What you should know
- Google has fixed an issue that affected some users of Google Pixel devices using the Pixel Launcher, where they were unable to launch Google Assistant by tapping the microphone icon in the search bar.
- The issue caused the microphone icon to activate the older voice search feature, which is a part of Google Search and has been around since the pre-Assistant Google Now era.
- The problem was reported to be affecting devices running the beta version of Google app 15.0 and certain Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 devices that hadn’t updated to the latest version of the Google app.
- If users are still facing the issue, they can try restarting their Android device or use alternative methods to launch Assistant, such as touching and holding the Home button or by saying “Hey Google”.
Full Story
Google recently tackled a glitch that was bothering some Google Pixel users. The issue was with the native Pixel Launcher, specifically the inability to launch Google Assistant by tapping the microphone icon in the search bar.
A sigh of relief, Google has now put a server-side fix in place to sort this out. Before the fix, tapping the microphone icon would just trigger the older voice search feature. This feature is a part of Google Search and has been around since the pre-Assistant Google Now era.
The issue came to light and was reported by 9to5Google at the start of the week. According to them, the problem was affecting devices running the beta version of Google app 15.0. It was also impacting certain Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 devices that hadn’t updated to the latest version of the Google app.
At that time, it wasn’t clear whether this was a bug or a deliberate test by Google. But one thing was certain – it messed up the expected functionality for many users. They relied on the Pixel Launcher shortcut to access Assistant. Google has since acknowledged the issue and rolled out a server-side fix to the Google app.
Still having trouble? Try restarting your Android device. Check if the microphone button now launches Assistant as it should. But if the problem persists, there’s always a workaround. You can launch Assistant through alternative methods, like touching and holding the Home button or just saying “Hey Google”.
The Google Assistant is a powerful and flexible tool. It helps users access information, complete tasks, manage smart home devices, and a lot more, all through voice commands. It supports multiple languages and can be accessed on a wide range of devices. These include phones, tablets, smart speakers, smart displays, and wearables.
Considering how useful it is, it’s great to see that Google has addressed this pesky bug. The functionality of using the mic on the Pixel Launcher search bar to access Assistant has been restored. Phew!
