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A Useful Guide To Google Home

When you buy a Google Home device, you're buying more than just a speaker that is capable of making Google search through voice control commands. You ́re buying a smart speaker compatible with literally hundreds of other smart home devices. A powerful smart home device that can perfectly replace all of your current desktop speakers plus many additional features. Google Home is only one member of Google ́s smart speaker line. This line-up includes Google Home, Home Mini, Home Max and Home Hub (this one has been rebranded as Nest Hub) and here we have for you some tips so you can make the most out of your new devices.

Google Home Tips

Voice control is one key aspect of Home Automation and the big brands in the industry know it. For years Google has been innovating this home automation field. One of the main features of Google Home is its voice control capability. Google Home comes with an enhanced and expanded version of Google Now and OK Google, called Google Assistant, which is like a virtual personal assistant. This means that in addition to the voice control it is a conversational tool. 

It will not only follow your commands and give you result searches, but it will also answer your questions and even your follow-up questions about the same topic. Google Home ́s artificial intelligence allows it to figure out the context of questions and it's also capable of keeping track of previous conversations. It's definitely a device designed to give you the right information you ́re looking for the best way possible.

You ́ll find Google Assistant present in the whole Google Smart Speaker line, also on their Pixel smartphone models and it can be integrated to serve through other smart home devices not manufactured by Google. There are many things Google Assistant can do for you.

Wake Word 

The Google Home device answers to two “wake” commands, you have to say either “Ok Google” or “Hey Google”. Use one of those every time you need to start a conversation with your Google Assistant. You say the phrase then you tell it what you need. Google Home comes with a great feature called Continued Conversation, this means that you won't have to use “wake words” for follow-up questions. Remember that you need to activate it.

Adding/removing family members or friends

Google Home is designed to recognise up to six users. Those six users will also have voice control over any smart home devices linked to your Google Home. Your Home device will need to learn to recognise their voice so they can all enjoy this amazing experience. Google Home comes with a friendly mobile app available for both iOS and Android. To add family members and friends, simply download the app on your mobile, look for the home icon and then the + sign. The interface is quite intuitive so you won't have any problems adding a family member. After tapping the home icon simply add the new member using their names or email address.

If on the contrary, you wish to remove someone from your list go to settings by tapping the home icon on your mobile app, then go to household. There you will see the family members list followed by three dots. Tap the three dots and choose to remove this will delete all access that was granted to that particular individual. By tapping on the plus sign you can also add members from this screen as well.

Become familiarised with the whole line-up

People looking to live the full Google Home experience must use their device with other Google products. This whole line-up is designed to work alongside other Google products. These products are also very popular and most people use them on a daily basis, like their Gmail accounts and Google calendar. 

If you combine these tools with your Google Home device you can actually turn your Google Assistant into an actual personal assistant. Your Google Assistant can, through your Google Home device, work for you by checking your schedule, add items to shopping lists, pull flight details or dinner reservations, set reminders and many more.

Setting up timer/alarms

Your Google Home device is perfectly capable of replacing your existing alarm clock and it also comes with added timer functions. All you have to say is “Hey Google, set an alarm for 5 o’clock in the morning” or  “Ok Google, set a timer for ten minutes”. If you want to make your alarm to stop, simply say “stop”. Don’t worry. you don’t have to use the wake words first to make it stop.

Adding your payment information

When you add payment information to your Google Home device you’re enabling your device to perform additional tasks, like ordering an Uber or a taxi. Google makes sure your identity is protected and confirmed before proceeding.

To add payment information you have to go to Google Home app on your mobile. Then tap on a profile, located at the bottom right corner of your screen. Scroll down to see the option for additional settings. Once you see a tab labelled “ your info” tap on it to see “Payments”. Go to “add payment information”, add the required information, follow the instructions and you’re ready to go.

Changing your home nickname

One of the first actions after getting a Google Home device is to set up your home nickname. This is the way in which your Google Home recognises your home. By doing this, you’re allowed to add several Google devices to your Home. 

This is why it's so important to add a name or nickname to your home. If you want to change the name you use on your Home: Go to your Google Home app and then to the Home icon located at the bottom left side of the screen. Go to the cog icon located under the name of your Home. Tap Home Nickname and proceed to change the name and save it.

Giving  your device a new name

This process is quite simple. Just follow these steps: Go to your Google Home app. Tap on the home icon and then choose the Google Home device you wish to give a new name. After selecting the settings icon, choose a name and change it as you prefer.

