10 ways to have fun with Google Assistant
Google Assistant is great for helping with things like playing music, turning lights on and off and finding what the weather’s doing, but there are a lot of fun things it can do that you might not know of.
Like Apple Siri and Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant is a voice-recognition app that sits inside your Google gadgets and carries out your instructions.
You’ll find it installed on Google Nest (formerly Google Home) speakers and smart displays, Android Auto systems in cars, on Android TVs, on Wear OS watches and on Android Marshmallow and Nougat phones.
At home, our Google Home Max speaker in the family room has become indispensable. The family is constantly giving it instructions or asking it questions like: “Hey Google, play Radio Paradise”*, “Turn the lights on”, “Is it going to rain tonight?” and “Set timer for 20 minutes”.
But there’s a playful side to it as well. Here’s how to have fun with Google Assistant (note that you can use either “Hey Google” or “OK Google”):
1. Hey Google, tell me a joke
These will either make you laugh or groan … and probably fall under the “dad joke” category. Here’s an example:
“I hope you like this one:
“What did the one shark say to the other one while eating a clownfish?
“This tastes funny”
(Cue maniacal laughter.)
2. Hey Google, pull my finger
Childish? Yes. Funny? Hell, yes!
3. Hey Google, I’m feeling lucky
This command launches a trivia game of five questions for one person or a group. Google will give you a nickname and start asking the questions. Once you’ve answered, Google will give the answer and a short explanation. At the end of the game, Google will tell you your scores. Here’s an example question:
“What does the British phrase ‘trouble and strife mean? Knife, wife or rush hour traffic?”
4. Hey Google, sing me Happy Birthday
This is a good one for anyone spending their birthday in COVID quarantine or lockdown. It varies slightly from time to time, but here’s an example:
“Happy birthday to you,
“Happy birthday to you,
“Happy birthday to themostamazingpersonintheuniverse
“Happy birthday to you!”
5. Hey Google, play Puzzle of the Day
This is a daily crossword-style puzzle – think of newspaper crossword clues done with your voice. You can get straight into it or start with a tutorial. Each correct answer you give will score you points. At any time, you can skip to the next word, reveal a letter, ask for more time or give up. At the end of the game, you will be able to bet some or all of your points on guessing the theme of the questions asked – double or nothing. If the game is interrupted, next time you start a game Google will remind you that you have a game underway. You can even join the Puzzle League, which gives you access to previous and member-only puzzles.
6. Hey Google, play Song Quiz
Song Quiz by Volley Inc. is the No.1 voice game on Google Assistant. You’re first asked to select between one and four players, then each player gives their name and where they’re from. If you’re playing on your own, then Song Quiz will find you an opponent – mine was Caitlin from Australia. You choose a pop music decade from the 1960s to the 2010s and each player will be given seven questions. A music clip will play, and you need to name the song title and artist for 10 points each. A harder bonus round at the end gives you the chance to redeem yourself with 40 points. If you stop at any time, you or anyone in your household will be able to pick up the game where you left off. Excellent fun.
7. Hey Google, play Mad Libs
In this game, Google Assistant will ask you for a selection of words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc) and use them to replace the blanks in a short story. This was mine:
Instructions for the babysitter: The boys can watch an hour of television before turning off the trees in their rooms. Make sure they do not watch any adult or violent dogs. If there are any phone calls make sure you do not identify yourself as the fishsitter. Take a message and write it on the swimming pool provided. Remember the baby gets his warm beer at about six o’clock. If the baby starts to swell in his crib, make sure you change his diaper. If you have any massive questions, please page us. Good luck!
8. Ask Google Assistant a line from a movie
If there’s a classic line or question in a movie, the chances are good that Google Assistant will have the next line down pat – or a snappy answer. Here are some I tried:
Hey Google, surely you can’t be serious?
I am serious … and don’t call me Shirley.
Airplane! (1980)
Hey Google, aren’t you a little short to be a Storm Trooper?
Classic sibling quarrel!
Star Wars (1977)
Hey Google, who you gonna call?
I usually call Bill Murray when I have ghost troubles, but he never picks up.
Ghostbusters (1984)
9. Ask Google Assistant to make animal noises
This is a great one for little kids. Ask Google Assistant to make the noise of an animal – “Hey Google, make the sound of an elephant” – and there’s a strong chance it will be able to play it. It was stumped on the sound of a sloth, though …
10. Ask Google Assistant anything that comes into your head
It’s actually pretty cool how much thought and tech has gone into Google Assistant. Just have fun and ask it anything you can think of. Sometimes you’ll hit a wall and get an “I’m sorry but I don’t understand” type response, but often you’ll be well rewarded.
Hey Google, how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Thank you for this thoughtful question. Every woodchuck is different, each with their own hypothetical chucking abilities. Still, from my read of the literature, one would have to chuck at least their own body weight to be competitive.
* Radio Paradise gets an honorary mention because it’s my favourite internet radio station. Run by Bill and Rebecca Goldsmith, it gives you an expertly curated playlist that is constantly surprising and entertaining. Each song takes its cues from the previous one and the moods and genres ebb and flow through the day. One minute you might be listening to the blues, and a few songs later it’s morphed into Saharan rock or Billie Eilish. You can hear this independent station on any radio app or at radioparadise.com – or just ask Google!
