Schedule future actions with Google Assistant

Google Assistant is rolling out a scheduled action feature worldwide.
Image: Google via AFP Relaxnews.

Google Assistant users will soon be able to plan new, upcoming smart home actions by voice command. An action can now be triggered a few minutes or a few days after being programmed; such features were previously limited to immediate actions. Google is the first on the market to offer this type of virtual assistant feature.

This trick concerns every home device connected to your virtual assistant. You can choose to turn on your bedroom lights at a set time or schedule your morning coffee by saying, “OK Google, turn on the lights in five minutes,” or “OK Google, turn on the coffee maker at 8am.”

The new feature allows users to schedule an action but also to define its duration: “OK Google, play Billie Eilish on Spotify for 30 minutes.”

You can program the requests for the same day or any time in the next seven days. Note that you will need to be really precise in your request. If you only schedule an action for “tomorrow” or “next week,” the Assistant won’t be able to process it. You will need to specify the exact day and hour. If you change your mind, you’ll be able to cancel those requests by saying: “OK Google, cancel my scheduled actions.”

This feature, announced at the beginning of the year by Google, is currently being rolled out worldwide. Amazon will likely soon follow suit with its virtual assistant Alexa. CC

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