The newSamsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Proare here, and they’re the hot new Android smartwatches to buy. They’re not a huge upgrade from theSamsung Galaxy Watch 4andGalaxy Watch 4 Classic, but Samsung has made enough changes to make choosing the new watches over the old worthwhile. The Classic model is out, replaced witha Pro modelthat’s geared for outdoor enthusiasts, with enhanced durability and boosted GPX navigation data.The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 gets Google Assistant, at last.
Difficulty
What You Need
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 or newer
You can also access an AI voice assistant using it, making it a handy way to control your smart network. But, since it’s a Samsung product, it’s loaded withSamsung’s Bixby voice assistantby default. If you’re not a Bixby user, you might want to swap it to something you do use, like the Google Assistant. Thankfully, you can. Here’s how to add Google Assistant to your Samsung Galaxy Watch.
Installing Google Assistant
Google Assistant doesn’t come automatically installed on your watch. Instead, you’re going to have to install it yourself.
Step 1:Swipe up to open yourApp drawer, and selectPlay Store.
Step 2:Search for “Google Assistant” using the search function. If you have the Google Assistant app installed on your phone, then you’re able to use theApps on your phonescreen to find the Google Assistant app.
Step 3:Tap toDownloadorUpdatethe Assistant app.
Activating Google Assistant
Downloading the app is only the start. You’ll have to activate it before you can do anything with it. Here’s how to get it started.
Step 1:Open the Assistant app and chooseGet started.
Step 2:You’ll need to pivot to your phone at this point, so selectOpen on phone to activateand open your phone.
Step 3:Your phone will start setting up the Assistant on your watch. Wait until it’s done, and then chooseActivateto turn it on.
Step 4:If you want to access your Assistant using “Hey Google,” selectNexton the next screen, thenI agreeto agree to using Voice Match. Otherwise, chooseSkip.
Step 5:There are a few more steps after this. Just choose whether you want to save audio to share with Google (or not) and get personal results on your watch.
Step 6:Next, it’ll ask you to change your watch’s button to quickly access the Assistant. We’ll cover this in the next step, don’t worry.
Changing the Home key binding on your watch
So, you can probably access Google Assistant by speaking the hotword, but you can also change the Galaxy Watch’s Home key to access the Assistant. By default, it summons Bixby, which is probably not your voice assistant of choice (sorry Bixby, but it’s true), so why not change it? There are two ways of changing it. Here’s how to do it on your watch.
Step 1:Open yourSettingsapp by swiping down on theHomepage and selecting theCog wheelsymbol.
Step 2:Navigate down and selectAdvanced features, thenCustomize keys.
Step 3:ChoosePress and hold, and then chooseAssistant.
Step 4:Feel free to press and hold theHomebutton to test your Assistant. If you’re not sure what to say, ask, “Can you rap?”
Changing the Home key binding on your phone
If you don’t fancy pawing through menu screens on your watch’s tiny screen, you can change the setting on your phone instead. Here’s how.
Step 1:Open your Galaxy Wearables app, and selectWatch settings.
Step 2:Move down toAdvanced features, and then choosePress and hold.
