Skip to content
— CH. 1 · THE 2016 DEBUT AND PIXEL EXCLUSIVITY —

Google Assistant

~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
7 sections

  • Google Assistant arrived on the 18th of May 2016, during a developer conference where CEO Sundar Pichai unveiled the technology alongside the Google Nest smart speaker and the Allo messaging app. The initial rollout restricted access to Google Pixel smartphones for several months after its launch. This exclusivity period ended in February 2017 when Google began enabling the assistant on Android devices running version 6.0.1 or 7.0 in select English-speaking markets. Tablets did not receive the feature during this specific expansion phase. By October 2017, the first laptop to include Google Assistant was the Google Pixelbook. The service later expanded to Wear OS 2.0 and eventually reached iOS as a standalone application in May 2017.

  • January 2018 marked the Consumer Electronics Show where the first Assistant-powered smart displays were announced by companies like Lenovo, Sony, JBL, and LG. These new devices combined voice interaction with video screens to show YouTube videos, GMaps directions, and smart camera footage. Google itself released the Google Nest Hub in October 2018 followed by the Google Nest Hub Max which utilized a different system platform. By 2020, the service had already been deployed on more than 1 billion devices globally. Third-party hardware partners integrated the software into cars from Audi and Volvo as well as home appliances from General Electric and D-Link.

  • December 2016 saw the launch of Actions on Google, a developer platform allowing third parties to build applications for the assistant. An April 2017 software development kit enabled developers to create their own hardware running the assistant. A competition incentivized these creators with cash prizes totaling $10,000 for first place and a Google Home device for second and third place winners. The program expanded to include early-stage startups investing in richer user experiences. Developers could incorporate custom commands for products ranging from fridges to washers while setting precise geographic locations for improved queries.

  • Kiki Baessell provided the original American female voice for the assistant starting in 2010 through the Google Voice voicemail system. the 8th of May 2018 introduced six new voice options including John Legend's voice using WaveNet technology developed by DeepMind. This synthesizer significantly reduced audio samples required from actors to create models. Issa Rae added an optional voice in October 2019 before it was removed in April 2022 due to unavailability. April 2019 brought major changes to popular audio games like Crystal Ball and Lucky Trivia which used text-to-speech voices to add expression. These features were fixed in May 2019 after a bug caused them to lose studio-quality voices.

  • May 2018 revealed Duplex as an extension allowing the assistant to carry out natural conversations mimicking human speech with filler words like hmm and uh. The limited release in late 2018 allowed Pixel users in Atlanta, New York, Phoenix, and San Francisco to make restaurant reservations autonomously. By October 2020, the service had expanded to businesses in eight countries. The system could recognize situations where it failed and signal a human operator to finish tasks. Critics raised concerns about ethical questions regarding deception when humans did not notice they spoke with a digital robot.

  • July 2019 saw Belgian public broadcaster VRT NWS publish an article revealing third-party contractors transcribed sensitive user information collected by Google Assistant. Analysis of over 1,000 recordings showed 153 instances recorded without the OK Google command including business calls or bedroom conversations. Germany's Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection initiated an administrative procedure on the 1st of August 2019 to prohibit Google from carrying out evaluations by employees for three months citing GDPR regulations. A spokesperson stated that Google paused language reviews in all European countries while investigating media leaks. The company acknowledged that only 0.2% of recordings were listened to by language experts to improve services.

  • October 2023 unveiled a mobile version of the Gemini chatbot originally titled Assistant with Bard during the Pixel 8 event. This new assistant was set to replace the original on Android devices although the legacy version remained optional. the 8th of February 2024 marked the release date for the United States market. the 14th of March 2025 announced that Assistant would stop working on Android devices using version 9 and higher as well as iOS and Google Nest hardware. The service continued support for low-range phones running Android 8.1 Oreo and lower versions.

Up Next

Amazon Alexa

Continue Browsing

Android (operating system) software

Common questions

When did Google Assistant arrive and which devices were initially available?

Google Assistant arrived on the 18th of May 2016 during a developer conference. The initial rollout restricted access to Google Pixel smartphones for several months after its launch.

What dates marked the expansion of Google Assistant to other platforms like iOS and Wear OS?

The service reached iOS as a standalone application in May 2017. It later expanded to Wear OS 2.0 following this mobile release.

Who provided the original voice for Google Assistant and when were new celebrity voices introduced?

Kiki Baessell provided the original American female voice for the assistant starting in 2010 through the Google Voice voicemail system. John Legend's voice was introduced on the 8th of May 2018 using WaveNet technology developed by DeepMind.

