Just like we use Siri and Google Assistant on our mobile devices, we can now also use voice-controlled systems complete all tasks on an Android TV.
What is Google Assistant?
Even though Google Assistant was first only available on Google’s Pixel series, it is now available on various Android phones, and even Android TVs. You can think of Assistant as Google’s next most advanced and technologically intelligent way of searching through a search engine. Not only the search engine, but you can also browse through your devices and have the assistant complete several tasks for you, starting from setting up reminders to playing music. It is a huge competition for Siri.
Google Assistant works through voice control technology, where device users either hold on to the home button (on mobiles) or press the Assistant button on TV remotes and speak into the microphone. You can ask questions to the Assistant about anything about your phone as well as about any info online. When compared with Siri, Google Assistant tends to be better equipped at answering a wider range of questions.
Google Assistant is available on various devices, including Google Pixel series, Android phones, Android TV, Wear OS, Google Nest, and many smart home devices. Moreover, you can have Google Assistant help you when using Google Maps app even on your iPhone or iOS devices. But of course, if you are using the maps app and want Assistant to help you properly, you will need cheap high-speed internet to accompany you everywhere. You can check out Buytvinternetphone to subscribe to a relevant plan, or get mobile data if you are on the go.
How To Set Up Google Assistant On An Android TV?
Before you can use Google assistant to complete tasks and do all the work for you on your TV, make sure your device is properly set up. There are a few important steps involved in the set up that you must be careful of:
- Once the TV set is installed either on the table stand or on the wall mount, connect it to a power outlet and turn it on.
- Google Assistant comes pre-installed on TV.
- You must set up your Google account by either making a new one or using an existing one.
Once set up, do the following:
- Check for a system upgrade. If the system is not up to date, it might get in your way of enjoying Google Assistant. Go to settings, then about, go to system upgrade and check for upgrades if any.
- You will find an Assistant button on your remote. It has a bubble-like pattern with Google’s signature colors, including blue and red.
- Press this button on your remote.
- If you can’t find the Google button, a simple microphone button will be present. Press that.
- You will see prompts and instructions on your TV screen after pressing the button.
To use the assistant and have it perform some tasks or answer some questions, all you have to do is press the Assistant or Mic button and speak into the microphone on the remote.
Also Read: How to Download Photos and Videos from Google Photos to your computer or laptop
Best Ways To Use Google Assistant On Android TV
Play YouTube videos
You can search and play YouTube videos very conveniently through Google Assistant. Just ask “Hey Google, play workout videos” and you will be redirected to all the best working out videos there are on YouTube. Similarly, you can play music videos by speaking the title of the video on the mic, or ask for a particular type of videos such as “cooking videos”, “dance videos”, “kid’s poems” and much more.
Set alarms
Just like on any other device, you can just ask the Assistant on your TV to set an alarm for you. You can also ask it to select a tune, snooze time and other such options only through the Assistant.
Check news
It is often very inconvenient to find an app on Android TV with just a button on the remote. This is true, especially if you have lots of apps installed. Unlike your smartphones where you can just simply swipe through the menu, TV screens are not as simple. To help you find the right news app, you can just have Google Assistant launch news apps or you can just ask Assistant to show you news for today, and it will launch the main news page on Google, so you can select the link that meets your needs.
Other than news, you can also ask the Assistant play music for you, or launch any other app you can’t seem to find on the main home page.
Continue watching your movie
Don’t you just hate searching constantly for the part of the movie or an episode you left off? Even though streaming services like Netflix have your watching history recorded and help you play content directly from that point on, it still is not possible with some streaming apps. To avoid the trouble, you can just ask Google assistant to play the movie you were watching before and it starts right from there.
Conclusion
If you have set up Google Assistant on your Android TV properly, you don’t need to worry about any other task you have to carry out on the device. From setting alarms to reminders, the Assistant can do pretty much everything.
