# Turning on OK Google **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2016, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turning-on-ok-google/772855 "2016-11-24T00:16:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turning-on-ok-google/772855/1 "2016-11-24T00:16:30Z")
I found [this page](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/6031948?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en) that tells how to turn on OK Google. > [@](#): > > Make sure you have the latest version of the Google app. (To get the latest version, go to the Google app page on the Play Store and tap Update). Um… OK. I tapped on Play Store. It displayed a bunch of apps, I don’t know what they were. So I clicked the microphone and said, ‘Google app.’ It brought up some apps. The top one had the same icon as shown in Step 2, so I tapped ‘update’. A box popped up saying something about needing access to something, and no access is needed. So I tapped OK (or whatever it was). > [@](#): > > Open the Google app Google . There’s an icon after the instruction. I don’t see that icon on my phone. So… How do I turn on OK Google? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turning-on-ok-google/772855/2 "2016-11-24T01:32:56Z")
Odd. I tapped “Update” and a card popped up saying Google doesn’t need any additional permissions. I tapped “Accept,” download started, and it installed. Anyway, to turn on [OK Google](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/6031948?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en). If you can’t update to the latest version, don’t worry. OK Google will work if your phone has at least: Google app version 3.5 or higher Android 4.4 or higher ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turning-on-ok-google/772855/3 "2016-11-24T02:00:08Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Anyway, to turn on [OK Google](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/6031948?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en). That’s the link in the OP. OK, I have the screen with Google (the one with the icon shown in Step 2 in the instructions. I click on Update. I get the window that says ‘Google also needs access to… Google does not require any additional special permissions’. I click Accept. Immediately it goes back to the page I was just on, the one with the Update button. No indication as to whether the update was installed, or if it did not install. Now what? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turning-on-ok-google/772855/4 "2016-11-24T02:36:33Z")
Try powering your phone off, then back on. Sometimes that fixes any temporary weirdness. Outside of that, somebody probably will come along with better advice. I’ve never had an app fail to install or update. If it recognizes your voice when you speak, it’s probably working, though. Just go ahead and follow the instructions to activate OK Google. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turning-on-ok-google/772855/5 "2016-11-24T03:37:53Z")
Another thought. How’s your data connection? Are you updating with Wi-Fi or mobile data? Wi-Fi really is the more ideal method to reliably update apps. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turning-on-ok-google/772855/6 "2016-11-24T14:42:11Z")
On my phone, on the home screen, there’s a bar that says “Google”, with a microphone to the right of it. Tapping the bar lets me type in a search, and tapping the microphone listens for me to say something. And if I go to the typed-in search, I can say “OK Google”, and it’ll switch me to the voice search. ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turning-on-ok-google/772855/7 "2016-11-24T15:31:48Z")
I have a habit of saying “OK Doggies” to my dogs. Now when I do this, my cell phone turns on and starts saying something about not understanding what I am saying, etc. (Thought I said OK Google!) And my Minix U1 Android TV has OK Google too. So both my TV and cell phone will turn on when I say OK Google… …“No not you cell phone, I was talking to the TV!” ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turning-on-ok-google/772855/8 "2016-11-24T16:22:59Z")
Forget about updating. Just go to the Google app and follow the instructions to change the setting (menu -\> Settings -\> Voice). To get to the Google app on my phone, I can just hold down the Home button for 2 seconds. If that doesn’t work on yours, go to Apps and you’ll see Google listed in there.