Google-Multiple-Queries

Google Home Now Allows Multiple Queries

Google Multiple Actions

Google VP Scott Huffman Demonstration Multiple Actions at Google IO

The Made by Google Twitter feed yesterday announced that the Multiple Actions feature is now live for Google Home and can now manage up to three queries at a time. This works with smart home commands, information requests, timers and other requests to Google Home.

Officially in the US, But Apparently Works in UK, France and Germany

It is currently only supported in the US according to the Twitter conversation although at least one person in Germany was having some success with it. And, the Made by Google Twitter overlords did tell someone that, “multiple voice commands should work in France,” while a user commented it was working in the UK. So, I’d suggest trying it out and seeing if it works in your country. Users from Brazil and India both indicated if was not working.

Multiple Actions Work Across Domains

Huffman’s demonstration included multiple queries of Google Knowledge Graph through Google Assistant. At the time, Voicebot reported:

“Another feature highlight was called Multiple Actions which many people refer to as compound queries. This enables you to ask multiple questions and for Assistant to understand to them as different requests. Mr. Huffman’s compound query involved asking who was the Governor of California when Kevin Durant was drafted. It answered the name of the Governor, the year and the Seattle Supersonics as the team.”

Similar compound requests of the Knowledge Graph work well this morning through Google Home. However, I was also able to make requests across domains such as knowledge graph and timers. For example, you can set a timer and ask a question about population of Tokyo and it will respond correctly to both. And, you can now name your timers which I discovered by accident. That’s an overdue feature I must have missed.

Multiple Actions or Multiple Queries

Of course, in typical Google fashion the feature already is known by more than one name. At Google I/O this feature was announced as Multiple Actions by Google VP of Assistant Engineering Scott Huffman. The Twitter Feed referred to it as Multiple Queries in a response to a question, so we can all guess what it will be called next week. Other people in the industry are variously calling this multiple commands and compound commands. So, pick your favorite name for this feature and go ask a few questions to Google Home.

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