Two years after release, and Google is finally bringing the “Hey Google” hotword detection to the Pixel Buds.
Though, as it stands right now, the feature isn’t working.
It appears that Google is preparing an update for the Pixel Buds, which will bring in the “Hey Google” hotword. The option has appeared in the app, but it won’t work just yet. So it looks like that toggle appeared prematurely.
Pixel Buds are going to use Voice Match
To ensure that it’s you that is talking to the Pixel Buds, it’s going to use Voice Match. This means that if you are sharing your headphones with your significant other, Google will still know that it is you that’s talking and not your significant other, or someone else.
This also means that you won’t need to retrain the Google Assistant with your voice again. Which is going to be really nice, especially when it comes to headphones.
The ability to talk to the Google Assistant through your headphones is definitely going to be very convenient. As you could say “Hey Google, unlock the front door” when you get home, so you don’t have to fumble for your keys when you have an arm full of groceries.
Google Assistant isn’t new to the Pixel Buds though. It has been available since launch in October 2017. But, you had to tap and hold the right earbud. There was no hotword detection. But that is coming with this update, which is going to be really nice to see.
Two years later, Pixel Buds are still getting updates
As mentioned, the Pixel Buds were announced two years ago, at the Made By Google event in 2017, with the Pixel 2 series.
To see it getting an update two years in, is actually pretty impressive. Especially for a pair of headphones. Seeing as headphones rarely ever get updates.
But sending out updates two years after a product is released is something we don’t see a whole lot of these days.
Not to mention the fact that Google is about to release the Pixel Buds 2 at its Made by Google event next week in New York City. Normally when a successor comes out, companies won’t update the older product, as a way to get users to buy the newer product. This is all kinds of good news for Pixel Buds owners.
Hopefully the update to fix the “Hey Google” hotword will come out in the next few days, but for now you’ll still have to use the tap and hold method for Google Assistant.