‘Hey Google’ Might No Longer Be Necessary To Wake The Virtual Assistant
Image via ID 184791525 © Nikkimeel | Dreamstime.com
Tired of saying “Hey Google” every time you want to turn off the lights or set an alarm on your Google Assistant? Well, according to 9to5Google, an upcoming feature—codenamed ‘Guacamole’—could bring quick phrases to your virtual assistant.
This new feature will allow users to set alarms, control music, get weather information, and more just with key activation phrases. This does mean that the device will likely be “listening” to your speech, waiting to identify an activation phrase even without summoning it using the regular greeting.
While this would strike some as a more convenient way of controlling their smart devices, others have raised concerns that it could further intrude on privacy, a reason many are still hesitant about having virtual assistants at home.
In July, Google told Android Authority that audio snippets are only saved to Google when the Google Assistant detects a hotword. Otherwise, daily conversations won’t be recorded or sent to the company.
It’s possible that the Quick Phrases feature will function similarly, though it does allow for more of everyday conversation to be “listened in” on.
Could Google Assistant save users time by answering their queries just as they’re mentioned in passing conversation? Or would this be seen as even more intrusive, with fears that all speech is being recorded?
As of now, it’s unclear when or if Google will release this new feature. Even so, it’s likely users will have the option of deactivating Quick Phrases, or choosing particular keywords they’d like the virtual assistant to respond to.
[via Android Authority, cover image via ID 184791525 © Nikkimeel | Dreamstime.com]
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