Google Assistant has been incorporated into the Android system with the aim of helping users in a futuristic time where we’re supposed to have our own permanently available AI assistants with us.
However, the technology often doesn’t work. Some Android users have reported many times that the feature just has them repeating ‘OK Google’ over and over again to an unresponsive tech, definitely looking like fools.
Still, the software can be fixed often times by making the voice recognition system work. The most common solution is to retrain Voice Match in order to get OK Google detection working because, apparently, the options to do so in the settings have shaded.
Here are some options you can try if the Google Assistant on your device no longer functions properly.
Check the Language Settings
If the technology is not responding, it might be because you’re speaking another language than that set in the system. The default language is US English for most users, but it is still worth verifying in the settings menu and change it if needed.
To do this, head to the Google app’s main menu, then to ‘Settings,’ and ‘Voice,’ and choose the appropriate language from the options given. You can select a primary and secondary language if you want because the assistant will detect which language you are speaking and switch between them when needed.
Updating the language pack can also be of help. From the ‘Voice’ menu, head to ‘Offline Speech Recognition’ and download or update the US English language pack.
Check the Microphone on Your Phone
Because it is a voice-based technology, Google Assistant depends on free access to the device’s microphone. When you launch the app, a microphone icon in bold, with fully-formed lines should show up, right to the search bar. If it has a dotted line, then the issue lays with the microphone.
The problem may have been caused by dust in the microphone hollow, usually placed next to the charging port. Carefully try to clean it with a safety pin, and the issue should be solved. If this doesn’t fix it, check the functionality settings within the Google app.
Sometimes, applications running in the background are noisy, and this can meddle with the microphone. Verify those apps as well and close them.
Disable S Voice or Bixby if you Own a Samsung
Even though there is no clear reason for this, it seems that Google Assistant is not always compatible with Bixby or the older S Voice app installed on Samsung smartphones. If you own a Samsung with Bixby or S Voice, but you want to use Google’s Assistant, simply disable the the pre-installed Samsung app. To do this, launch Bixby or S Voice by pressing long on the icon, and tap on ‘Disable.’
Exclude the Simple Fixes
Although it is obvious, we’d better remind you that Google Assistant needs Wi-Fi or mobile data in order to function, so make sure your smartphone is connected to an Internet network before you use it.
It also doesn’t hurt to perform a reboot of the device. Finally, you can check to ensure that ‘OK Google’ detection is actually enabled. To do this, launch the app and head to the main menu. Go to ‘Settings’ choose ‘Voice’ and ‘Voice Match Detection’ and enable the feature if it is turned off.
Retrain the Voice Model
At times, for still unknown reasons, the assistant doesn’t maintain the commands you give it. If all the options above weren’t helpful, try to retrain the app’s voice model. To do so, head to the settings menu and make sure that the option ‘Access With Voice Match’ is on. Tap on ‘Retrain Voice Model’ and repeat ‘OK Google’ and ‘Hey Google’ when asked. The app should then respond to your voice as normal.
Did you encounter issues with Hey Google as well? Let us know if there are any fixes you’ve tried and managed to make the digital system work.
