Ever wonder if the hands-free capabilities of Google'south voice assistant extend to unlocking your smartphone? Google Assistant tin can do a whole lot using phonation commands—including a smartphone lock.

Only tin can you lot still unlock your phone using your vocalism? Can you use Google Assistant while your phone is locked? And how can yous set a lock command using the vocalisation assistant?

We answer these questions and more in this article on locking and unlocking your phone with Google Assistant.

How to Get Google Assistant on Android

To apply Google'south voice unlock characteristic, you lot'll need to have Google Assistant on your phone.

Newer Android phones (typically with Android vii.0 Nougat and higher up) come up with Google Assistant already installed. When setting up your new phone, you simply need to enable the feature and grant the Google app the relevant permissions.

In instance you're not sure information technology's enabled, open your Google app and tap the More than button. Cull Settings > Google Assistant to check.

If y'all take an older version of Android, Google Assistant is delivered through an automatic update. Any telephone with Android Lollipop (5.0) or higher can run the app—just download the Google Assistant app from Google Play.

There are a few prerequisites that can hamper or delay the update. If your phone is uniform with Assistant only you oasis't seen a prompt to activate it, you lot should check a few criteria first.

Firstly, make sure the language you've selected for your phone is one of the languages supported by Google Assistant.

If you have the correct language set and you even so don't see Google Assistant, brand sure your Google Play Services app is up-to-engagement. Older, less powerful devices aren't uniform with Google Assistant; y'all need at least 1GB (Android 5.0) of retentivity and a 720p screen resolution.

Download: Google Assistant (Free)

Download: Google Play Services (Costless)

Can Y'all Unlock Your Phone With Google Banana?

Unfortunately, while Android previously allowed you to unlock your phone using your voice with Google Assistant, this is no longer a supported Google control.

unlock phone with google assistant

For a while, older versions of Android supported this vocalisation command while newer versions removed it. All the same, equally of 2021, Google Banana has removed the feature across all versions.

Instead, as an alternative, it offers you the ability to use access Google Assistant and requite voice commands on your lock screen, without needing to unlock your phone at all.

You can likewise still employ a workaround to lock your phone using Google Assistant, which we volition also outline in this story.

How to Employ Google Assistant When Your Telephone Is Locked

And so what options do you at present have on Android to use Google Banana with your phonation while your phone is locked? Voice Match on these devices won't permit you unlock your phone, simply you can however employ Google Banana voice commands while your phone is locked.

You must get-go train a trusted voice model to do this. Open up the Google app and go to Settings > Google Banana. Next, scroll down to Voice Match. Here y'all can train a voice model and besides enable access to the banana when your screen is off.

To allow Google Assistant to access more than individual apps (such as your email and text messages) while your screen is off, visit Lock screen in your Google Banana settings.

You lot should also head to Settings > Personalization to enable Personal results then that Assistant can provide personal results for you lot.

Enabling this allows Google to transport messages and emails, call your contacts, access your calendar, and more.

This allows you lot to utilise the "Hey Google" control to wake your phone and give information technology vox commands while the screen is still locked.

How to Voice Lock Your Phone With Google Assistant

lock phone google assistant

Locking your telephone with Google Assistant is a much more straightforward thing. However, it requires a bit of setup because the app doesn't have native functionality to lock your phone.

So how practise you get around this? Past using a custom command.

In Google Assistant, you tin prepare up custom commands and command chains, chosen Routines. Setting up custom voice commands with Routines expands the Banana's capabilities. Locking your phone is just one of the ways yous can utilise this functionality.

There are a variety of apps that have the sole purpose of locking your phone. Y'all simply need to pair ane of these apps with a custom Google command. Offset, y'all demand to download ane.

Two options, both free, include:

  • Off+
  • Screen Lock

Notation: These apps require ambassador permissions to lock your telephone—so you'll have to counterbalance up whether the security risk is actually worth it.

Install the apps and grant them the necessary permissions. Whenever yous open the app, it will switch off your screen and lock your phone.

Adding a Screen Off Command

To turn this into a hands-free choice, yous need to get Google Assistant to open up the app for you. Yous can do this past opening Assistant'south Settings menu like earlier, selecting Routines, and adding a new custom control with the +New button.

Under the header How to commencement, tap Add starter > Voice control and enter commands such as:

  • "Lock my phone"
  • "Lock screen"
  • "Go to sleep"

Any statement will do, and you can add as many variations as you similar. These are personal commands, not ones native to Google Assistant.

At present under the header This routine will, tap Add action > Try calculation your ain and type in "Open up [Screen Lock] app". Include the name of whichever screen lock app y'all have installed.

Make sure to include the whole proper noun of the app as it appears on your telephone, or else it volition merely run a Google search. Save the command and you're good to get.

Now, whenever you say whatsoever lock phrase, Assistant will automatically lock your screen.

Other Voice Commands for Google Banana

If y'all didn't know most locking your phone with Google Banana, yous might have missed out on some of the app's other features.

Custom commands and routines open up upward a whole new world of functionality, if you use the right apps.

Assistant too has many built-in features and commands that tin make your life and daily tasks easier.

How to Find Your Telephone With Google Assistant

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Near The Author

Megan Ellis (124 Manufactures Published)

Megan is a Junior Editor at MUO. In 2016, she decided to unite her qualification in New Media and lifetime of geekiness to pursue a career in tech and gaming journalism. You tin commonly find her writing nigh a variety of topics and drooling over new gadgets. She has a BA Honours in Linguistics and Applied Language Studies in addition to her Bachelor of Journalism.

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