Is Google Assistant not working on your Android? Maybe, it’s unhappy with you, or you are just facing a Google assistant issue on your Android device.
The problem with Google Assistant usually originates from the Google app itself. Most of the time, the issue is permission-related or corrupted data-related. Of course, there are exceptions.
Whatever the causes might be, Google Assistant will stop responding to your commands and ruin the hands-free experience.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through a few tips and tricks for fixing Google Assistant not working on Android.
See also: How to speed your Android phone (12 Tips)
Is Your Android Device Compatible?
Google Assistant is one of the best voice assistants you can use on your smartphone. When it comes to taking advantage of this useful feature, device compatibility plays an important role.
So, owning an Android device doesn’t necessarily mean you will get to enjoy the advanced Google Assistant functions unless your Android device fulfills the following requirements.
- If the device is running Android 5.0, then at least 1GB of memory is required.
- If the device is running Android 6.0, then at least 1.5GB of memory is required.
- The device needs to be running at least Google App version 6.13. A later version would be better.
- Google Play Services needs to be installed
- Display resolution must be 720P or higher
In addition to the previous requirements, your device must be set to a language supported by Google Assistant.
While Google Assistant supports many languages, such as English, Hindi, French, and Arabic, the number is still limited. You can see the complete list of supported languages from the Google Assistant Requirements Page.
Needless to say, if you were having trouble running Google Assistant due to compatibility issues, updating the app or the OS would fix it.
8 Easy Tips for Fixing Google Assistant Not Working
Granted your Android device fulfills the necessary requirements. Yet Google Assistant is not working, and you have to implement a few troubleshooting steps.
Now, before getting into the troubleshooting tips, checking the status of the Google server is mandatory.
Given that the Google server is rarely down, they may seem unnecessary. But this might be one of those rarest times when Google’s server is actually down. So, find out the status of the Google server from here.
If the server is down, troubleshooting won’t be necessary. You have to be patient. Google is working on it.
On the other hand, if the Google server is working optimally, you need to take a deep dive into the following troubleshooting tips.
- Reboot Your Android Device
- Make Sure You are Connected to the Internet
- Make Sure Microphone is Working
- Enable Hey Google
- Check Permissions
- Clear Cache
- Retrain the Voice Model
- Uninstall Updates
1. Reboot Your Android Device
Before jumping into the complex troubleshooting tips, let’s go through a few simple ones. People usually start to panic when Google Assistant suddenly stops working without thinking it through.
Most of the time, Google Assistant just malfunctions due to a system glitch which you can easily overcome by rebooting the Android device. So, give it a try.
2. Make Sure You are Connected to the Internet
One of the most important parts of successfully using Google Assistant is a strong internet connection.
It is more important than you might think. Without a strong internet connection, Google Assistant won’t be able to seek information for you. So, you need to check the status of your internet connection.
Try to open a website via an internet browser. Another idea is to move to Wi-Fi if you are using mobile data. Mobile data sometimes lag, while Wi-Fi provides a more stable connection.
If the website loads successfully, then the internet is not the issue. So, Keep reading the troubleshooting tips.
3. Make Sure the Microphone Is Working
This is a basic fix but worth checking out if Google Assistant is not working on Android. If your microphone is not working, Google Assistant won’t be able to work as it uses the microphone to listen to your verbal commands.
So, you need to confirm that the microphone on your Android device is functioning. Launch the Voice Recorder app. Record something and then listen to the playback.
On the other hand, you can use Google’s Recorder app, which is available for free.
If you are unable to hear anything in the playback, then it is confirmed that the microphone is not functioning.
You can reboot the device with the hope of fixing it, but the chances are pretty low. You likely have to take the Android device to a repair shop.
4. Enable Hey Google
The hands-free use of Google Assistant using the “Hey Google” command is enjoyed by all users. When the Assistant won’t launch even after reciting the said command, you may wonder if the voice command is actually enabled.
If you are trying to use Google Assistant for the first time, then it is possibly disabled by default. If you often use Google Assistant and it is suddenly acting this way, then you may have accidentally disabled it.
Or if you have installed a new Android update, then possibly it was disabled during the update installation. Whatever the actual situation is, you have to enable “Hey Google” manually.
- Launch the Google app on your Android mobile.
- Tap on the Menu icon at the top corner of the screen and select Settings.
- Under the Settings menu, tap on Voice and then select Voice Match.
- In the following screen, enable Hey Google.
Now, you have to go through a delicate vetting process so that Google Assistant can recognize your voice. After your voice is saved, you just have to say “Hey Google” to have hands-free access to Google Assistant.
5. Grant Necessary Permissions to the Google Assistant
Google Assistant also requires the necessary permissions to function properly. If it is not, you may want to check out the permission settings to grant the required permissions.
- Launch the Settings app and select Apps.
- Locate and select the Google app.
- On the App Info page, tap on Permissions.
Now, you will have access to the Google app’s permission settings. Grant the necessary permissions and the problem should get fixed.
6. Remove User Data and Cache
The performance of Google Assistant is completely dependent on the Google app. If the app is having problems, obviously the voice command would get shaky.
Usually, in such situations, clearing the app data and cache files makes things better. And we will do that with the Google app too.
- Launch the Settings app and select Apps.
- Locate and tap on the Google App.
- In the App Info, tap on Storage.
- In the Storage menu, Clear Cache and Manage Storage options will be visible at the bottom. Tap on Manage Storage.
- On the following page tap on Clear All Data.
- Tap OK and then tap on the Back button.
- Now, tap on Clear Cache.
If Google Assistant was having problems due to the main Google app, clearing the app data and cache files should get it fixed.
7. Retrain the Voice Model
Sometimes, Google Assistant faces issues during voice recognition. When this happens, the Assistant fails to identify your voice. So, it doesn’t know who is speaking. Hence, doesn’t function properly.
Thankfully, Google was prepared for such a situation and has added a voice retrain option. This option helps your Android device to properly recognize your voice. Here’s how to do it.
- Launch the Google App and navigate to Settings.
- Tap on Voice and then Voice Match on the following screen.
- There is a Voice Model option under Voice Match, tap on it.
- Now, you will find the option that says, Retrain Voice Model.
Tap on the option and initiate the process. During this process, Google will ask you to recite particular phrases. Recite them as instructed.
8. Google Assistant Notifications
If you still haven’t been able to make the Google Assistant function, then we recommend uninstalling the latest Google App updates.
This is a bit out-of-the-box approach but a valid fix. So, just do the following.
- Run the Settings app and tap on Apps.
- Locate and tap on the Google App.
- Enter App Info and tap on the Three Vertical Dots icon at the top.
- Select Uninstall Updates and tap OK.
This should fix the problem, and Google Assistant should be running again. If this doesn’t help, install the updates again from the Google Play Store.
Wrap-Up: Google Assistant Not Working
Hopefully, Google Assistant is working again, and you are instigating voice commands quite frequently.
If you have any other fixes that you believe would interest us. Do not forget to let us know about it via the comment section below.
