Google Home is a smart speaker created by Google that allows you to use certain voice commands to interact with your assistant and perform actions such as listening to music, receiving news or controlling other devices, among others.
In fact, since Google Home can be linked to other devices, in a way it is possible to automate the house and implement home automation tools. In this article you will learn some tricks to get the most out of your Google Home.
The best tricks for Google Home
Google Home uses the Google Assistant to respond to all types of queries. With it, the user can speak certain commands out loud and thus activate the speaker’s actions. These are some of the best tricks:
Play music from a specific app
If you have multiple services to listen to music, you can choose a default music source. To do this, follow these steps:
-Go to the Google app. Once there, click on Settings.
-Scroll to Google Assistant Services and select Music.
-Add the service you want to be default. You can also add others like Spotify.
-When you say “Ok Google, play Let It Be by The Beatles” it will play it in the selected app.
Use two languages simultaneously on Google Home
Google Home also allows you to set two languages to use simultaneously without having to choose between one and the other. To do this, you must configure it in the Google Home application on your mobile.
-Go to the app and click on your user at the top.
-Click on Assistant Settings.
-In the new section, click on Assistant and then on Languages. Add the other language you are going to use.
Pair Google Home with a Bluetooth speaker
You can link Google Home to an external Bluetooth speaker from the Google Home application on your mobile. Go to the app and follow these steps:
-Within the application, click on the name of the device where you have configured the speaker.
-Click on the settings window and click on the wheel icon in the upper right corner.
-Tap on Default music speaker. Choose the device you want.
Use Google Home as an alarm clock
If you are going to use Google Home in your bedroom, using it as an alarm clock may be a useful option for you. You just have to say “Ok Google, set the alarm for 7:30 in the morning” or whatever time you need.
You can also use it as a timer by saying “Ok Google, set the alarm for 5 minutes.” Or also saying “Ok Google, 10-minute timer” or “Ok Google, 2-minute countdown.”
Do translations and conversions with Google Home
Google Home can translate the words and phrases you need by saying: “Ok Google, how do you say ‘Hello, how are you’ in English?”
You can also use it as an interpreter in real time. That means that you will not translate specific words, but rather you will listen to act as an interpreter between two people. To activate it you just have to say “Ok Google, I want you to be my English translator.” Or add one of the available languages.
You can also use it to perform conversions, asking, for example, “how many miles are 15 kilometers” or “how many euros is 200 dollars.”
Activate night mode with Google Home
To configure night mode you will have to enter the Google Home app on your mobile. On the main screen, click on the wheel to go to Settings. Then click on Night mode and configure it to your liking.
Once set up, you just have to say “Ok Google, turn on night mode” to activate it.
Other interesting tricks on Google Home
-Let him call you by another name: By default Google will call you with the name that appears in your account, but if what you want is for it to call you something else, say “Ok Google, call me X”. This way it will start calling you the way you told it.
-Ask him to find your cell phone: To make Google Home help you find your phone, say “Ok Google, find my phone.” After listening to you, it will ask you if you want to make it sound. Remember that for this you must have your phone linked to the Google account.
-Summary of the day: If you want Google Home to give you a summary of your events of the day, the weather and other information, say “Ok Google, good morning.”
-Add an event to your Google calendar: Google Home can also add events within your Google Calendar. Say: “Hey Google, add an event to Google Calendar.” After listening to you, it will ask you what you want the event to be called and when you want to add it.
-Create a shopping list: If you use it more in the kitchen instead of in the living room or bedroom, you can ask it to create a shopping list. For example, say out loud “Hey Google, add -bananas- to my shopping list.” Add as many as you want and say: “Ok Google, show me the shopping list.”
-Add reminders: You can also ask Google Home to add reminders to your mobile. For example: “Ok Google, remind me in 3 minutes to turn off the light”. You can also ask it to be at a specific time. Say “Ok Google, remind me tomorrow at 12 in the morning to buy milk.”
Use it as a dictionary or encyclopedia: You can ask Google Home to look up the meaning of a word by saying “Hey Google, what does X mean?” It will answer you with the definition of the word. You can also ask for specific information such as “Ok Google, when was Albert Einstein born?”.
-Use Google Home as a calculator: Another function is to use it as a calculator. To do this you have to say “Ok Google, what is the square root of 36”.
-Ask him to toss a coin or a random number. If you want to settle an argument, but don’t have a coin to flip, you can ask Google Home. You just have to say “Ok Google, flip a coin.” It will tell you if it came up heads or tails.
You can also ask it to tell you a random number by saying “Hey Google, say a random number,” or “Hey Google, say a number from 1 to 50,” for example.
