Google Assistant

Over the past few years, we have all grown accustomed to being able to talk to a variety of assistants that are found in our smartphones, wearables, smart speakers and other appliances. Apple has Siri, Amazon has Alexa, Microsoft has Cortana and Google has Google Assistant.

Important Note - If you are using an enterprise enrolled device or an account issued by a school or employer, Google Assistant may be limited and several of the features discussed in this section may not be available. Some of the voice features do not support all languages and dialects.

Google Assistant is baked into your {MODEL} which allows you to interact with your assistant in several ways.

Google Assistant via the ChromeOS Launcher

You can interact with Google Assistant via the ChromeOS Launcher Omnibar by simply pressing the search key, the "Everything Key" or swiping up from the bottom of your screen. You can then type in the omnibar to interact with the Google Assistant.

"Hey Google!"

Much like on Android phones and tablets, it is possible to summon the Google Assistant via voice by simply saying "Hey Google". This feature is not activated by default and must either be activated during the initial setup of your device or by enabling Google Assistant in the "Search and Assistant" section of the ChromeOS Settings Menu.

Google Assistant via the Browser Context Menu

Google Assistant is built directly into the Chrome web browser and can assist with things such as defining words, performing a web search or even translating text.

Google Assistant Keyboard Button

Some devices may contain a dedicated Google Assistant button that is located at the bottom left-hand corner of your keyboard to let you activate Google Assistant with a simple keystroke. Google Assistant can be launched by selecting the assistant button in the lower-left corner of your keyboard. The assistant button is located between the "ctrl" and "alt" buttons on your keyboard. If you are using a third-party keyboard, it may lack the dedicated Google Assistant button.

Google Assistant via the Pixel Pen

On select first party Google manufactured deices such as the Google Pixelbook or Google Pixelbook Go, you purchase the optional Pixel Stylus to take full advantage of Google Assistant. By using the button on the Pixel Stylus, you can highlight content directly on the screen of your ChromeOS Device and Google Assistant will offer you options based on the content you highlight. These functions will only work on the official Pixel Pen and will not be available on third party active styluses These actions can include:

• Search based on images displayed on your screen
• Real-Time Translation

In addition to the exclusive features available to owners of these devices, you can also access the generic ChromeOS stylus tools that are covered in this book.