Photo of the Google Home Hub smart display

How to train Google Assistant to learn your voice through the Google Home app

Jun. 13, 2019 06:58AM EST

Google Assistant has been able to tell the difference between people's voices for years, with the feature coming to the voice assistant in April 2017. That made the A.I. a bit of a trail blazer, as Amazon Alexa didn't get the ability until October 2017, and Apple's Siri will only get this tool when iOS 13 rolls out in the fall.

The skill is different then having Google Assistant change its voice. Instead, you teach Google Assistant to recognize you — and it's extremely simple to add. Called Voice Match, you train Google Assistant right from the Google Home app on both Android and iOS devices.

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Here's how to set up Voice Match, and how it personalizes your experience with Google Home devices including a smart clock, the Google Pixel Stand and smart displays like the Google Home Hub. But note: this feature will not work on Bose or Sonos speakers with Google Assistant.

You can train, and retrain, Google Assistant to learn your voice inside the Google Home appGearBrain

Setting up Voice Match

To train Google Assistant to know your voice through a Google Home device, start by opening the Google Home app on your iOS or Android smartphone.

Then tap on the Account icon at the bottom right on the screen, then Settings and then Assistant.

Next you'll click on Voice Match, and then Teach your assistant your voice. You can also tap Teach your assistant your voice again, if you've already set that up and don't like the way Google Assistant responds to you.

Training Google Assistant takes about 20 seconds in totalGearBrain

Training, or retraining, Google is as simple as saying two phrases:

Ok Google (twice)
Hey Google (twice)

Google Home app will prompt you through this, which should take about 20 seconds. Once you're finished, the training is done. Yes, it's that simple.

You can use Voice Match on Google Home speakers like the Google Home Mini GearBrain

Setting up personal results

To get the full experience, you'll also want to set up Personal results. That's found in the Google Home app as well.

Open the Google Home app, click the bottom left icon, Home, then tap on the speaker or Smart Display in your devices you want to give access to you personal details.

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Then tap Device settings (the wheel at the top), then scroll down to More, and then click the toggle on Personal results to turn these on.

What do you get with Google Assistant knowing your voice and allowing access to Personal results? A lot of details that can show up on a smart display or a smart speaker:

See your Google photos
Read details from your Google Calendar
Pull up Contacts
Email with details in your Gmail like flight information
Set and hear Reminders
Use Memory aids
Create and view Shopping lists
Make Purchases
Get Recipe recommendations
Play music from music services you use
Pull up TV shows and movies from streaming services
Play YouTube videos specific to your account
Controls other devices that connect to Google such as speakers and TVs
Play audiobooks that you've bought

Adding others to use Voice Match on a Google Home or Google Assistant device requires an invitationGearBrain

Inviting others to Voice Match

If you are the first person who set up the Google Home device, you can invite up to five other people to Voice Match on that product. This way, Google Assistant can recognize their voice and pull up their personal details.

You can also decide which Google Home devices you want included in Voice Match and which you don't. To add other people, you need to invite them through the Google Home app, and that invitation can be sent through the app using email, text or even a social media message.

Voice Match works on many Google Assistant device including the Lenovo Smart ClockGearBrain

Hiding Personal results

Maybe you don't want your personal information showing up on a smart display in your home. (You have your reasons.) To remove permissions, open the Google Home app and at the bottom tap Account, then Settings, then Assistant.

Under Assistant device, select your Smart Display.

Then toggle the Home screen & notifications to turn that off. Now you can still use Voice Match, and access media that's tailored to you, but your photos, calendar and other details won't be visible.

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Removing someone from Voice Match

Okay, so let's say you live with roommates and one has moved out, or you broke up with a significant other, and want to ensure they can't access a Google Home device anymore. It's time to boot them off.

In the Google Home app, click the Home button at the bottom left.

Now click Settings which is in a row in the top third of the screen, next to Add.

Find the Home members tab, click on this, and then tap on the three vertical dots next to the person who you want to remove.

Click Remove, and Remove again.

This will take them off the device — and crucially, take their Voice Match off of all your Google Home speakers and Smart displays.

Check out The GearBrain, our smart home compatibility checker to see the other compatible products that work with Google Home and Home Mini