Why isn t my Google Voice Assistant working Android?

Google Voice Assistant is Google’s intelligent personal assistant that allows you to use your voice to get things done on your Android device. However, many Android users have reported issues with Google Voice Assistant not functioning properly or not working at all. This can be frustrating if you rely on it for everyday tasks.

There are several possible reasons why Google Voice Assistant may not be working on your Android device. This article outlines the most common issues and solutions to troubleshoot and get Google Voice Assistant working again.

Check Your Android Version

Google Voice Assistant requires Android 5.0 or higher to run properly. If you have an older Android version, Google Voice Assistant may not function or have limited capabilities.

To check your Android version:

Go to Settings > About phone or System > About phone
Look for Android version or Android security patch level

If your Android version is lower than 5.0 (Lollipop), you’ll need to upgrade your device’s operating system for full Google Voice Assistant functionality.

Most Android devices can upgrade to newer Android versions through system updates. Check if updates are available for your device. You can also contact your device manufacturer for possible upgrades. If your device cannot update to Android 5.0 or later, Google Voice Assistant will have limited functionality.

Check Your Region

Google Voice Assistant is only available in certain countries and regions. You need to make sure your region is supported in order to use the Google Assistant. According to Google’s supported countries list, Google Voice and SIP Link are currently available in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.

If your country or region is not on this list, then the Google Assistant will not be available to activate on your Android device. You can view Sony’s article for more details on supported countries and languages.

Check Internet Connection

An internet connection is required for Voice Assistant to work on Android. According to Google support, Voice connectivity requires “32 kbps (to account for actual media and RTCP signaling overhead).” Without an internet connection, Google Assistant has no way to process voice commands or return responses.

Check that you have a strong and stable wifi or mobile data connection on your Android device. Try turning your wifi off and on again, or toggling Airplane mode on and off to reset the connection. If using mobile data, ensure you have adequate signal strength and a fast enough data connection to support Google Assistant functionality.

Troubleshoot your specific internet connectivity if Google Assistant is still not working. But some level of wifi or mobile data access is required for full functionality.

Allow Google App Permissions

One common reason the Google Assistant may not be working on your Android device is if you haven’t allowed the Google app all the required permissions. The Google app needs access to certain features like your microphone and contacts for the Assistant to function properly.

To allow permissions, open the Settings app on your Android device and go to Apps. Find the Google app in the list and select it. In the app info screen, select Permissions and make sure options like Microphone, Contacts, SMS, Phone are enabled. According to Google’s permissions guide, enabling permissions like Microphone allows features like voice commands via the Google Assistant.

If permissions were previously disabled, re-enabling them fully and then restarting your device can potentially get the Google Assistant working again on Android. You may also need to open the Google app and go into Settings > Voice > Voice Match to retrain voice recognition after permission changes.

Check Google App is Updated

To ensure your Google Assistant and Voice are functioning properly, check that you have the most up-to-date version of the Google App installed on your Android device:

Open the Google App store page on the Play Store.

Tap on the page’s info to check the current version. The latest stable release should be 1.9.101802 (November 2022).
If you do not have the latest version, tap “Update” to upgrade your Google App. This will include any fixes and upgrades to Voice Assistant.

If you’ve done the update and are still having issues, you may need to restart your phone or reset the Google App under Settings. But ensuring your Google App is fully updated is critical to having a functioning Voice Assistant on Android devices.

Check Language Settings

For the Google Assistant to understand your voice commands, your phone’s language and input settings need to match the language you are speaking to the Assistant. This ensures that the speech recognition software accurately identifies what you are saying.

To check your language settings, go to Settings > System > Languages & input. Make sure your system language is set to the language you want to use with the Assistant and that it matches a supported Google Assistant language. You can add multiple languages if needed.

You can also check your personal Voice input preferences under Languages & input settings. Ensure that the Google speech settings for your selected language(s) are enabled and that you have downloaded the necessary offline speech files.

If your language settings are configured correctly and still don’t seem to match what you are speaking, also check for background noise and troubleshoot any other potential speech recognition issues.

Troubleshoot Background Noise

Too much background noise can interfere with Voice Assistant hearing your requests and commands properly. The microphone on devices like smartphones and smart speakers will pick up not only your voice, but also other sounds in the background.

If you notice your Voice Assistant is having problems recognizing your speech, try moving to a quieter environment with less background noise. Choose a room with minimal disruptions from sources like music, television, conversations, or appliances. You may also consider using a headset or headphones with an inbuilt microphone to help isolate your voice and cut down on environmental sound.

According to this Google support thread, background noise can significantly impact the functionality of Google Voice Assistant specifically during calls. So for optimal voice call performance, try to reduce ambient sound as much as possible.

Restart Your Phone

Restarting your Android phone can help clear any software issues with Google Voice Assistant by restarting the phone and closing all background apps and processes, including Google Voice Assistant. This can clear temporary glitches or bugs that are preventing Voice Assistant from working properly.

To restart your Android phone, hold down the power button for a few seconds until you get the “Power off” prompt. Then select “Restart.” The phone will shut down and reboot in a few moments. Once it has restarted and you’ve unlocked it, try using “Hey Google” or “OK Google” to invoke Google Voice Assistant again.

Restarting often fixes minor software issues that accumulate over time with Android devices. According to Google Support, restarting your phone is recommended as a troubleshooting step if you are having issues invoking Google Voice Assistant on your device (from source). So try restarting your phone as a simple potential fix for Google Voice Assistant issues.

Reset Google App

As a last resort, resetting the Google App may help get Voice Assistant working again. To reset the Google App on Android, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps. Find the Google App, select Storage & cache, then tap Clear storage and Clear cache. This will reset the app to its default settings. You’ll have to set up Voice Assistant again, but it may resolve underlying issues causing it to malfunction. Resetting the app erases your personalized data and preferences, but can be worthwhile to restore full functionality.

According to one source, “To do this, go to Settings > Google Assistant > Reset Google Assistant. Once you’ve reset Google Assistant, you’ll need to set it up again. If you continue having issues with Google Assistant after resetting it, you may need to perform a more advanced reset.”^[1]