Google Assistant won't read text messages

[Android Central Question]

In the past three weeks to a month Google Assistant has not been able to read any of my text messages new or old before that she works great now when I ask she just says there's been a problem I've tried resetting the cash and the data for Google Assistant and that didn't do what I wanted and as far as I can tell the text permission is on also she will send text messages just fine

 

[Pooparew]

By the way the person asking the question is me pooparew it's been awhile since I've been on here and I didn't see how to log in for a while

 

[pizza_pablo]

Same issue on my Note 9. Google Assistant or "OK Google" was reading text messages aloud with no issue. Suddenly no more. I ask to read my last message or latest message and I get the response, "There aren't any new messages." even though the notification is still in the notification panel.
I am using Textra SMS app on a Verizon branded Samsung Galaxy Note 9 with 8GB RAM and 512GB storage. Not exactly a slouch of a phone.

This has been an issue for several weeks.

Google Assistant will no longer read SMS aloud from Textra or other third party SMS apps.

Google Assistant will sometimes read SMS aloud from Google's Android Messages and Samsung Messages apps.

Google Assistant will never ask if I wish to reply after it reads an SMS aloud from the Samsung Messages app.

Google Assistant will only sometimes ask if I wish to reply after it reads an SMS aloud from Google's Android Messages app and usually will not understand my responses.

 

[woofster]

Has this issue been resolved yet? I have Google Assistant read out loud new text messages all the time when I'm driving but as of late, it started telling me I have no new messages when I clearly just received a new message as well.

It's definitely something that has to be patched up on Google's end but I find it extremely frustrating, not being able to hear my text messages when I'm on the road.

 

[woofster]

Ok, so after a week of not being able to have my text messages dictated out to me while I'm driving, I decided to download the Google Messages (blue icon) app to replace my default existing Messaging (yellow icon) app for SMS text messages.

Of course, Google Assistant is now working as it should once again, but it still irks me somewhat that I have no choice but to use yet another Google app in order for it to recognize new text messages.

 

[Pooparew]

Okay try this when I used the phrase OK Google can you read text messages then it started to work. But the interface was a little different then what I was used to when it works a couple months ago for me this time it told me it would read my last five messages from different people and it told me who the message was from and did I want to hear it or skip it and move on to hear the message from the next person. After playing with it for a minute I went back and asked my normal request to read my last text message at that point she started saying something went wrong and when I went back to saying OK Google can you read text messages she kept saying something went wrong but I highly recommend using the phrase OK Google can you read text messages

 

[dfmcneill]

Same solution as woofster worked for me. It works now that I switched to Google messages for SMS. Shocker. At least it works again!

 

[Scott337]

Check out this page on the Google Assistant product support site.

Looks like Assistant - Read Messages has been hit & miss since January.

With them announcing their new Assistant Driving Mode this Summer hopefully this will all work better & correctly soon.

https://support.google.com/assistant/thread/1208644?hl=en

I posted this as a temporary workaround on the Google Assistant Forum. Figured it was worth sharing here also.

With the newest Google app update (10.0.6.21) Google has started to introduce their new Assistant Driving Mode. If you say...."OK Google let's drive" it will open the shortcut screen for Maps - Start Navigation. There is supposed to be a full Driving Mode dashboard coming this Summer for more Driving Mode options. But for now if you say OK Google let's drive, when you are in that mode you can then ask to Read Messages and it works as intended. If you minimize the Assistant Driving Mode screen and ask to Read Messages it crashes as reported. But if you keep the Assistant Let's Drive screen open and ask to Read Messages it works for now. I guess it's a start in the right direction.

 

[dvdgarofalo]

Scott337 your solution worked for me on a new Blu Vivo XI+. No other solution seemed to work. Thanks for the heads up about the future product enhancements. Let's hope they work it out...

 

[Scott337]

Scott337 your solution worked for me on a new Blu Vivo XI+. No other solution seemed to work. Thanks for the heads up about the future product enhancements. Let's hope they work it out...

If the workaround is working for you now....just a piece of advice: don't update your Google app until you see the new Driving Mode in the changeelog / What's New section. It seems like the workaround works in that app version > then it doesn't with the next app update > then it works again > then it doesn't in the next app update, etc. Very frustrating Google, very frustrating.