Google Assistant was supposed to help us live in a futuristic utopia where we had our own assistants always available in our pockets. But this is real life, not science fiction and sometimes the best technology just doesn’t work. Some Android users have discovered that this feature left them repeating the phrase “Ok Google” over and over in an unresponsive phone, arguably attracting strange looks in the process.
But don’t despair just yet, there are a few simple solutions you can try that should get the speech recognition software working and keeping your thumb safe from the risk of repetitive injury.
1. Check if you are not alone
I can be good to know when the problem is on Google’s side rather than yours. Consult support forums Twitter, Reddit, and Google to see if other users are complaining that the “OK Google” and “Hey Google” voice detection stops working on their phones.
Sometimes the most common solution, consistent simply retraining Voice Match in order to fix Google’s OK detection, does not work because options to do so in settings are grayed out. In this case, when you have looked at the options detailed below, you will just have to wait for a fix to be deployed by Google. Be warned, Google doesn’t always announce these fixes quickly, so keep an eye out for online communities.
2. Check your language settings
If Google Assistant isn’t responding to you, it could be because you speak a bad language. US English will be the default language for many users, but it’s still worth checking in the menu Settings and modify it if necessary. To do this, go to the Google app, then its main menu, then select Settings > Voice (under Search ), then select the appropriate language (s) from the menu Voice .
There you will see dozens of language options, each with a checkbox, so you can set primary and secondary languages ​​if you want. Google will automatically detect the language you speak and automatically switch between them. If you are multilingual, be aware that speech recognition for languages ​​other than English can sometimes be below average.
Updating your language pack may also resolve your issue. In the same menu vocal , go to Offline speech recognition and download or update your English language pack.
3. Check the microphone on your device
As a voice system, Google Assistant relies on uninterrupted access to your smartphone’s microphone. When you open the Google app, the microphone icon on the right side of the search bar should appear in bold, with fully formed lines. If it has a dotted line, you may have a problem with your microphone.
This could be due to debris in the small microphone hole, often located next to the charging port. Do this carefully with a safety pin or similar object to clean it, and you will often correct the problem. If that doesn’t work, check the microphone settings in the Google app.
There may be some background applications that may make noise that may interfere with the microphone picking up your voice. Check them out, too – and shut off any ones you think may be making noise.
4. Disable S Voice or Bixby if you have a Samsung
While there’s no clear reason, Google Assistant doesn’t always seem compatible with Bixby (or the older S Voice app) on Samsung phones. If you have a Samsung with Bixby or S Voice installed and prefer to use Google’s voice assistant, your best bet might be to turn off Bixby or S Voice completely on your device. To do this, just locate the app icon for S Voice or Bixby, then long press on it and select Deactivate .
5. Exclude all simple solutions
It might be obvious, but Google Assistant needs either Wi-Fi or mobile data to work. So make sure your device is connected before starting a search. Also, and this is probably the oldest tip in the book, it never hurts to do a quick reboot – sometimes the magic really does happen. Finally, make sure that the “Ok Google” detection is activated. To do this, open the Google app, then its main menu, then go to Settings > Voice (under Research )> “Voice correspondence” detection . From there, activate the feature.
6. Use the “Ok Google” voice model
Sometimes, for unknown reasons, Google Assistant won’t keep the commands you gave it. If all else fails, maybe it’s time to retrain your digital companion.
- Settings open> Google> Research > Voice
- Make sure the access with voice correspondence is activated .
- From there, tap Retrain the voice model and repeat “OK Google” and “Hey Google” when prompted.
- The assistant should respond to your voice normally again.
Have you had any issues with Google Assistant? Did we miss any useful fixes? Let us know below.