How many countries had Google Assistant Duplex deployed to businesses by October 2020?

By October 2020, the service had expanded to businesses in eight countries. The limited release in late 2018 allowed Pixel users in Atlanta, New York, Phoenix, and San Francisco to make restaurant reservations autonomously.

When did Germany initiate an administrative procedure against Google regarding user recordings?

Germany's Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection initiated an administrative procedure on the 1st of August 2019 to prohibit Google from carrying out evaluations by employees for three months citing GDPR regulations. A spokesperson stated that Google paused language reviews in all European countries while investigating media leaks.

What dates defined the end of support for older Android versions and the transition to Gemini chatbot features?

The 14th of March 2025 announced that Assistant would stop working on Android devices using version 9 and higher as well as iOS and Google Nest hardware. October 2023 unveiled a mobile version of the Gemini chatbot originally titled Assistant with Bard during the Pixel 8 event.

See all questions about Google Assistant →

All sources

108 references cited across the entry

  1. 1webGoogle Assistant
  2. 2webGoogle Assistant 0.1.884448652
  3. 3webSet up Google Assistant on your phone or tablet2019-06-18
  4. 4inlineThe future is AI, and Google just showed Apple how it's done Published October 5, 2016, Retrieved July 5, 2018
  5. 5newsGoogle is introducing a new Smart Display platformDieter Bohn — Vox Media — January 8, 2018
  6. 6webGoogle Assistant is already available on more than 1 billion devices.January 7, 2020
  7. 7inlineBen, Hannes, "The Future of Voice Commerce and Localisation" , Locaria, February 20, 2020
  8. 9webGoogle Assistant is having a Windows Copilot moment, and it's all thanks to AI
  9. 10webGoogle to let you use 'Classic Assistant' without Bard in the futureManuel Vonau — 2023-11-23
  10. 11webGoogle might rebrand 'Assistant with Bard' before launchAbner Li — 2024-01-16
  11. 12webGemini app brings Google AI to Android and iPhone, rolling out nowAbner Li — 2024-02-08
  12. 13webGoogle is officially dumping Assistant for GeminiJay Peters — 2025-03-14
  13. 14webGoogle unveils Google Assistant, a virtual assistant that's a big upgrade to Google NowMatthew Lynley — AOL — May 18, 2016
  14. 15webGoogle wants to make its next personal assistant more personable by giving it a childhoodChristian de Looper — May 31, 2016
  15. 16webPixel 'phone by Google' announcedVlad Savov — Vox Media — October 4, 2016
  16. 17webThe Google Assistant is coming to Marshmallow and Nougat Android phones starting this weekDieter Bohn — Vox Media — February 26, 2017
  17. 18webGoogle Assistant, its AI-based personal helper, rolls out to Nougat and Marshmallow handsetsIngrid Lunden — AOL — February 26, 2017
  18. 19webGoogle confirms wider Assistant rollout will not reach tabletsRita El Khoury — March 16, 2017
  19. 20webAndroid tablets aren't getting Google Assistant anytime soonJacob Kastrenakes — Vox Media — March 16, 2017
  20. 21webReport: Android Wear 2.0 to launch February 9Ron Amadeo — Condé Nast — January 17, 2017
  21. 22webThe Google Assistant is coming to Android TVNathan Ingraham — AOL — January 4, 2017
  22. 23webGoogle Assistant is coming to Android TV later this yearMicah Singleton — Vox Media — May 17, 2017
  23. 24webGoogle Assistant comes to every Android phone, 6.0 and upRon Amadeo — Condé Nast — February 26, 2017
  24. 25newsGoogle launches Pixelbook as first laptop with Google AssistantMatthew Field — October 4, 2017
  25. 26webGoogle Pixel Buds review: Google Assistant makes a home in your earsKhari Johnson — November 11, 2017
  26. 27webGoogle Assistant is coming to older Android phones and tabletsFrederic Lardinois — Oath Inc. — December 13, 2017
  27. 28webGoogle takes baby steps to monetize Google Assistant, Google HomeGreg Sterling — Search Engine Land — April 22, 2019
  28. 29webGoogle will announce Assistant for iOS soon, in the US only at launchDavid Ruddock — May 15, 2017
  29. 30webHey Siri, Google Assistant is on the iPhone nowNatt Garun — Vox Media — May 17, 2017
