New ‘Stop’ Command Silences Google Assistant Without ‘Hey Google’ Wake Word
📣 Helpful new Google Assistant feature alert! Want your smart display or speaker to stop talking? Just say “stop” — no #HeyGoogle needed.
— Google (@Google) January 25, 2022
Google Assistant will now cease speaking when told ‘Stop’ by a user. The single word command doesn’t require ‘Hey, Google’ or other wake words to get the voice assistant’s attention, thanks to the new feature unveiled by Google on Twitter.
Stop and Go
The new Stop feature is a simple adjustment to Google Assistant that turns the word stop into a combination wake word and command. When the voice assistant is speaking, it will listen for both the usual wake word and the stop command. While ‘Hey Google’ will pause its speech and alert it for new orders, hearing stop will reset it so that it isn’t listening for a new command until it hears the wake word again. It’s a small change, only a few seconds compared to saying, “Hey Google, stop,” but one that will probably reduce the annoyance of accidentally awakening the voice assistant or having to hear a response that is inaccurate.
Skipping the wake word to end an interaction with Google Assistant is essentially the mirror image of the Quick Phrase commands that initiate conversations with Google Assistant without a wake word. First introduced for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones last year with plans for expanding, quick phrases use the Voice Match vocal identification tool to ensure the approved user is speaking. The stop command and quick phrases extend the thinking behind Google’s Continued Conversation feature. Continued Conversation allows users to add additional commands to their Google Assistant orders without having to say the wake word after each individual request. It’s a trend followed later by Amazon with the Alexa Conversation Mode as voice assistants race to improve how their conversational ability rates compared to humans.
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