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Google Guacamole will let you use voice assistant without saying 'Hey, Google,' report says

The tech giant is reportedly testing a new Google Assistant feature for alarms, timers and calls.

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Corinne Reichert Senior Writer
Corinne Reichert (she/her) grew up in Sydney, Australia and moved to California in 2019. She holds degrees in law and communications, and currently oversees the CNET breaking news desk for the West Coast. Corinne covers everything from phones, social media and security to movies, politics, 5G and pop culture. In her spare time, she watches soccer games, F1 races and Disney movies.
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Google's G logo on a pair of socks

Skip the "Hey, Google" and go straight for what you want the smart assistant to do.

 Stephen Shankland/CNET`

Google has reportedly kicked off internal testing for a new feature, called Guacamole, that would allow you to use the voice assistant without saying "Hey, Google." It would let Google Assistant users perform quick voice tasks like answering calls or turning off alarms and timers without needing to say the trigger words, according to reports Friday from 9to5Google and Android Police.

The Guacamole feature appears in the Google app beta 12.5 running Android 11, the reports said, under the main Assistant settings list. Guacamole would let you simply say "stop," "snooze," "answer call" and "decline call" without needing to say "Hey, Google" first.

Read more: Google Home: 7 commands you need to use every day

Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Google Assistant on a Google-branded smart speaker launched several new features this week, including the ability to find your iPhone -- even when it's on silent or do not disturb. You can also now create smart home routines and speed up some online restaurant orders.