  30. 31webGoogle launches Google Assistant on the iPhoneRomain Dillet — AOL — May 17, 2017
  31. 32newsGoogle Assistant is coming to smart screens, rivaling Amazon Echo ShowEdward Baig — January 9, 2018
  32. 33newsCES showed us smart displays will be the new normalNicole Lee — January 13, 2018 — January 12, 2018
  33. 34newsGoogle Home Hub—Under the hood, it's nothing like other Google smart displays
  34. 35webGoogle Assistant will open up to developers in December with 'Actions on Google'Paul Miller — Vox Media — October 4, 2016
  35. 36webGoogle opens up its Assistant actions to developersCherlynn Low — AOL — December 8, 2016
  36. 37webGame developers rejoice—new tools for developing on Actions on GoogleSunil Vemuri — March 30, 2017
  37. 38webThird-party actions will soon work on Google Assistant on the phoneDieter Bohn — Vox Media — May 17, 2017
  38. 39webGoogle Actions expand to Android and iPhoneSarah Perez — AOL — May 17, 2017
  39. 40webGoogle Assistant gets an app directory with categories and sample commandsRyan Whitwam — May 18, 2017
  40. 41webGoogle is offering up to $10,000 to developers making Google Assistant actionsCorbin Davenport — May 29, 2017
  41. 42webThe Google Assistant SDK will let you run the Assistant on anythingRon Amadeo — Condé Nast — April 27, 2017
  42. 43webAnybody can make a Google Assistant gadget with this new toolkitDieter Bohn — Vox Media — April 27, 2017
  43. 44webGoogle voice control comes to the Raspberry Pi via new DIY kitScott Adam Gordon — May 4, 2017
  44. 45webYou can now use Google's AI to add voice commands to your Raspberry PiJames Vincent — Vox Media — May 4, 2017
  45. 46webGoogle Wants Android and Its Assistant to Power Your Car TooMark Gurman et al. — Bloomberg L.P. — May 15, 2017
  46. 47webAudi and Volvo will use Android as the operating system in upcoming carsSean O'Kane — Vox Media — May 15, 2017
  47. 48webGoogle Assistant can now control more appliances and smart home devices including Roomba, LG, GE, and D-LinkRita El Khoury — May 18, 2017
  48. 49webLG and GE add Google Assistant support to fridges, washers, ovens, and moreJacob Kastrenakes — Vox Media — May 17, 2017
  49. 50webGoogle Assistant makes its way to your large home appliancesMegan Wollerton — CBS Interactive — May 17, 2017
  50. 51webGoogle's latest Assistant SDK updates make third-party speakers smarterChaim Gartenberg — 2017-12-20
  51. 53webGoogle Assistant SDK updated with new languages and featuresWilliams Pelegrin — December 20, 2017
  52. 54webInvesting in startups and the future of the Google AssistantSanjay Kapoor et al. — May 2, 2018
  53. 55webThe new voice of Google VoiceJason Toff — Google — June 28, 2010
  54. 56webGoogle on Instagram: "Meet the new voice of your Google Assistant: @issarae! 🤩 She's taking over our story today—follow along or say "Hey Google, #TalkLikeIssa"..."
  55. 57webThe difference between Google Now and Google AssistantSarah Jacobsson Purewal — CBS Interactive — October 4, 2016
  56. 58webGoogle Assistant now helps with your shopping on Google Home (updated)Billy Steele — Oath — February 16, 2017
  57. 59webGoogle Home now lets you shop for everyday items with your voiceTaylor Martin — CBS Interactive — February 16, 2017
  58. 60webOrder from Walmart by chatting with Google HomeNathan Ingraham — Verizon Media — September 25, 2017
  59. 61webTarget is joining forces with Google to take on AmazonAnne D'innocenzio — Axel Springer SE — October 12, 2017
  60. 62webGoogle ruins the Assistant's shopping list, turns it into a big Google Express adRon Amadeo — Condé Nast — April 11, 2017
  61. 63webGoogle Assistant's shopping lists are moving to the Home app todayNatt Garun — Vox Media — April 10, 2017
  62. 64webYou can finally use the keyboard to ask Google Assistant questionsDieter Bohn — Vox Media — May 17, 2017
  63. 65webGoogle Assistant now accepts typed and verbal cuesRob LeFebvre — AOL — May 17, 2017
  64. 66webGoogle Assistant will soon search by sight with your smartphone cameraChris Welch — Vox Media — May 17, 2017
  65. 67webGoogle Lens is a powerful, AI-driven visual search appJessica Conditt — AOL — May 17, 2017
  66. 68webYou can buy stuff with Google Assistant nowNatt Garun — Vox Media — May 17, 2017
