar event,” “OK, Google, add [event] to my calendar,” or “OK, Google, schedule [event] for me on Saturday at 8 PM.”
• List next calendar event: “OK, Google, what’s next on my calendar?,” or “What/where/when is my next meeting?”
• List calendar events for a day: “OK, Google, list all events for January 1,” “OK, Google, what’s on my agenda for today?” or “OK, Google, what’s on my calendar for Friday?”
• Check when your next event is: “Hey Google, what/when/where is my next event?,” “Hey Google, what/when/where is my first event?”
• Check reminders: “OK, Google, what are my reminders?,” “OK, Google, what are my reminders tomorrow?,” or “OK Google, what is my reminder for [title]?”
• Delete reminders: “OK, Google, delete my reminders for tomorrow,” “OK, Google, delete my reminder to [title],” or “OK, Google, delete all of my reminders.”
• Check notifications: “OK, Google, what’s up?,” or “OK, Google, what are my notifications?”
• Check prices for an airline flight: “OK, Google, how much is a round-trip flight to New York?”
• Find flights with a specific airline: “OK, Google, find me flights with JetBlue.”
• Check on your booked flights: “OK, Google, when is my next flight?,” or “OK, Google, my flights in [month].”
• Book a hotel room: “OK, Google, find a hotel in San Francisco.” After that, say, “Book a room at [hotel].”
• Discover places to visit in your travel city: “OK, Google, what is there to see in Paris?”
• Find restaurants to try in your travel city: “OK, Google, what’s the best restaurant in Berlin?”

Google Assistant commands for playing music and media

• Play some music: “Hey Google, play some music.” “Hey Google, play some [genre] music.” “Hey Google, play some music on [music service].”
• Adjust the volume: “Hey Google, turn up the volume,” “Hey Google, turn down the volume,” or “Hey Google, set the volume to [1-10 number or a percentage].”
• Play an artist, song, album or genre: “Hey Google, play [artist]”, “Hey Google, play [song]”, “Hey Google, play the album [album]”, “Hey Google, play [artist/song/album] on [music service]”, “Hey Google, play some [genre] music”.
• Play a playlist: “Hey Google, play my dance playlist” or “Hey Google, play The Best Ambient Playlist You’ll Find on Spotify.”
• Play a song by lyrics: “Hey Google, play the song that goes [song lyrics].”
• Ask what’s playing: “Hey Google, what’s this song?” “Hey Google, what’s this album?”
• Get information: “Hey Google, when did this song come out?”
• Like or dislike a song: “Hey Google, like this song.” “Hey Google, dislike this song.” This only works with services that support voting.
• Fast-forward or rewind: “Hey Google, skip forward 30 seconds,” “Hey Google, skip backward 2 minutes,” “Hey Google, skip this track.”
• Tune a musical instrument: “OK, Google, tune my instrument,” or “OK, Google, play an F sharp.”
• Listen to an audiobook: “OK Google, read [book] on [Google speaker name].” You’ll need an audiobook bought from Google Play.

Google Assistant commands for Chromecast and Google Cast

If you own a Chromecast for your TV, there are some specific Assistant commands you can use. Many or all of these commands will also work with dedicated Android TVs and Google TVs, just requiring that you substitute device names. In all cases, the underlying casting technology is known as Google Cast.

• Play music on Chromecast: “Hey Google, play [artist/song/album] on my Chromecast.”
• Play videos on YouTube using Chromecast: “Hey Google, play funny cat videos on Chromecast,” or “Hey Google, play the latest video from Android Authority on Chromecast.”
• Turn on/off the TV with Chromecast: “OK, Google, turn on the [Chromecast name],” or “OK, Google, turn off the [Chromecast name].”
• Play a movie or TV show using Chromecast: “OK, Google, play [show or movie title] on the [Chromecast name].” This relies on subscribing to appropriate streaming services, or buying or renting through Google.
• Play music through paired speakers using the Chromecast remote: “OK, Google, play [song] on [Chromecast or Google speaker name].”
• Play and pause Chromecast: “OK, Google, play/pause [Chromecast name]”.
• Stop Chromecast: “OK, Google, stop [Chromecast name]”.
• Scrub the Chromecast: “OK, Google, skip to 5 minutes on [Chromecast name],” or “OK, Google, skip forward/back two minutes on [Chromecast name].”
• Change Chromecast volume: “OK, Google, set [Chromecast name] volume to 50%”, or “OK, Google, volume down on [Chromecast name].”
• Mute Chromecast: “OK, Google, mute [Chromecast],” or “OK, Google, unmute [Chromecast name].”
• Images: “OK, Google, show me a picture of an antelope.”
• Weather: “OK, Google, show me the weather on [Chromecast name].”

Google Assistant commands for your smart home

If you own smart home devices linked to Google Home, there are many, many different Assistant commands for them, depending on the exact accessories you have.

