Google Assistant is Going Global
Google is trying to bring the Google Assistant to more people around the world, by making it multilingual and adding more routines.
The Assistant is already available in eight languages, and by the end of the year, Google said that the service will be available in more than 30 languages, reaching 95 percent of all eligible Android phones worldwide. In the next few months, Google will ll bring the Assistant to Danish, Dutch, Hindi, Indonesian, Norwegian, Swedish and Thai on Android phones and iPhones, and will add more languages on more devices throughout the year.
Google is also making the Assistant multilingual later this year. With this new feature, the Assistant will be able to understand you in multiple languages fluently.
Through the Assistant Mobile OEM program, Google hopes to convince OEMs to build deeper integrations between the Assistant and device features, using natural language understanding and the conversational interfaces of the Assistant. Coming soon, new integrations are coming from LG, Sony Mobile and Xiaomi.
The Assistant Carrier program helps mobile carriers use capabilities in the Assistant to give their customers more insight and control over their service. This includes helping people learn more about their plan, add new services (like international data roaming), get customer support and more. Carriers Sprint, Koodo, Telus and Vodafone are already developing integrations with the Assistant, with more coming soon.
The Assistant can already help you keep track of your day, control your smart home devices, make calls, find recipes and more. Starting over the next week, Google is adding two new features:
Routines: Routines help you get multiple things done with just a single command. In the coming weeks in the U.S., you'll be able to use six routines that help with your morning, commutes to and from work, and evening at home.
Location-based reminders: You can already set reminders based on a location with the Assistant on your phone. In the coming weeks, you'll also be able to set them with your speaker.