Teach your google assistant to recognise your voice patterns

If you let your Google Home device to recognise your voice, it will give a more personalised experience. You can have Google Assistant to work your calendar with you, for example. It is also a good idea if you let your unit learn the voices of all people included in the Google Home profile. That way everyone gets to enjoy the same experience. To do this you need to go again to your mobile Google Home app. Tap on the profile tab from the main screen and go to more settings (just like you did when updating payment information) and select the assistant tab, select voice match and follow the instructions. If you own more than one Google Home device you only need to do this process once, the rest of your devices will get voice updates through your main Google Home device.

Creating speaker groups

If you have a large budget, you can have several Google Home devices around your house. If you want to get the best user experience you can create a speaker group with all - or some - of your Home devices. Google can give a name to the group and play your favourite tunes through all of them.

On the Google Home app, tap on the home icon and then tap on add. Then you’ll see the option to Create a Speaker Group then you need to select the devices that will conform your speaker group. Then assign a name for the group and save the info. As simple as that.

Googling something

Well, Google is the greatest internet search engine of all times, of course, their Google Home device will have search capabilities. You can look up anything, from trivia and general knowledge to finding places of interest. You can definitely make a great search engine tool out of your Google Home device. This means that you not only have a superb virtual assistant, you also have a search engine ready to follow your voice commands.

This leads to another interesting topic: follow -up questions. Google Home devices have a wonderful feature where they can actually remember a specific topic or subject. You can ask subsequent or follow-up questions and if you turn on the continued conversation feature, you don’t have to say “Ok Google” in order to ask follow-up questions. This leads to our next aspect of this Google Home guide.

Turning on/off the continued conversation feature

Go to your Google Home app, then go to the profile tab. Get to where it says more settings. Then go to the assistant tab under your username and then scroll all the way down until you get to continued conversation. Choose toggle continued and select if you want to turn it on or off.

Find my phone

Yes, you can use your Google Home device to locate your mobile phone. To do this you need to link the device with a service called IFTTT. After you sign up for one of their free accounts you can automatically call yourself to your mobile using your Google Home device. All you have to say is “Ok Google, find my phone”

Handle your inbox notifications

If you want, you can have Google send you updates on its products, like other Google devices like Chromecast or Google Assistant. There, you’ll find tips, shortcuts, best practices, offer, good deals and new features. If you want to handle email notifications. Just go to the Google Home app then tap the Home tab, then settings, next account preferences and finally email Notifications.

Voice calling for google devices

Another fantastic feature of Google Home is that you can use your Google Assistant to make calls on other Google devices. Keep in mind that this service is not intended and will not work for emergency services. If you want to set it up, you need to go to your Home mobile app. Then choose the profile tab. More settings, then choose a tab called services and finally select voice and video calls. After this point just make sure to follow all instructions and you’ll be ready to go.

Changing the way in which Google Assistant calls you

You can have your Google Assistant to call you by your name. Not just your name, it can call you in any way you want. Literally, you can have your Google Assistant to call you the king of the world, boss or anything you want.

To make changes to this great feature, go to your mobile app the go to your profile. Get to more settings then select the info tab, then go like this: Choose nickname then change. The artificial intelligence on the device is so complete that it can actually make you spell it so the device can get it right.

View all your searches and Watch history

In order to see all the view and watch records, just use your Google Home app. Go to the Home tab at the bottom left side of your screen, select Settings then account preferences and finally Search and Watch History. There’s also the option to filter by date and the option to delete all the history, just tap the three lines on the search screen.

Family shopping list

Luckily with Google Home, you can manage family shopping lists. This is very useful when we keep forgetting items to add to our shopping lists. Google Home lets you add things to your shopping lists. You can do this either manually or using just your voice. Simply say something like: “Ok Google add milk to my shopping list”. The shopping list will be visible on your Google Home app. If you want, you can also use the app to add things or items to the list manually.

You can edit the list anyway you want but you can also have other family members to add items to shopping lists. To do this, just tap the icon you’ll at the upper right corner on the shopping list screen. This will share your shopping list with other Home members.

There you have it, a complete guide on some fantastic features and aspects of the Google Home device. This is a perfect point of entry to Home Automation technology for anyone. The voice control is extremely intuitive and friendly, a definite must for anyone. If you have questions or doubts about this or any other Google device, do not hesitate to contact us. We’ll be more than happy to help you in your smart-home transition process.