Google now allows users of Android Lollipop to turn on and turn off some settings via Google Now's voice commands.
The latest update to Android Lollipop was first discovered by Android Police, which says that the voice commands only work for three settings for now: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and flashlight. The flashlight function is available in handsets where the manufacturer has removed the flashlight toggle in the drop-down menu, such as in the LG G3. For users to be able to toggle settings with voice, they will need to run Android Lollipop and have the latest version of the Google Search app installed.
The feature comes in handy for users who do not have their phone at their side or simply have an affinity for voice commands. The user can activate the feature with the "Ok Google" hot word or tap the Search app if the phone is at hand. Next, he can tell Google what to do. For instance, "Ok Google, turn on Bluetooth" will automatically toggle the phone's Bluetooth settings right from Google Now.
A voice feedback will tell the user if the setting has been toggled on or off. A Google Now card will also appear in case the user has changed his mind. Once done, he can simply swipe away the card and proceed.
Last year, Google added support for voice commands when toggling settings. However, the previous feature only worked for opening the settings menu, and from there the user will have to toggle the settings manually. The new Google Now feature will allow the user to turn settings on or off with a single command.
Although voice commands only work for toggling three settings right now, it is very likely that Google will add voice commands to toggle settings for location, airplane mode, data, NFC, brightness, and volume. After all, Google is working hard to add small but useful tweaks to Android Lollipop, which saw a rocky launch but is slowly gaining ground.
Right now, only 1.6 percent of Android users have Android Lollipop running on their smartphones. However, with the anticipated introduction of new flagship devices from Samsung, LG, and HTC, among others, during the upcoming Mobile World Congress next month, it is likely that the number of Android Lollipop-based devices will see an increase soon. Since Google Now is an integral part of the Android Lollipop experience, it is no surprise that Google is tweaking its personal digital assistant to help users get more out of the latest and greatest iteration of Android.
