YOUR Android phone has some clever features that you’ve probably overlooked.
These “golden ticket” loopholes allow you to perform a variety of tricks that can save you time every day.
Google Assistant offers endless “loopholes” to help you get tasks done faster on AndroidCredit: Google
Billions of Android users around the world are stuck typing and swiping on their devices.
But the voice-controlled Google Assistant can give you some serious upgrades.
In a blog post by Google Insiders, an expert urged Android fans to check out four phrases that will instantly improve your device.
“You can ask your Google Assistant to do tasks on your Android phone (running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later),” said Sagar Kamdar, Google’s director of product management.
“First say ‘OK Google’ and then try ‘take a screenshot’, ‘turn on the flashlight’ or ‘open WiFi settings’.
“You can even ask to take a selfie – this will open the camera app and start a countdown. Cheeeeeeeese.”
These are all great tips – “golden tickets” to an easier life – but how do you actually start using the Google Assistant? It’s easy enough.
How to use Google Assistant on an Android phone
Google Assistant is like a voice controlled virtual helper for your Android device.
It’s really powerful, but you have to set it up first.
To get started, you need a device that meets the following criteria:
Android 5.0+ with 1 GB or more available storage Android 6.0+ with 1.5 GB or more available storage Google App Version 6.13 or higher Google Play Services 720p or higher screen resolution A device with a supported language (English is included)
If you’ve bought an Android device in the past few years, you’re almost certainly good to go.
To be sure, check your Android version by going to the Settings app and then About phone > Android version.
Now hold the Home button to turn on Google Assistant.
From there, you can just say Hey Google to issue an order.
And if you have a device running Android 8.0 or higher, you can even say “Hey Google” when the device is locked.
You can also change your preferred communication style with Google Assistant.
Say “Hey Google, open Assistant settings,” then go to General > Preferred input.
This allows you to choose voice or keyboard commands – although voice is generally considered the best for quick typing.
