Google has made a change to how you enable the “Hey Google” hotword and Voice Match on Pixel Buds and other Assistant headphones.
Previously, you could have the “Hey Google” hotword and Voice Match recognition off on your Android phone, but enable it just for Pixel Buds. An old support article that hasn’t been updated notes how:
You can use Voice Match with your headphones, even if you have it turned off on your phone.
That is no longer possible following a change that was announced today: “The Hey Google & Voice Match setting on your connected Android phone or tablet will now control whether you can use “Hey Google” on your Assistant-enabled headphones.” There’s now just one Google Assistant settings > Hey Google & Voice Match > “Hey Google” toggle.
To use “Hey Google” and receive hands-free help on your headphones with your voice, turn on “Hey Google” from Assistant settings on your connected Android phone or tablet.
Meanwhile, Gemini is coming to the Pixel Buds Pro 2. Ahead of that, the Google Assistant setting in headphones settings has been renamed to “Digital assistant.”
More on Pixel Buds:
- The Pixel Buds Pro 2 will be available to buy in 32 countries
- When the Pixel 9, Pixel Watch 3, and Pixel Buds Pro 2 will ship
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