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Soon, your Android TV will get Google Assistant routines
Last updated on Oct 12, 2019, 07:09 pm
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Google Assistant routines come extremely handy in getting a range of actions done with a single command or phrase.
The capability has been around for a while, and now, in a major development, the search giant appears to be extending it to Android TV - its official TV platform - as well.
Here's what this means.
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Routines
Routines for triggering multiple actions
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Available since 2017, Google Assistant routines are predefined and custom commands that can trigger a range of actions.
For instance, you could say 'Ok Google, good morning' to guide the Assistant to turn on smart lights and play some music or news.
Alternatively, a word like 'bedtime' could be said to instruct the Assistant to turn off the lights and lock the doors.
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Expansion
Now, routines are expanding to Android TV
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As of now, you can trigger Google Assistant routines by commanding either your smartphone or Google-built smart speaker/display.
The feature is fairly easy to use but Google wants to make the experience even better by adding support for Android TV as well.
This means, just like phones/speakers, you'd be able to execute a string of smart home actions through your television.
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Possibility
TV-specific routines may come soon
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Adding the ability to run routines on Android TV will make it even easier for users to turn lights on or just play news/music.
And while you can already use commands like 'turn off living room TV' to create custom routines for controlling smart TVs, Google is expected to roll out more TV-specific routines to make the feature more useful on Android TVs.
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Upcoming routine
'Showtime' likely to be one such TV routine
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Though Google has not issued a statement about Android TV routines, the folks at 9To5Google have learned that it is already working on a preset called 'Showtime'.
It would be fully customizable to execute any action of your choice, but by default, Google says, it will "dim the lights, draw the curtains, and start a thriller" for you.
- Android TV