Top 20 Google Home Features You Can't-Miss

Since its launch in November 2016, Google Home is now available in millions of devices. Much of this success is mostly due to the intelligent Google Assistant, which has answers to almost everything. Even better, new Google Home features are being added by the day to make your experience more entertaining. So without much ado, let's discuss some of the best Google Home features that make it an essential cog of your smart home. Let's dive in!

This is undoubtedly one of the most critical Google Home features. Today, the Google Assistant controls 1000+ smart-home products from popular brands like Nest, LG, GE, and more. For example, you can ask Google Home to turn off the lights, turn or off a microwave, and so on. Just install the Google Home Hub and control all your smart home devices on the go.

Making hands-free calls is another important feature of the Google Home smart speaker. Here's the thing; this device can make calls to any of your Google Contacts. All you need to say is Hey Google, call so and so… and it will dial automatically. Surprisingly, this smart device recognizes voices as well. So if you're sharing the same Google Home device, it will know exactly whose contact to call.

You can use Google Home to order for an Uber taxi at any time. All that you need to do is to link your Uber account to Google Home and then say Ok Google, get me an Uber. You'll see one in front of your house in no time. To link your Uber account, click Settings > More Settings > Services on the Home app.

To add to your Uber account, you can also link your WhatsApp account to Google Home. After connecting successfully, you can command Google Home by simply saying Ok Google, send a WhatsApp message to so and so. You can now dictate to it your message and Google Home will send it automatically.

More often than not, you'll find yourself misplacing your smartphone around the house. But thanks to IFTTT, you can easily bypass this terror moment by just saying Ok Google, find my phone and the Assistant will call your phone straightaway. After you've found your phone, answer the phone call, and Home will say Hooray! You've found your phone. But of course, this feature is only useful if your phone is not on silent mode.

Today, hands-free TV viewing is as easy as it gets. Although the Amazon Alexa is a champ in this department, Google Assistant is giving it a run for its money. Just get the Logitech Harmony remote control and connect it to Google Home. This way, you can switch on your TV by just saying Ok Google, turn on the TV and enjoy.

If you're a Twitter zombie, don't worry about grabbing your phone every time you want to post anything. Just connect your Twitter account to Google Home and then say Ok Google, tweet. You can now dictate your Tweet details. And yes, similar features are available for LinkedIn and Facebook.

Sometimes you can be late from work, and you need to know when the nearby grocery store or pharmacy will be closing. In that case, you can command Google Home by just saying Ok Google, check when the nearest grocery store is closing and you'll immediately get the results for the closest one to your home.

For quite some time now, Google Home has been able to speak in different languages, including Dutch, English, Italian, and more. However, recent updates enable you to talk to Home interchangeably between languages. Sadly, this feature applies only to English, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish languages.

If you're that person who requires some extra push to get up and go to the gym or out for a run, Google Home has your back. You can set this smart device to remind you of a specific time to work out each day.

The last thing you'd want after leaving your home late for work is to meet your usual road jam-packed for various reasons. Fortunately, you can ask Google Home for the traffic conditions in your regular route before leaving home. This way, you can take an alternative route if Google Home says your usual one is packed.

You will soon be able to play DEEZER music on your Google Home smart speaker. This will add to your long music collection, which includes the likes of Spotify, YouTube Music, and Google Music. DEEZER is quite different from the rest because it allows you to curate a playlist based on your listening habits. The playlist is called Flow. To play it, simply say Ok Google, play my Flow.

Google I/O is an annual developers conference where tech-savvy individuals attend seminars and courses to learn about the latest Google software offerings. Unfortunately, the 2020 Google I/O conference is cancelled due to the coronavirus fears. That aside, you can ask Google Home questions regarding any session at the I/O. Although it won't give you much, you'll still get some useful information about the conference.

Another Google Home feature that is worth mentioning is its ability to make you an expert sous chef. It can read you some mouthwatering recipe instructions as you continue cooking. It features over 5 million food recipes from Food Network, Bon Appetit, and more. All you need to do is to find a method of your choice and then choose Send to Google Home via Google Assistant or Search. After that, just say Start recipe or Start cooking and Home will give you the step-by-step instructions.

If you already have a Nest thermostat, Google Home can control your room temperature seamlessly. Just command Home by saying Ok Google, set the temperature to 15 degrees and that will be done automatically. Honestly, it does not get any better!

Google Home also allows you to order food minus using a delivery app. This functionality works thanks to the partnership between Google and delivery companies such as Postrmates, Domino's, DoorDash, and ChowNow. So, let's say you want to order a pizza from the Domino's. In that case, just set up an Easy Order on your Pizza Profile and the command Ok Google, talk to Domino's. You'll enjoy your automated pizza life after that.

If your kids tend to take too long or too short in the bathroom, Google Home is an able prefect. For example, you can set their toothbrush time to be 2 minutes on Home and then say Hey Google, toothbrush time to begin the countdown. When the alarm bells go off, your little ones will automatically know that their time is out.

Still, on bathroom affairs, you can use Home in your bathroom to stay updated on important news and weather forecasts as you get ready. By the time you're done cleaning up, you should know what to wear and what's going on in the political scene. Just hop into the bathroom and give a command by saying Ok Google, good morning.

There is a myriad of games that you can enjoy with your Google Home. The game collection here is tailor-made for adults, children, and families. You can play Ding Dong Coconut, Math Logic, Mystery Sounds, Song Pop, Freeze Dance, and many more. For instance, you can just command, Hey Google, let's play Mystery Sounds.

Did you know that you can stream music from Home to your Bluetooth headphones or speakers? Well, you can now blast music via your headphones without having to disturb your quite-loving neighbors. Just connect your Google Home app to your headphone and smart speaker via Bluetooth and pair them up to start enjoying. You can even pair the Home to several headphones or speakers. To disconnect, just say Hey Google, disconnect Bluetooth.

Final Words

As the smart speaker war is heating up, it's evident that Google Home is positioning itself as the ultimate choice thanks to the intelligent Google Assistant. You simply need to say Ok Google and command your smart speaker.