How to Turn “OK Google” On and Off on Android

Google Assistant is a handy tool for when you want to control your phone without physically touching it. But the voice-activated feature can be a problem when it keeps picking up everything you say and interrupting your conversations with unnecessary updates or queries regarding the words you’re speaking.

There are also users who feel uncomfortable with the notion of Google listening in on everything they say and keeping a record of it. Fortunately, the following simple steps can be used to disable Google Assistant.

Also read: How to Find and Erase Your Google Assistant Voice Commands

Turn On “OK Google” Voice Recognition

Open your Android device and go to the Settings menu, which is the list of options the phone offers you to customize it.

Scroll down the list of options until you see the section titled “Google.” Click on this section to open the customization features that the search engine giant offers for your Android phone.

Select “Account Services.”

Choose “Search, Assistant & Voice.”

Tap “Voice.”

Under “Hey Google,” tap “Voice Match.”

Toggle the “Hey Google” option to On. If you don’t want it on, toggle the switch to Off. You can also toggle the “While Driving” option on and off in order to control Google Maps while you drive.

If you’re turning “OK Google” on for the first time, you’ll be taken step by step through how to set up a voice profile. This ensures Google only responds to your voice. It’s especially useful if others around you are using “OK Google” on their devices. While others can use your device, they’ll need to open the Google app first or use your “OK Google” button on your device. (Availability depends on your device manufacturer and version.)

Enable or Disable Google Assistant

The previous option just deals with voice control for OK Google. If you want to completely enable or disable Google Assistant, you’ll need to go a step further.

Go to Settings, and access the Google section of your Settings page. Tap “Account Services” and select “Search, Assistant & Voice.” The steps are similar to the previous section until this point.

Now, tap “Google Assistant.”

Your Google Profile page will be brought up in front of you. Scroll sideways to the left to be presented with the “Assistant” section of the profile. This page carries the details regarding your profile which Google uses so that the AI assistant can interact with you.

Scroll down until you see the Assistant Devices option, under which you will find a Phone option and an “Add a device” option. Click on the Phone.

This brings you to a new page where the first option is simply titled Google Assistant. Toggle this option on or off by tapping on the button highlighted in blue next to it.

Wrapping Up

“Ok Google” can be convenient for the times when you are unable to use your hands to interact with your phone, but the technology behind the feature is still far from perfect. And, of course, there are also privacy concerns that arise in relation to such a program.

With the steps mentioned above, you can turn this feature on whenever you feel like it (such as when you want an article read out loud) and turn it off again at a later date according to your preferences.