Google continues to work to replace the old voice typing technology with Google Assistant. The software giant has begun testing the possibility of leveraging Google Assistant for voice searches in the Chrome browser for Android, after rolling out enhanced voice typing powered by Google Assistant for Gboard users on Pixel phones.
Use Google Assistant Voice Search in Chrome for Android
Google is currently testing Assistant-based voice search in Chrome and currently not available by default. In this post, we’ll go over how you can enable the feature right now and how it differs based on the current voice search mechanism.
Enable Google Assistant for Voice Search in Chrome
1. Open Google Chrome on your Android phone and Visit chrome://flags. In the search box that now appears, Search for ‘Omnibox Assistant Voice Search’. Alternatively, you can paste the address below into your Chrome’s address bar.
chrome://flags/#omnibox-assistant-voice-search
2. Tap the drop-down list and you will find the option to enable the Chrome flag. Here you have the option to choose a gray or colored icon for the microphone. Choose the one you like the most and restart the browser.
Google Assistant Voice Typing and Legacy Google Voice Input
Now that you know how to enable the new Assistant powered voice search experience in Chrome, you may be wondering what exactly is different between the two apps. The first visual change you will notice, Tapping the microphone icon on Chrome’s homepage will take you to Google Assistant. The new assistant-powered voice search looks like this:
For comparison, the following GIF shows how the current (legacy) app looks and behaves:
Appearances aside, one of the most important advantages of having Assistant is, use smart home controls directly from Chrome. Of course, just ‘Hey Google!’ may not be as appropriate. special word, but having the option to turn lights on/off or play music on a smart speaker in Chrome might come in handy for some users. Another plus point of using Assistant for voice calls is that it works better when multiple languages are involved.
Try Google Assistant Voice Search on Chrome for Android
While the feature is currently behind an experimental flag, we can expect a transition to Assistant for voice searches in Chrome in the near future. You can enable the feature right away and get used to it before Google flips the key. So, are you someone who regularly uses Google Assistant for voice searches? If you are, you shouldn’t miss the list of Google Assistant tricks we’ve compiled to help you use Assistant better.
