Google Assistant May Soon Activate Without a Voice Command

We're all used to waking up our virtual assistants using a phrase such as "OK Google" or "Hey Siri," but that may soon be a thing of the past, at least for Google Assistant.

As Android Central reports, firmware for the Nest Hub Max that's only meant to be used internally at Google has leaked, and with it revealed an experiment to remove the need for activation phrases from Assistant. Instead, Assistant will rely on sensors in a smart device to know when someone is nearby and automatically starts listening if they are close enough.

The video below shows the internal firmware in action thanks to Jan Boromeusz, and includes a new user interface and dark mode.

It's thought that Assistant is relying on ultrasound sensing technology to know when you are near. Google announced Nest displays were set to use ultrasound in December last year, but the main purpose was to figure out how far away you were standing so as to adjust what was displayed on screen. Someone at Google has clearly realized it can also be used to add more convenience to the experience of interacting with Assistant.

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Not having to speak every time you want Assistant to listen is certainly convenient, but it's asking us to trust that Assistant will only be listening when you are very close to a smart device. If this does make it out of internal testing, I suspect Google will include the option to disable it. However, we could soon be living in a world where nobody says "Hey Google" anymore.