Digital assistants used to be reserved solely for sci-fi films and comic books, but in 2020 you’ve probably got one in your pocket. Software such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri are already embedded on phones and laptops, and all of them are designed to designed to make technology easier and friendly to use. In short, they put a human voice in front of some powerful tech.

Google’s Assistant – while not as well-known as Siri – is one of the best digital assistants on the market, and gives users the ability to do everything from set reminders to play music, read the news, set reminders and even control elements of a smart home set up. So, what can Google Assistant actually do? We’ve put together a list of the top functions you can do with Google Assistant.

What is Google Assistant actually on?

Before we learn some of the things Google Assistant can do, it’s outlining what devices it’s on. As you’d expect, Google Assistant appears on most Google products. For example, smartphones like the Pixel 3a XL and Pixel 4 XL (also featured on our best smartphones list) allow you to summon Google’s assistant with a squeeze.

However, you’ll also find Google Assistant on other Android phones, wearables and tablets, so if you’re holding something like a Galaxy S10 Plus or a OnePlus 7T you’re not going to be left out. You can use Google Assistant on an iPhone or iPad too: just download it from the app store.

In addition to smartphones, Google Assistant is also found on the search giant’s range of smart home products. The tiny Nest Mini speaker, larger Google Home and largest Google Home Max speakers feature it – though with no visual presentation, aside from a few LEDs.

For the best Google Assistant experience at home you’ll want to pick up a smart display such as Google Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max. Although pitched as ‘digital picture frames,’ both the Hub and Hub Max offer so much more.

What can I do with Google Assistant?

Set an Alarm

Sometimes it’s worth starting off with the basics. Google Assistant may be powerful, but it also makes simple tasks a little quicker too. If you want to set an alarm, simply say ‘Hey Google, set an alarm for 9:00’ and it’ll be added to your alarm list in the clocks app.

This function works on any devices with Google Home, and although it’s not the most complex task, it shows how Assistant can makes things a little faster and easier.

Prepare for your day

If you’ve synched a calendar to your Google device, Google Assistant will be able to you prepare for the next day – or provide a recap on the one you’ve just had. Simply say ‘Google what am I doing tomorrow,’ and you’ll hear a list of your scheduled appointments and events. Say ‘what did I do today’ and you’ll get a rundown on your appointments for the day just gone.

Open apps remotely

If you want to open an app that’s buried somewhere on your phone, just ask Google Assistant to open it, and it’ll launch without any button presses.

Find the nearest….

Google Assistant sits between you and some of the company’s powerful apps – and that includes Google Maps. If you want to find out the nearest petrol station, EV charging station or fast food joint, just ask Google Assistant. Depending on the information available, you’ll get the name of the place as well as the address, distance to you, and even the star rating.

Get to work on time

Digital assistants work best when you give them key bits of information in advance, and this is very much the case with this next feature. If you’re prepared to log your home and work addresses in Google Maps, Google Assistant will be able to calculate just how long it’ll take you to get to work or home. And yes, traffic is taken into account.

Ask the question on a Google Home hub and you’ll see the route on screen, ask a Home Mini and a map will be sent to your Android phone if you have one.

How do I get to...?

In addition to fixed addresses, Google will tell you how long it’ll take to get to general places, too. For example, ask Google Assistant for directions to London and you’ll get an estimated time, map if you’re using a phone or Home hub and the exact distance.

Cleverly, that request is saved across all devices with Google Maps, so if you jump in a car with Android Auto straight after, one tap and it’ll appear on your sat-nav, too.

Follow your favourite sport

Google Assistant is great for sports facts, and will also be your stat-mad friend if you want it to be. Want to know the NBA or NFL standings? Just ask Google. Want to know when the 2020 Australian GP is, and who won last year’s race? Just ask Google Assistant.

Get your daily briefing

Google will brief you on the day’s news, and it’ll also pull out the key headlines from your favourite outlet. Ask for news from The Guardian and you’ll get a list of its top stories, do the same from the Telegraph and you’ll get a briefing for the Telegraph website.

What’s more, you can also ask get a lowdown on a particular topic: ask for sports or politics news, for example, and you’ll get an aggregated list of bullet points from a variety of sources.

Control your lights

Google Assistant can be a very powerful ally if you’re building up a smart home. Most smart light systems can be controlled by Google’s assistant via their own app and then Google’s Home app. It sounds convoluted, but set it up once and it’s quick and easy.

Got Phillips Hue lights you want to dim? Just ask Google to turn down the lights to 30%, and it’ll just happen,

Turn the TV off

With Google Home just behind it, Google’s assistant can also power off other connected devices – and that includes selected TVs. Once again a few apps need to be linked for it to happen, but it’s possible to turn off your TV just by asking Google on any Assistant device.

Google Duo

Although not as popular as FaceTime, Google’s video calling app is easy to use – and even easier if you’ve got Google Assistant. Just say who you want to call on any Assistant-enabled device.

Routines

Like the sound of some of these functions, but wish you didn’t have to reel off commands one after the other? You’ll probably want to set up a routine.

These are simply a customisable list of commands and tasks hat can be triggered by users automatically. Saying, ‘good morning’ could play the news before reading out your day’s events, while ‘good night’ could turn all the lights off and start a podcast – it’s totally customisable and up to you. And of course, it’s all activated by Google Assistant.

Things you can use Google Assistant on: