Google Assistant will order dinner from your Android phone
That's just one way changes to Google Assistant on Android will make your phone more awesome in 2018.
Feeling hungry? Pretty soon, you'll be able to order dinner using Google Assistant on your Android phone.
Changes to the Google Assistant software, which is integrated into nearly all Android phones, will make it possible to order food for pickup and delivery. It will even remember what you ordered, to save you a step if you plan to reorder the same dish next time.
Assistant goes a step further for some partner restaurants, like Starbucks and Panera; the software sidekick will work with third-party apps to streamline the food-procurement process. "Hey Google, order my usual from Starbucks." Google is also working with Dunkin Donuts, Door Dash and more.
That's not all Google has in store for Google Assistant on Android phones.
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You know how Assistant will tell you when to leave for appointments, or your commute home? Google is expanding this to show you a visual snapshot of your day. Call it an interactive personal dashboard. That'll include the weather forecast, your commute and calendar appointments on the agenda. You'll also be able to integrate notes from Google Keep, Any.do, Todoist and Remember the Milk, to name a few. To see your dashboard, just open Google Assistant and swipe up.
When you ask it a question, Google Assistant wants to make it easier for you to see the answer. Ask, and you shall receive richer responses with bigger pictures that take up more of the screen. If you're using your Android phone to adjust your Nest thermostat or smart lights, for example, Google Assistant will pull up smart home controls, like a temperature or dimmer wheel that lets you dig into adjustments.
Finally, you'll be able to share your arrival time with others using a voice request.
Google Assistant for Android phones and Google Home competes with AI helpers like Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri and Samsung's Bixby Voice software. Changes to Google Assistant can spur competition with these other services, eventually raising the bar for what they all can do.
These Google Assistant updates will launch on Android phones this summer and iOS later this year.
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