How to control smart lights and switches

• Turn a light on or off: “Hey Google, turn on [light name],” “Hey Google, turn off [light name].”
• Dim or brighten a light: “Hey Google, dim the [light name],” “Hey Google, brighten the [light name].”
• Set a light’s brightness to a certain percentage: “Hey Google, set [light name] to 50%.”
• Dim or brighten lights by a certain percentage: “Hey Google, dim/brighten [light name] by 50%.”
• Change the color of a light: “Hey Google, turn [light name] purple.”
• Turn all of the lights in a room on or off: “Hey Google, turn on the lights in [room name],” “Hey Google, turn off the lights in [room name].”
• Power all lights on or off: “Hey Google, turn on all of the lights,” “Hey Google, turn off all of the lights.”
• Turn all switches on or off: “Hey Google, turn on all switches,” “Hey Google, turn off all switches.”
• Turn a switch on or off: “Hey Google, turn on [switch name],” “Hey Google, turn off [switch name].”

How to control your thermostat

• Adjust the temperature: “Hey Google, make it warmer/cooler,” “Hey Google, raise/lower the temperature,” “Hey Google, raise/lower the temperature two degrees,” “Hey Google, set the temperature to 72 degrees.”
• Switch between heating and cooling modes: “Hey Google, turn on heat/cooling,” “Hey Google, set the thermostat to cooling/heating,” “Hey Google, turn the thermostat to heat-cool mode.”
• Set mode and temperature simultaneously: “Hey Google, set the heat to 68,” “Hey Google, set the air conditioning to 70.”
• Turn the thermostat off: “Hey Google, turn off the thermostat.”
  • Note: To turn the thermostat back on, you’ll need to specify a mode. You can say, “Hey Google, turn on cooling/heating,” “Hey Google, turn on heat-cool,” “Hey Google, set the heat to 68,” “Hey Google, set the air conditioning to 70,” etc.
• Check the ambient temperature on the thermostat: “Hey Google, what’s the temperature inside?”
• Check what the thermostat is set to: “Hey Google, what’s the thermostat set to?”

Another note: Google Assistant recognizes “lights,” “switches,” and “outlets” as different kinds of devices. For example, if you say, “Hey Google, turn on the lights,” it will turn on smart light bulbs but may not turn on smart switches connected to lamps or other lighting fixtures. To control those switches as if they were lights, add the word “light” to the name of the device.

How to control other smart home devices

• If you’ve installed a smart lock, you can control it by saying: “OK, Google, lock/unlock the front door.” You’ll probably be asked to authenticate for unlocking.
• If you own a Logitech Harmony TV remote, you can say: “OK, Google, turn on the TV,” “OK, Google, turn the TV to the [specific] channel,” or, “OK, Google, play channel 12.”
• If you own a security camera, you can stream it to a Google-compatible TV or display by saying: “OK, Google, show [camera name],” “Hey, Google, what’s on [camera name]?,” or “OK, Google, play [camera name] on [device name].”
• If you have a robot vacuum, try something like: “OK Google, clean the whole house,” or “vacuum the kitchen.” This requires some initial setup, so make sure your robot vac is configured and connected to Google Assistant if it supports the platform.
• There are a plethora of other smart home devices. These include refrigerators, coffee makers, lamps, lawnmowers, and more. Many of these can be controlled using Assistant.

Using IFTTT with Google Assistant

If you have a favorite app or service that Google doesn’t support yet, you might be in luck. Assistant is also compatible with IFTTT, the popular automation tool. You can use it to link many services and actions, or expand the functionality of services that already work with Google. Want to share Google reminders with a favorite to-do app? Just set it up in IFTTT.

For examples of IFTTT “applets” compatible with Assistant, head here. You can only set up two applets for free — anything more requires a paid subscription.

Google Assistant commands for making phone calls on your smart speaker

If you live in the US or Canada (excluding territories), you can use Assistant on smart speakers and displays to make free phone calls. Rules are constantly evolving, so check Google’s guide for the latest info.

Currently, receiving numbers must be within those two countries and listed in your Google Contacts. You’ll be prompted to add a number to Contacts if it’s missing. Calls to emergency numbers aren’t supported. Calls to international (beyond the US and Canada) or “premium” (1-900) numbers may only work if you have a device linked to a compatible carrier, such as Google Fi Wireless. You’ll be charged appropriately for either connection type.

Phone calls in general are supported outside the US and Canada as long as you have a compatible carrier plan, subject to that plan’s rates and restrictions. Current carriers/regions include:

• Google Fi Wireless (US)
• Google Voice (US)
• Taiwan Mobile (Taiwan)
• Telecom Italia (Italy)
• Telstra (Australia)

If none of the above scenarios apply, you’re limited to using Google Duo or (in the case of camera-equipped smart displays) a compatible video service like Zoom.