  67. 69webGoogle Assistant wants to make buying stuff easier. Just ask itJoan E Solsman — CBS Interactive — May 17, 2017
  68. 70webGoogle Assistant will soon support sending money with your Google accountScott Scrivens — May 18, 2017
  69. 71webYou'll soon be able to send money with Google AssistantPaul Miller — Vox Media — May 18, 2017
  70. 72webGoogle Assistant on Android now has query history that you can edit or deleteRyan Whitwam — May 18, 2017
  71. 73webGoogle Assistant can now tell you what song is playing near youShannon Liao — Vox Media — November 6, 2017
  72. 74webGoogle Assistant can finally recognize music and songs, rolling out nowAbner Li — November 6, 2017
  73. 75webCreate shortcut commands
  74. 76webHow To Set Up Google Assistant's Little-Known And Super-Useful ShortcutsKevin Murnane — May 23, 2017
  75. 77webGoogle Assistant: Awesome features you need to start using. Trigger multiple commands.Ryan Whitwam — PC World — July 3, 2018
  76. 78newsJohn Legend is one of six new Google Assistant voicesAndrew Tarantola — May 8, 2018
  77. 79newsTry the all-new Google Assistant voices right nowTaylor Martin — May 9, 2018
  78. 80webGoogle will lose its John Legend Google Assistant voice on March 23rdNatt Garun — May 3, 2020
  79. 81webJohn Legend's Google Assistant cameo voice goes away March 23March 5, 2020
  80. 82webThe Google Assistant is now bilingualFrederic Lardinois — August 30, 2018
  81. 83webGetting Punctuation on Speech-to-Text
  82. 84webGoogle Assistant's interpreter mode is coming to phones todaySam Byford — December 12, 2019
  83. 85webHere are all the winners of the 2020 Webby AwardsJacob Kastrenakes — May 20, 2020
  84. 86webGoogle Assistant can now read webpages aloud in 42 different languagesNatt Garun — March 4, 2020
  85. 87webGoogle Assistant on Android can now read entire web pages to youMarch 4, 2020
  86. 88webSong stuck in your head? Just hum to searchGoogle — October 15, 2020
  87. 89webHow to Find a Song by Humming - Google Hum to Search2022-10-04
  88. 90newsGoogle Duplex: An AI System for Accomplishing Real-World Tasks Over the PhoneYaniv Leviathan et al. — May 8, 2018
  89. 91newsGoogle Assistant's one step closer to passing the Turing testRichard Nieva — May 9, 2018
  90. 92newsHuman or bot? Google Duplex scares meBridget Carey — May 9, 2018
  91. 93newsGoogle Grapples With 'Horrifying' Reaction to Uncanny AI TechMark Bergen — May 10, 2018
  92. 94newsGoogle just gave a stunning demo of Assistant making an actual phone callChris Welch — May 8, 2018
  93. 95newsGoogle Duplex, the Human-Sounding Phone Bot, Comes to the PixelTom Simonite — October 9, 2018
  94. 96webDuplex, Google's conversational AI, has updated 3M+ business listings since pandemicOctober 15, 2020
  95. 97webDuplex is getting smarter and making life a little easierGoogle — October 15, 2020
  96. 98newsGoogle's AI advances are equal parts worry and wonderCherlynn Low — May 11, 2018
  97. 99newsIt's Google's turn to ask the questionsDave Gershgorn — May 12, 2018
  98. 100newsGoogle's AI assistant must identify itself as a robot during phone calls: reportJessica Vomiero — May 12, 2018
  99. 101newsNo one knows how Google Duplex will work with eavesdropping lawsSarah Jeong — May 11, 2018
  100. 102webPersonal Assistants are Ushering in the Age of AI at homeMona Lulwani — October 5, 2016
  101. 104newsGoogle now says controversial AI voice calling system will identify itself to humansNick Statt — May 10, 2018
  102. 105newsGoogle's Duplex AI Robot Will Warn That Calls Are RecordedMark Bergen — Bloomberg — May 18, 2018
  103. 106webHands-on: Google Assistant's Allo chatbot outdoes Cortana, Siri as your digital palMark Hachman — International Data Group — September 22, 2016
  104. 107newsGoogle Assistant: Everything You Need To Know About The A.I.July 17, 2018
  105. 108newsBeware! Google Assistant records conversations, and contractors can listen to your bedroom talk any timeJuly 12, 2019
  106. 109webGoogle employees are eavesdropping, even in your living room, VRT NWS has discoveredFlanders News — July 10, 2019
  107. 110webData protection authority opens administrative proceedings against GoogleAugust 1, 2019
  108. 111webGoogle will pause listening to EU voice recordings while regulators investigateColin Lecher — August 1, 2019