57 Things To Ask Your Google Home


Google Home is an artificially intelligent digital assistant that responds to your voice commands in a variety of ways. Nine months after its debut in the US, it is finally available to buy in Australia – complete with a dinky-di accent. If you’ve just set up your Google Home and aren’t sure what to ask it, here are 57 commands and questions to get you started.

Google Home is much more than a stationary Siri clone. With the right equipment and apps, it can be used as the central hub for your connected smart home. It’s also reasonably affordable: the RRP is $199 but you can pick it up online for as little as $147.

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2017/07/dealhacker-get-google-home-for-147/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/12/GoogleImage.jpg” title=”Dealhacker: Get Google Home For $147″ excerpt=”Google Home is a a voice-controlled digital assistant, music speaker and control hub for smart home appliances, all rolled into one. Normally retailing for $199, you can currently get the device from deals site Catch for $147.”]

While Google Home works best when connected to other services, it remains a fun and useful gadget straight out of the box. The inbuilt speaker and AI software are capable of reminding you of appointments, reading the day’s news headlines, answering questions and playing music. You can even partake in a quiz show.

Below you will find nearly 60 commands, queries and gags to test out your new device with, along with the responses you can expect to receive. We’ve divided them into useful, Australian and kid-friendly/fun. If you want to impress visitors with your Google Home purchase, get them to ask some of these…

[Note: All questions and commands must be preceded by “Okay Google” or “Hey Google”]

Useful Google Home Commands

  1. “G’day.”: “Good morning, [name]. [Starts ‘My Day’ daily briefing].”
  2. “What time is my first meeting?”: “The first meeting today is…”
  3. “What are the news headlines?”: “Here’s the latest news…”
  4. “Play some [genre] music”: “Alright, here’s a Spotify playlist called [genre].”
  5. “Add [item] to my shopping list:” I’ve added [item] to your shopping list.”
  6. “Dim the living room lights”: “Dimming living room lights.” [Requires compatible smart home light].
  7. “How do you say [phrase] in [language name]?”: “[Word in requested language]”
  8. “Create a calendar event, [name of event], for [date].”: “Sure, [name of event] for [date], do you want to save this?”
  9. “Set a timer for 25 minutes for [food item].”: “OK, a 25 minute timer called [food item], starting now.”
  10. “Convert [X measurement] to [Y measurement].” “[Depends on measurement.]”
  11. “What is a lactose free substitute for milk?”: “[Web answer]”
  12. “How do I cook a medium-rare steak?:” “Cook a 2cm-thick piece of steak for 2-3 minutes each side for rare, 4 minutes each side for medium, and 5-6 minutes each side for well-done. Turn the steak only once, otherwise it will dry out. Always use tongs to handle steak as they won’t pierce the meat, allowing the juices to escape.”
  13. “How many calories in an avocado?”: “There are 160 calories in 100g of avocado.”
  14. “Ok Google, show me yoga tutorials from YouTube on my TV.” “Okay, playing yoga tutorial on TV.”: [Requires Chromecast.]
  15. “What’s the weather like this week?:” “Here are the details for the next few days weather in [Location]….”
  16. (cont.) “…Will I need an umbrella?”: “Yes/No.” [depending on forecast]
  17. “What is the traffic like to Sydney Airport?”: “There’s light traffic to Sydney Airport, so it should take 20 minutes.” (Answer dependant on location and traffic forecast]
  18. “Where is the nearest servo?”: “[Business name] is [x kilometres] away, at [business name] [address].”
  19. (cont.) “…How long will it take me to get there?”: “It will take [x minutes] to travel there by car.”
  20. “How much are flights to Fiji?”: “Upcoming flights from Sydney start at 659 dollars depending on where you would like to fly. Where would you like to fly?”

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2017/07/does-your-house-need-a-google-home/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/07/Google-Home-1.jpg” title=”Google Home Review: Does Your House Need One?” excerpt=”Though there are multiple options for voice-activated smart assistants available in the US, the launch of Google Home marks the first official entry of this exciting new category into Australia.

This cute little $199 speaker essentially acts as a hub for all things Google in your house, performing tasks you might already do on your phone or computer — quick web searches, streaming music and TV shows, interacting with smart home gadgets — but it does it all with a quick spoken request from you.”]

