How to use Google Assistant on Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

the Samsung galaxy watch 4the first Wear OS watch worth considering in a long time for android users, finally has the Google Assistant† We’ve been waiting almost a year for the function. Unfortunately, it’s not quite what it is – not yet.

The Google Assistant has undoubtedly helped improve the usability of the wearable in some capacity, including adding smart home controls where they were previously limited to third-party apps or Samsung’s SmartThings. But after a few days with it on my wrist, I can already tell you that there is room for improvement. There is often a delay of seconds before answering questions. And if you don’t have a stable connection, it will fail outright parsing your command.

Thankfully, this isn’t the latest incarnation of the Google Assistant on Wear OS or Samsung’s Smartwatches. At least it’s capable of doing as much as the Google-led smart speakers and displays in your home. Here’s how to use the Google Assistant on your Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.

Let’s set it up first

This particular smartwatch update wasn’t the most intuitive of the bunch. I usually receive Samsung watch updates through the Wear app or the Google Play Store. The Google Assistant installs via the latter method, but you have to search for it on the watch itself.

On your Galaxy Watch 4, swipe up on the main watch face to access the Wear OS app drawer. From there, select the Google Play Store app. Once it’s launched, tap the To search icon at the very top of the window and type “Google Assistant” on the watch’s display. Search for it and then tap Google Assistant when it appears, and select the option to to install (in some cases you may see a Updating button instead).

Once installed, you can launch Google Assistant from the same application drawer to configure it or tap Open from the Play Store menu screen on the watch. You will be prompted to open your phone to complete the installation.

Find out how to activate it

There are three ways to invoke the Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4. You can do this manually by going to the option in the app drawer or setting the watch to always listen for the “Hey Google” prompt. You can also program a shortcut, but I’ll show you how to do that in a later slide. I’m a proponent of a smartwatch with battery life, so I chose the first option to access Google Assistant. (Although that still didn’t help my battery life.)

If you’d like to scream into your watch like a futuristic cartoon character, follow the prompts on your smartphone to set ‘Hey Google’. (But again, beware if you do that in addition to using Always On Display and other benefits of the Galaxy Watch 4.) If you’ve already set it up with a smart speaker or your Android device, you won’t need your voice don’t train again.

Set up a shortcut

If you choose not to invoke the Google Assistant with your voice, go to the watch’s settings panel to set up a hotkey. Tap on Advanced Features > Customize Keysand then select whether you want the Google Assistant to appear by pressing or holding the Home key twice.

Set the Google Assistant as default

When you’re ready to use the Google Assistant as your full-time digital assistant (on your wrist), head back to watch settings. below appsselect Choose default appsand then tap the Digital Assistant app option.

As an aside, if you like Samsung’s Bixby, which lives concurrently with Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4, you shouldn’t feel like making the jump to Google’s digital assistant for things like smart home controls and basic questions. If you’re an Alexa user, you might prefer Bixby, because of its easier integration with Amazon’s digital assistant.

Make a note

You’ve set up the Assistant on your Galaxy Watch 4. The next command is to order it to do things! You can start with something simple, like “Take a note.” Google will then store that in Google Keep, if this is your default.

Using smart home control

While I would have preferred the neat, smart home menu screen I saw in some of the previews of an upcoming Wear OS update, at least I can use the watch to turn off the lights when my kid’s Nest Mini does my command because it’s on. Downtime is.

The smart home controls that are best used on the Galaxy Watch 4 are simple. Things like turning the lights on and off or by a certain percentage. You can also use it to adjust the volume or start playback on a specific Assistant device in your home.

But smart home controls are still quite limited. For example, you can’t use the Galaxy Watch 4 to check camera feeds or manually adjust the colors of smart bulbs like in the Google Home app.

Call or text someone

This feature makes the most sense for use with Google Assistant on your smartwatch. If you have LTE on your watch or an earbud in your ear and you need to chat, use the Google Assistant to make a call. Ask it to reach a person in your contact list. The watch confirms whether you want to continue the conversation on your wrist or on your phone.

You can use the same command to send a message. The Assistant is compatible with most major messaging apps, including the standard Google Messages, WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, and Google Messenger.

Ask Google about the meaning of life

Do not do this. This was just my cheeky way of saying you got the Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4. can ask most of the questions you would ask him on the Internet. For example, if you need to do a quick calculation or check the weather, you can do it through the Watch app, provided you don’t mind waiting while the app analyzes what you’re saying.

In the current version, the Google Assistant is slow on the Galaxy Watch 4. I mainly tested it on the LTE connected version and sometimes encountered an issue where the watch would lose connection while the Assistant was looking for a result.

Also pay attention if you have several smart Google Assistant speakers and screens at home. When you have the hot word setup on your watch and you are at home, activate everything† With the watch right on your wrist, it can add a bit of confusion to your household ecosystem.