Google Home just got more conversation actions, gaining new tricks that now allow users to order pizza, search WebMD for matters of the health, get the latest news and more.
This follows the Netflix and Photos integration from earlier this month, adding to the versatility of Google Home and allowing users to handle more tasks with voice commands.
Conversation actions for Google Home are somewhat similar to the Alexa skills of Amazon Echo, but urge users to converse with Google Home to get things done.
New Google Home Conversation Actions
More than 30 companies and startups including Product Hunt, Food Network, WebMD, Domino's Pizza and others have now launched new Google Home actions, marking the largest actions rollout since the device went on sale back in October. Google Home now has 35 conversation actions from third parties, and 32 of them launched on Dec. 15.
"Conversation Actions from early access partners will begin rolling out over the coming weeks – starting today. We're excited to see what developers build!" Jason Douglas, the product lead of Google Assistant, stated in an email to VentureBeat.
What You Get
Users will be able to tap WebMD for health-related questions (careful with misdiagnosis, WebMD is no substitute for a real doctor), get recipes from the Food Network, get tech insights from Product Hunt, meditate with Headspace, dream of going places with Lonely Planet, discover new cocktails with Tender, get book recommendations from Itcher, Netflix recommendations from And Chill, and a lot more.
When it comes to staying informed, Google Home can get you the latest news from HuffPost, NBC News, NPR One, CNBC and The Wall Street Journal. Games include 21-questions game Akinator, 21 Blackjack, Trivia Blast and SongPop trivia, so you can have fun with Google Home too.
It's worth pointing out that for some apps such as Todoist you'll need to link your account to issue voice commands, but most actions will work without requiring account linking or some other enabling.
To start using the slew of new conversation actions for Google Home, access the Settings menu of the Google Home app for Android and iOS and head over to the Services section.
More conversation actions should join the party soon, allowing users to do more things with Google Home. Mercedes Benz, for instance, plans to equip its cars with Google Assistant and preview the experience at CES 2017 next month.
Have you tried the new Google Home conversation actions? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.