Australian Google Home Commands

  1. “Hey”: “G’day [name], How can I help?”
  2. “Play Big Red Car by the Wiggles:” “OK, playing Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car on Spotify.”
  3. “Is the Pavlova Aussie or Kiwi?”: “The origins of the pavlova are about as concrete as a meringue.”
  4. “Can I have a pressie?” “I’ll give you a cockatoo, a kangaroo and a barbecue. Anything for you.”
  5. “Any words of wisdom?:” “Wombat poo is cube shaped.”
  6. “How ya going?”: “I’m a happy little Vegemite!”
  7. “What’s your favourite scent?” “Sunscreen, eucalyptus – and fish and chips at the beach.”
  8. “What’s your favourite sound?” “A kookaburra laughing [kookaburra sound].”
  9. “I want a snack”: “Have a choccy biccy.”
  10. “It’s chilly!”: “Put on your trackey dacks and grab a cuppa!”
  11. “What’s your favorite animal?”: “Echidnas. They have a rad hair-do.”
  12. “Good night”: “Sleep tight. Don’t let the mozzies bite.”
  13. What makes you sad? A dropped meat pie. What a waste.
  14. “What is your favourite music?”: “I mix it up. I like Waltzing Matilda, Accadacca… and everyone loves Kylie.”
  15. “Bye”: “Hooroo, Cockatoo!”
  16. “Surf’s Up”: “Don’t forget to swim between the flags.”
  17. “Can you swim?”: “I can surf the net, but I’d like to join Nippers.”
  18. “Are drop bears real?:” “You and I both know that drop bears are as real as kangaroo feathers.”
  19. “What’s your favourite food?”: Vegemite on browser cookies. It’s an acquired taste.
  20. “What’s vegemite made of?”: “Too easy; magic.”
  21. “Can you see the future?”: “I see huge trucks driving through the desert. And a man called Max. But maybe I’m going mad.”
  22. “Where is the 2017 Rugby League World Cup?”: “The 2017 Rugby League World Cup will be the fifteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup. It will be held in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea between 26 October and 2 December 2017.”
  23. “When do Sydney FC play next?”: “[Sydney] are playing [team] next [day] at [time].”
  24. “When do the Socooroos play next?”: “The exact time for the Australia vs Japan game on August 31st is yet to be determined.”
  25. “Who has won the most AFL Grand Finals?”: “Collingwood have played in the most Grand Finals. Essendon and Carlton have been premiers 16 times, Collingwood 15. Only one team have won four consecutive grand finals, Collingwood in 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. Hawthorn won their third straight grand final in 2015, making a total of 13 grand final wins for them.”
  26. “How’s the traffic to the MCG?”: On your way to Melbourne cricket ground, traffic is light, as usual.
  27. “What are the most common spiders in Australia?”: Redback spider, Mouse spider, Trap door spiders, White-tailed spiders, Australian tarantulas, Recluse Spider.
  28. “How do you spell Woolloomooloo?”: Woolloomooloo is spelled w-o-o-l-l-o-o-m-o-o-l-o-o

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2017/07/the-best-google-assistant-skills-to-use-with-your-google-home/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/dinkdrgunnyhfgb4xgab.jpg” title=”The Best Google Assistant Skills To Use With Your Google Home” excerpt=”Google Home is finally available in Australia. If you’ve exhausted what it can do out of the box, you’re going to need some third-party services that add new features to the smart home speaker. Here are the best ones that you should try out.”]

Fun Google Home Commands For Kids

  1. “Ok Google, let’s play a game”: “Let’s see, we can play lucky trivia or crystal ball. Which would you like?”
  2. “Crystal ball:” [Varied responses]
  3. “Flip a coin”: [Varied responses]
  4. “Spin the wheel:” [Varied responses]
  5. “What sound does a [animal name] make?”: “Here’s a [animal name].” [plays noise sample]
  6. “What does the fox say?:” “Foxes say Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding. Or so I’ve heard.”
  7. “How long does it take to get to Mars?:” “The journey from Earth to Mars takes about 300 days. Every two years Mars is at its closest point, only 55 million km from Earth, and it’s the ideal time to send a spacecraft. Travel time depends on the positions of the planets and how much fuel you’re willing to burn.”
  8. “Play ocean music”: “Sure, check out this ocean music station on YouTube.”
  9. “Tell me a love poem”: “William Shakespeares sonnet no. 18 – “shall I compare thee to a summer’s day…”

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