Google Home, as you know is a smart speaker from Google. You’d have used it all these while for listening to music, getting some info from the internet all by voice commands. What if you’ve multiple Google Home speakers at your home across rooms, halls or stairs? Well, you could do more than just listening to music by leveraging the Intercom-like broadcast feature of Google Home smart speakers.
Must See: Difference between Echo Dot Vs Google Home Mini
Eager to know, how is it done? Well, go through the guide to find out what you can do using broadcast to create a personal intercom system.
Guide to use Google Home as an intercom
With the ‘cool’ Broadcast feature, you can send a message from a speaker or your phone to all other speakers and then await any replies. For instance, if you’ve got several Google Assistant-powered speakers in the house – such as a Google Nest Mini upstairs and a Nest Hub in the living room, you can broadcast a message from your phone to all the Google Home speakers in a unison.
For example, if your spouse wakes-up late always, you can send an audio message (and transcription in cases you need) from wherever you’re commanding to wake-up from your phone to Google Home speaker on your living room.
How to broadcast using Google Assistant
Leveraging broadcast feature is not a hard nut to crack. Make sure you connect your Google Assistant-powered gadgets to the same Wi-Fi network and with a Google account(need not be the same account) signed in on each of them.
Requirements
- Two or more Google Assistant speakers or displays. It can be a speaker and a Google-assistant powered smartphone or two or more Google Home speakers.
- All speakers or displays connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- The gadgets should be signed to a Google account.
- Do Not Disturb and Downtime feature should be off.
- Google Nest or Home device must be on firmware version is 1.39154941 or higher.
When you do a broadcast, though, it’s worth nothing that it will play on all speakers that are signed in to the same Google account as the speaker you’re speaking into – except the one you’re speaking into, of course.
You can also broadcast from Google Assistant on your phone, whether that’s an Android or iPhone – just make sure you have both the Assistant and Home app downloaded and set up, and do not disturb is off.
Google Broadcast Command Format and Examples
If you just want to use your Google Home as a personal assistant system, here are a few ways you can do it. Make sure to follow the format as given below.
| To do this: | Say “Hey Google/Ok Google,” then: |
| Create a custom message | “Broadcast <message>”
You can also use the commands “shout,” “tell everyone,” or “announce” instead of “broadcast.” |
Some of the common phrases you can broadcast:
- Hey Google, broadcast lunch is ready.
- Ok Google, shout lunch is ready.
- Hey Google, tell everyone lunch is ready.
- Ok Google, announce lunch is ready.
As per Google’s suggestions; if you use the exact phrases given below, the message also broadcasts on the speaker you’re broadcasting from for some reason.
- Hey Google, broadcast wake up everyone.
- Ok Google, shout it’s time for breakfast.
- Hey Google, tell everyone it’s time to play.
- Ok Google, announce I’m going.
- Hi Google, shout it’s sleep time.
- Ok Google, tell everyone the movie is about to start.
- Hey Google, broadcast I’ll be home soon (from Google Assistant on your mobile while on a ride or outside).
Also Read: Android TV UI update takes it closer to Google TV
Reply to a broadcast
After a broadcast is done you can reply and the reply will only be sent to the original broadcasting device. Other Google Nest or Home devices and mobile devices in the intercom will not get your reply.
The reply format is given below:
| To do this: | Say “Hey Google/Ok Google,” then: |
| Reply to a broadcast |
|
Enjoy!
