5 hidden Google Assistant tricks for your Android

Virtual assistants can be used with smartphones, tablets, computers and smart devices, including speakers, TVs, lightbulbs, thermostats, surveillance cameras and more. While Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Cortana, Bixby and others are designed to make your life easier, it helps to know everything they can do.

Google Assistant is among the most popular virtual assistants, and there’s always something new to learn when it comes to what it can do for you. We’ve gathered five neat tricks you may not know about.

1. Take screenshots

Screenshots are great for sharing anything from a recipe to a funny meme. They’re also helpful reminders for appointments and grocery lists when browsing recipes online.

You can take a screenshot simply by using your voice. Just activate Google Assistant through the app, start it with a button press or say, “Hey Google,” and then say, “Take a screenshot.”

You may need to check your settings if the command isn’t working. Open Settings and go to Apps & notifications > Advanced > Default apps > Assist & voice input. Then turn on Use screenshot.

RELATED: You can screenshot an entire webpage on your iPhone – Here’s how

2. Search photos

Google Lens lets you explore your photos in detail or take action, such as linking to a store that sells an item in the image. It can also translate text into your language.

According to Google, “Google Lens lets you search what you see. Using a photo, your camera or almost any image, Lens helps you discover visually similar images and related content, gathering results from all over the internet.”

You can open Google Lens by activating Google Assistant and saying, “Open Google Lens.” While using Google Lens, point at an object and ask Google Assistant what you’re looking at.

3. Read this page

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Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook are always listening unless you change these settings

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Bad Windows default settings you should change today

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Pop quiz: Between Alexa, Siri, Cortana and the rest, what collects the most data?

We accept that a degree of personal data needs to be collected by smart assistants to work properly. This is a big part of how they operate, and without it, personalized results, directions or things like local weather would not result in useful information.

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Dell's new monitors prove working from home is here to stay

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There’s a good chance we’ll still heavily utilize video conferencing to meet with clients and coworkers well after the pandemic. Companies have realized the benefits of letting employees work remotely and many are opting to keep this new setup. Tap or click here for top work from home jobs.

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Incredibly fast way to find any file

As the Windows operating system improves and advances its search features with additions like Cortana, some people still find it slow and clunky.

Sometimes there are so many files, photos and screenshots saved on your drives that Windows, with all its indexing routines, just takes too much time to come up with the search results.

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Why is Microsoft blocking its big May update on so many devices?

It’s never a dull moment with Microsoft at the helm. Windows 10 users have been treated to a host of updates over the past few months — each with unique sets of glitches and issues. And now, the highly anticipated May 2020 update is finally here, and based on early tests and reviews, it might be one of the most stable releases yet.

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Microsoft's May update could speed up your old PC

It’s unsurprising to hear that Windows 10 has yet another update coming from Microsoft. The operating system gets patches and upgrades all the time. They just tend to be…problematic, to put it mildly.

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How to get the new Windows 10 update before everyone else

If you’re a PC user, you’ve most likely been dealing with plenty of issues lately. That’s because Microsoft continues sending flawed Windows 10 updates, some of which pose a real danger to your machine.

For example, one recent update actually crashed PCs, leaving users without a functioning machine at a time when we’re stuck at home and relying on them more than ever. Tap or click here to find out how to fix it.

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Windows 10 update breaks Windows Defender - here's how to fix it

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Miss the look of Windows 7? Change these settings

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Who has the higher IQ Apple Siri or Google Home? Research says

In the battle of virtual assistants, who is smarter? Siri or Google Home? A research study from a trio of university researchers may just have the answer. Are they smarter than a 5th grader? You’ll be surprised with the results!

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5 amazing things you can do with Google Assistant

How in the world did we manage to survive for a millennium without voice-activated virtual assistants? For Android phone users I have great news! There’s an easy way to get help. It’s called Google Assistant. Here are some system requirements you need to know about before you start using it.

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