Whether you have a Google Home speaker, a Google Pixel 3, or voice assistant-enabled headphones, you’ve probably come across Google Assistant before.
But, did you know that Google Assistant can help you organize your entire life? From checking the events in your calendar to making shopping lists, the AI voice assistant can act as your personal PR – add you don’t have to pay it for the privilege, either.
So, if you’re looking to add some order to your daily schedule, read on for all the best things Google Assistant can do to make your life easier.
How to check your calendar with Google Assistant
Not sure what your day looks like? You can ask Google Assistant to take a look at your calendar and give you an overview of your events for the day by asking questions like “Hey Google, when’s my next event?”, or “What’s on my calendar for next Tuesday?”.
You can even give broader commands like “OK Google, tell me about my day” – or if you set up a Routine, simply “Hey Google, good morning”. To create a new Routine, open the Google Home app on your device, select Settings, and the Assistant > Routines > Good morning.
You can also create new calendar events hands-free by giving commands like “make an appointment to see Sarah for a meeting at 12pm next Friday”.
How to make a shopping list with Google Assistant
Need to make a shopping list on the fly? Just ask Google Assistant to “add [item] to my shopping list”.
If you’re not sure what you’ve added to your list, you can ask Google Assistant to read it back to you – handy if you’re in the grocery store and can’t spare a hand to check your phone manually.
How to set reminders with Google Assistant
Setting reminders for yourself with Google Assistant is easy: all you have to do is say something like “Hey Google remind me to call Mom at seven pm tonight”, and it will give you a nudge ahead of time.
You can even set location-based reminders: for example, you can say “Hey Google, remind me to buy a newspaper when I get to the grocery store”, and you’ll get a message when you arrive.
It’s also possible to set recurring reminders, which is useful if you regularly forget birthdays and anniversaries.
How to catch up on the news with Google Assistant
Most of us are so busy these days that even taking the time to browse the latest stories on Twitter or your chosen RSS feed can feel like a drag on your time.
So why not use Google Assistant to read them out for you? It’s not an obvious feature, but if you say “Play the news,” Assistant will start reading out stories from your preferred news sources.
You can ask it to stop, pause and play at any time, and can even ask it to read stories from a specific source or specialist media site. If you’re running around the house trying to find your keys while grabbing a piece of toast before work, it’s a great way to keep up to date.
- Want to know more? Here's everything you need to know about using Google Assistant