• Make a call to a phone number: “Hey Google, call [phone number].”
• Make a call to a business: “Hey Google, call [business name].” You can also try “Hey Google, where is the nearest [business]?” When Assistant reveals that, say, “Call them.”
• Calling a specific contact: “Hey Google, call [contact name].”
• Call again: “Hey Google, redial.”
• End the call: Say, “Hey Google, stop/disconnect/end call/hang up.”

Google Assistant commands for shopping

Thanks to Google Shopping, you can shop with Assistant in the continental US (sorry, Alaska, Hawaii, and the rest of the planet). Like calling, this may change at any time, so check Google’s website for the latest details.

• To buy a single item, say: “Hey Google, buy [product],” “Purchase [product],” or “Order [product].”
• To buy an item from a specific store, say: “Hey Google, buy [product] from [store],” “Purchase [product] from [store],” or “Order [product] from [store].”
• To reorder an item in your Shopping history, say: “Hey Google, reorder [product].”
• To add an item to your cart, say: “Hey Google, add [product] to my cart.”
• To add an item from a specific store, say: “Hey Google, add [product] from [store] to my cart.”
• Check items in your cart: “Hey Google, what’s in my cart?”
• Remove items from your cart: “Hey Google, remove [product] from my cart,” or “Remove all items from my cart.”

Purchases require having a payment method linked to Assistant. At the moment, you can’t change the quantity of items in your cart using your voice, and likewise you can only buy or reorder a single item unless you use the cart system. To edit your cart or check out with it, you’ll have to open the Google Shopping website or app.

Google Assistant third-party action commands

Actions for Google Assistant are commands that enable functions from third-party companies and services. There’s more than we could possibly list, so here are a few examples:

• Rocket Monkey: “Ask Rocket Monkey, ‘When is the next rocket launch?'”
• Uber: “OK Google, order an Uber.”
• Lyft: “Hey Google, book a Lyft to the airport.”

Google used to have a handy directory for these actions, but it’s no longer online. Instead, you’ll have to research whether a favorite product or service supports Assistant.

Google Assistant commands that let you control your phone

• You can place a call by saying: “OK, Google, call Mom,” “OK, Google, call [contact name],” or “OK, Google, call the nearest coffee shop.”
• Hang up by saying: “OK, Google, hang up.”
• Want to pair your phone via Bluetooth? Say: “OK, Google, Bluetooth pairing.”
• Cancel Bluetooth pairing by saying: “OK, Google, cancel pairing.”
• Clear paired Bluetooth devices by saying: “OK, Google, clear all devices,” “OK, Google, clear all Bluetooth devices,” or “OK, Google, unpair devices.”
• Find your phone by saying: “OK Google, find my phone,” or “OK, Google, ring my phone.”
• Google Assistant can integrate Android Messages, Facebook Messenger, SMS, Telegram, WhatsApp, and more. To activate this, say: “OK, Google, read back replies,” or something like “OK Google, send a message to [contact name] on WhatsApp.”

Easter eggs

• “Hey, Google, do a barrel roll.”
• “Hey, Google, what’s the loneliest number?”
• “Hey, Google, make me a sandwich.”
• “Hey, Google, when am I?”
• “Hey, Google, beam me up, Scotty.”
• “Hey, Google, how can entropy be reversed?”
• “Hey, Google, are you John Legend?”
• “Hey, Google, what’s your best pickup line?”
• “Hey, Google, who’s your celebrity crush?”
• “Hey, Google, tell me a joke.”
• “Hey, Google, up up down down left right left right B A start.”
• “Hey, Google, who’s on first?”
• “Hey, Google, I am your father.”
• “Hey, Google, set phasers to kill.”
• “Hey, Google, did you fart?”
• “Hey, Google, it’s my birthday.”
• “Hey, Google, it’s not my birthday.”
• “Hey, Google, who let the dogs out?”
• “Hey, Google, do you want to build a snowman?”
• “Hey, Google, how many roads must a man walk down?”
• “Hey, Google, who is the real Slim Shady?.”
• “Hey, Google, who ya gonna call?”
• “Hey, Google, where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?”
• “Hey, Google, where’s Waldo?”
• “Hey, Google, party on, Wayne.”
• “Hey, Google, talk like Yoda.”
• “Hey, Google, do you know the muffin man?”
• “Hey, Google, is your refrigerator running?”
• “Hey, Google, serenade me.”
• “Hey, Google, sing me a song.”
• “Hey, Google, do you know Chrissy Teigen?”
• “Hey, Google, how are you?”
• “Hey, Google, sing Happy Birthday.”
• “Hey, Google, what’s your favorite song?”
• “Hey, Google, compliment me.”
• “OK, Google, are you Skynet?”