It’s finally here. After months of waiting, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 owners can finally access Google Assistant directly from their wrists. The voice assistant doesn’t simply appear automatically, though, so you’ll need to jump through a few hoops to activate it. But don’t fret; the process is involved but definitely worth the effort. Read on to learn how to use Google Assistant on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.
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Once you’ve installed Google Assistant on your Galaxy Watch 4, say Hey Google to summon the voice assistant.
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How to set up Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4
Before getting Google Assistant up and running on your Galaxy Watch 4, make sure you’ve installed the Assistant app on your smartphone. Is it installed? Good. Now, restart your phone and Galaxy Watch 4. Once both devices are up and running, follow the steps below.
- Open the Play Store on your Galaxy Watch 4, then scroll down to the My Apps button. Tap it.
- You should see Assistant has a pending update. Tap Update beneath it to update the app.
- Once the update completes, tap Open.
- Tap Get started to begin Assistant’s set up on your Galaxy Watch 4.
- Tap Open on phone to activate on the next screen to continue the process on your phone. You may have to wait a while for your phone to connect to your watch.
- On your phone, tap Activate on the Activate Google Assistant screen.
- If you want Google Assistant to activate when Hey Google is uttered, tap Next. If you don’t, tap No thanks. Both options will advance the setup procedure.
- To allow Assistant access to your calendar, contact, and message details, tap Turn On. Tap No thanks if not.
- Tap Got it on the next screen.
- Finally, tap Done to complete the setup.
Congrats! Your Galaxy Watch 4 should now have access to Google Assistant’s wealth of commands.
Yes. You can set Bixby and Google Assistant to launch in various ways on the Galaxy Watch 4 using button taps or hot words.
How to use Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4
Andy Walker / Android Authority
There are two ways to rouse Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4. You can activate it using the Home button or summon it using the Hey Google hot word. Find more details on both below.
Set Google Assistant to launch on a Home button press
If you hate Bixby, you can set Google Assistant to launch when pressing the watch’s home button. This option is disabled by default, so you’ll need to enable it using the steps below.
- Open the watch’s Settings app, then head to Advanced Features > Customize keys.
- Under the Home key section, you can choose Assistant to launch with a double press or press and hold.
Set Google Assistant to launch with a hot word
Unlike the home button method, you can activate Assistant on your watch by saying Hey Google if you’ve enabled hot word recognition during setup. To disable it, follow the steps below.
- Open the watch’s Settings app, then head to Google > Assistant.
- Toggle off “Hey Google” to disable the hot word activation.
- Toggle off Speech output to disable read-aloud answers through the Galaxy Watch 4’s speakers.
What can you do with Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4?
As on other supported devices, Google Assistant supports a host of commands on the Galaxy Watch 4. You can control supported smart home products, ask for the weather conditions or news, get sports results, open apps, set alarms, request directions, control Spotify and YouTube Music, and more.
We’ve tried most of Google Assistant’s more popular commands and found that most were accepted and effectively answered. Even special queries, like “Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?” or “Tell me a joke” work really well. Asking Assistant to show you pictures of cats will produce a reel of chonkers right on your wrist. Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4 is surprisingly complete.
See also: The Google Assistant commands you should know
Problems with Google Assistant running on Galaxy Watch
Andy Walker / Android Authority
If you already have Google Assistant installed on your smartphone and updated the app on your watch, you shouldn’t run into any issues. However, we have noted a few problems that might affect your experience. For a list of problems and potential solutions, peruse the list below.
Assistant isn’t available on my watch
Samsung is rolling out Assistant to the watch in a phased manner, so some countries and regions inevitably miss out. However, there might be a simple workaround.
- Open Assistant, tap the Explore button > your profile icon > Settings > Languages on your phone. Set English (United States) as the default.
- Once complete, restart your phone and watch.
- When your watch is back up and running, try setting up Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4 once more by following the steps outlined above.
Samsung confirmed that Assistant will initially roll out to the Galaxy Watch 4 in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, UK and USA.
Hey Google isn’t working on my watch
- If your watch is hanging on the “Still setting up Hey Google” error message, ensure your smartphone and Galaxy Watch 4 have a solid Wi-Fi connection. Your devices will need a data connection to complete the setup.
- If your watch doesn’t activate Assistant when you say Hey Google, consider retraining Assistant to recognize your voice.
- Open Assistant on your phone, tap the Explore button > your profile icon > Settings > Hey Google & Voice Match. Tap the Other devices tab, then tap Teach your Assistant your voice again. Tap Retrain and run through the process.
See also: Google Assistant not working? Here’s how to fix it
