Top Tips for Google Assistant

[Deleted User]

A thread for Google Assistant tips, please note when posting tips say what device you’re on (Home, Home Mini, phone, home one with screen). 

My (not so secret) tip is you can make phone calls from it and have your mobile number show up at the other end - it also helps if the device is in a room with phone signal!

RumRat

Google Home hub (4), Google Home Mini (4), Lenovo clock, Samsung Phone, Samsung TV, Sonos Beam, Wifes Phone....All have Google assistant.
To cut down on commands I just tell it the radio station or service I want, i.e Hey Google Radio 6 Music, rather than play or stream Radio 6 Music. 
Routines helps with managing all the smart lights and TV etc. 
Customise your daily report so that it gives you the information you want when you ask "Tell me about my day"
Sync your Google calendar with it.

Doshwaster

I've got 3 Minis, a Home Display (or whatever they are called with the recent Nest rebranding), a Chromecast,a few smart switches and lightbulbs. Thinking about getting an outside security camera.
I'm always misplacing my mobile around the house so my favourite command is "OK Google. Ring my phone"
I started off with an Amazon Echo but I don't use it any more. Google's search intelligence is much better and it helps if you are fully embedded in the Google ecosystem of services. I just wish my Assistant could access my work Office365 calendar

RumRat

Doshwaster said:

I've got 3 Minis, a Home Display (or whatever they are called with the recent Nest rebranding), a Chromecast,a few smart switches and lightbulbs. Thinking about getting an outside security camera.
I'm always misplacing my mobile around the house so my favourite command is "OK Google. Ring my phone"
I started off with an Amazon Echo but I don't use it any more. Google's search intelligence is much better and it helps if you are fully embedded in the Google ecosystem of services. I just wish my Assistant could access my work Office365 calendar

I was looking at this for another reason the other day and figure it might be worth you looking at.....Calendar Bridge.

[Deleted User]

Doshwaster said:

I've got 3 Minis, a Home Display (or whatever they are called with the recent Nest rebranding), a Chromecast,a few smart switches and lightbulbs. Thinking about getting an outside security camera.
I'm always misplacing my mobile around the house so my favourite command is "OK Google. Ring my phone"
I started off with an Amazon Echo but I don't use it any more. Google's search intelligence is much better and it helps if you are fully embedded in the Google ecosystem of services. I just wish my Assistant could access my work Office365 calendar

Woah, that’s a lot of tech! I will try to sync google calendar but with the way our family’s Google accounts are set up it may be different to actually just do mine!

RumRat

GabiB said:

Doshwaster said:

I've got 3 Minis, a Home Display (or whatever they are called with the recent Nest rebranding), a Chromecast,a few smart switches and lightbulbs. Thinking about getting an outside security camera.
I'm always misplacing my mobile around the house so my favourite command is "OK Google. Ring my phone"
I started off with an Amazon Echo but I don't use it any more. Google's search intelligence is much better and it helps if you are fully embedded in the Google ecosystem of services. I just wish my Assistant could access my work Office365 calendar

Woah, that’s a lot of tech! I will try to sync google calendar but with the way our family’s Google accounts are set up it may be different to actually just do mine!

Did you mean difficult?...If you have all set up Voice recognition correctly it should only give you your calendar details. If you all also have a joint calendar, it will be linked to your account and give you details from that as well. 

Doshwaster

RumRat said:

Doshwaster said:

I've got 3 Minis, a Home Display (or whatever they are called with the recent Nest rebranding), a Chromecast,a few smart switches and lightbulbs. Thinking about getting an outside security camera.
I'm always misplacing my mobile around the house so my favourite command is "OK Google. Ring my phone"
I started off with an Amazon Echo but I don't use it any more. Google's search intelligence is much better and it helps if you are fully embedded in the Google ecosystem of services. I just wish my Assistant could access my work Office365 calendar

I was looking at this for another reason the other day and figure it might be worth you looking at.....Calendar Bridge.

Trouble is work have a policy block on any "unauthorised" device connecting to Office365. I can't even access my work webmail from my personal laptop which seems to defeat the purpose of a cloud service. Previous employers who have used Office365 have had a more open approach.

RumRat

I feel your pain....

DoaM

My work do the same .... unless you register your personal device under their Bring Your Own Device scheme, albeit that is more focused on phones rather than laptops.

Doshwaster

DoaM said:

My work do the same .... unless you register your personal device under their Bring Your Own Device scheme, albeit that is more focused on phones rather than laptops.

Yes, I've got my personal phone enrolled so that I can get that synched with Office365 and Teams (but there is no way I'm doing the same with my laptop) but even Google Assistant on my phone can't access the Office365 data on the same phone.

RumRat

In danger of a thread drift here......