One of the easiest and coolest ways to launch Google Assistant on an Android smartphone is to invoke the invoke command – OK Google. However, Google Assistant is surprisingly unresponsive to the command for some users. To help you fix this anomaly, we’ve listed seven possible solutions in the section below.
Also, it would be a little awkward if you kept saying ‘OK Google’ with different tones and expressions. This will not fix the glitch. A simple device restart will get the ‘OK Google’ command working again. If that doesn’t work, try the fixes below.
1. Try an Alternate Command
Google Assistant is popularly activated by many Android users who use the special word ‘OK Google’. On some devices, Assistant only surprisingly responds to “Hey Google”. However, some users can activate Assistant using both special words – ‘OK Google’ and ‘Hey Google’.
If your device’s Google Assistant is not responding to the ‘OK Google’ command, try ‘Hey Google’. If that doesn’t work either, there’s likely some glitch in your Google Assistant app or voice command configuration.
2. Clear Google App Cache Data
Clearing an app’s cache data can help you fix it when it’s slow, malfunctioning, or some features aren’t working. Clearing the cache of the Google app can (and should) help the Google Assistant OK Google command work again on your device.
You need to launch Android Settings menu and go to Apps & notifications > App info > Google > Storage & cache and tap on Clear Cache button.
Try saying the custom word OK Google (or Hey Google) and check if Google Assistant is enabled.
3. Enable Google Assistant Voice Activation
You should also check if your smartphone’s Google Assistant is configured to respond to OK Google or Hey Google. Otherwise, saying these commands will yield no results, no matter how many times you say them to your device.
Follow the steps below to enable voice activation of Google Assistant on your Android device.
Stage 1: Launch the Google app and tap More in the lower right corner.
Step 2: Next, select Settings.
Stage 3: Choose Sound.
Step 4: Tap Voice Match in the Hey Google section.
Step 5: Now, check if the Hey Google option is turned on. If disabled, open the Hey Google command and tap to enable it.
Note: Depending on your device manufacturer or Android OS version, the Voice Match option/custom word may be ‘Ok Google’ and not ‘Hey Google’ as shown in the screenshot above.
4. Check Google Language Settings
Google Assistant currently supports more than 30 languages on Android devices. If the OK Google command is not working on your device, make sure that the language you speak corresponds to your device’s default Google language(s).
Stage 1: Launch the Google app and tap More in the lower right corner.
Step 2: Next, select Settings.
Stage 3: Choose Sound.
Step 4: Tap Languages.
Step 5: Select your language(s) from the list and press Save.
Let’s say you’ve selected Français, Italiano, and Deutsch, your Google Assistant will respond when you say ‘Hey Google’ or ‘OK Google’ in the respective languages.
5. Disable Battery Saver
Android’s built-in Battery Saver can also temporarily disable Google Assistant if it detects that the feature is draining your device’s battery excessively. This causes the OK Google command to not work.
Disable your battery saver and check if your device responds to the OK Google command.
Stage 1: Launch the Android Settings menu and select Battery.
Step 2: Choose Battery Saver.
Stage 3: Tap the ‘Turn Off Now’ button to disable Battery Saver.
If the OK Google command still doesn’t work, try disabling Adaptive Battery Saver. Go to Settings > Battery > Adaptive Battery and turn it off.
Now say the OK Google special word again and see if Google Assistant is enabled.
6. Update Google Play Services
To use Google Assistant, your Android device must always have Google Play Services updated to the latest version. Visit the Google Play Services page in the Google Play Store to install or update the app on your device.
7. Retrain Google Assistant
Another reason why the OK Google command is not working on your Android device is that Google Assistant is no longer recognizing your voice or is having trouble recognizing it. In this case, you may need to retrain the Assistant with your voice model.
Launch the Google app and tap More > Settings > Voice > Voice Match > Retrain voice model. Follow the prompts and say the commands displayed on your screen to retrain Google Assistant.
Final Checks
Google Assistant supports devices running Android 5.0 Lollipop or later. If none of the above is getting the OK Google command to work on your device, you should update the operating system to the latest supported version. Additionally, make sure you have enough space left on your device; A minimum of 1GB – 1.5GB internal storage is required for Google Assistant to work efficiently. You should also check if your device’s microphone is blocked or covered with dirt or grime. This may cause Google Assistant not to recognize your voice when you say the custom word ‘OK Google’ or ‘Hey Google’.
Next: Google Assistant keeps track of every activity, conversation and also records your voice. Read the article linked below to learn how to delete Google Assistant History on Android devices.
