Google Assistant - always listening?

[drone3]

Did Google mention if the Pixel had always listening like to Moto had?

Google Assistant is the main draw for me, I just want to train GA and speak commands instead swiping around.

 

[GeekMcLeod]

I don't have a 100% answer but GA is replacing Google now, isn't it? So I would assume it would have the same always on feature.

 

[GT500_Grad2]

Does it always listen when the phone is off? Or just when the screen is on?

 

[N4Newbie]

Google Now ("OK Google") can be enabled to listen when the phone is off - Settings -> Google -> Search & Now -> Voice -> OK Google -> Always On.

Using a bit of chicanery, you can even train it to listen for something other than "OK Google". On the same screen as above, hit "Retrain voice model" and then train it to anything you like, so long as it is at least three syllables (I have found this seems to be important) vaguely reminiscent of O-K-Goo-gle. I was using "Wake Up Please" for a while.

 

[Nikola_Rosic290]

I think it always listens

 

[drone3]

Google Now ("OK Google") can be enabled to listen when the phone is off - Settings -> Google -> Search & Now -> Voice -> OK Google -> Always On.

Using a bit of chicanery, you can even train it to listen for something other than "OK Google". On the same screen as above, hit "Retrain voice model" and then train it to anything you like, so long as it is at least three syllables (I have found this seems to be important) vaguely reminiscent of O-K-Goo-gle. I was using "Wake Up Please" for a while.

Great that's what I wanted to know. Does anyone remember that Moto had a special always listening Chip so it didn't drain juice. Wondering if they brought that to the pixel?

 

[Nadzter]

So Google can listen to everything you're saying all the time?

 

[chin chen]

So Google can listen to everything you're saying all the time?

Well yes. What do you think? They listen to everything you say and it gets saved on servers worldwide. Google is heading into a slightly different and more user information based direction, see Google home for example too. More intelligence software and output requires more information which requires more surveillance. They wouldnt admit it, but we all get surveilled all the time and our data gets saved, if it is Apple, Microsoft or Google. Google more so, since they are more reliant on data and user informations.

 

[anon(847090)]

Great that's what I wanted to know. Does anyone remember that Moto had a special always listening Chip so it didn't drain juice. Wondering if they brought that to the pixel?

snapdragon 821 has embedded always on module in it

 

[anon(847090)]

So Google can listen to everything you're saying all the time?

So your phone can listen to everything you're saying all the time?
the comments you say after u activate it is saved on google server

 

[N4Newbie]

Just a few of the things you can do with a cell phone: Mobile spy app, Android spy, Call recording, Whatsapp spy, SMS tracker

 

[EnemiesInTheEnd]

Just a few of the things you can do with a cell phone: Mobile spy app, Android spy, Call recording, Whatsapp spy, SMS tracker

None of those things are truly a concern.

 

[Bearcats98]

While I know it is a "feature"; can it be disable if you so choose? Or is it like updates for W10?

 

[Bankz111]

Yes it does. But I don't know if its as effective as moto's or the iphones tbh

 

[N4Newbie]

None of those things are truly a concern.

It was a generic response to the kinds of things that CAN be done with a phone if one wants to and knows how to.

 

[drone3]

snapdragon 821 has embedded always on module in it

Great, evolution is awesome! Although security is getting more complicated.

 

[jam4775]

So Google can listen to everything you're saying all the time?

No that is not the case... when you set OK Google to Always On... you're phone is always listening for the "Ok Google" phrase, it's not recording it's just listening for the phrase to start the record process... when it hears "Ok Google" then it records what you are saying and then send that recording to Google's servers to analyse what you said and gives you a response back. I'm sure they do save these recordings for a period of time, which helps them to analyse some of them and improve on their responses.

Amazon Echo does this same thing... you can actually go into the Acho app and see a history of your requests.

Google Home works the same way.

Before some of you go how do you know, Blah Blah Blah... just think of how much storage space it would take to record through your phone 24x7, multiplied by the 100's of millions of devices out there. It's just unrealistic.

 

[N4Newbie]

No that is not the case... when you set OK Google to Always On... you're phone is always listening for the "Ok Google" phrase, it's not recording it's just listening for the phrase to start the record process... when it hears "Ok Google" then it records what you are saying and then send that recording to Google's servers to analyse what you said and gives you a response back. I'm sure they do save these recordings for a period of time, which helps them to analyse some of them and improve on their responses.

Amazon Echo does this same thing... you can actually go into the Acho app and see a history of your requests.

Google Home works the same way.

Before some of you go how do you know, Blah Blah Blah... just think of how much storage space it would take to record through your phone 24x7, multiplied by the 100's of millions of devices out there. It's just unrealistic.

I don't disagree with you at all - let me just get that out of the way.

But, now that we know about Yahoo scanning all email for key terrorist "signatures" (Yahoo Said to Have Aided U.S. Email Surveillance by Adapting Spam Filter - The New York Times), what's to stop Big Brother from ordering Google/Amazon/et al to have all of these devices constantly listen for terror-related key words or phrases?

Seriously, it could happen...

 

[jam4775]

I don't disagree with you at all - let me just get that out of the way.

But, now that we know about Yahoo scanning all email for key terrorist "signatures" (Yahoo Said to Have Aided U.S. Email Surveillance by Adapting Spam Filter - The New York Times), what's to stop Big Brother from ordering Google/Amazon/et al to have all of these devices constantly listen for terror-related key words or phrases?

Seriously, it could happen...

Oh I don't disagree with you that it could be possible... but I don't think it will happen without us soon finding out about it.

If somebody doesn't spill the beans about it, there's a lot of really smart people out there who would be able to dissect Google's code enough to figure out when our phones are actually sending recorded audio back to Google.

I guess I'd be more worried about them monitoring our calls... Can just as easily happen and might be harder to find out about.

 

[GSOAT]

I once had a Moto X, and, aside from the crappy battery and camera, I loved it specifically because of the "always listening" feature (and the fact that it knew when I was driving and adjusted settings for reading me my texts, for instance, when I was driving). Great feature, and I miss it a lot. After the Moto X, I went to a Sony XPeria (much better camera) and then eventually wandered back into the arms of an iPhone 6 Plus. But I grow weary of Apple's stagnation, and I am looking to go back to Android (I want a new toy), provided the Pixel, and Google Assistant, are "always listening".

It looks from the replies above that the Pixel will have an "always listening" feature, but is anyone sure? Until someone, somewhere, actually demonstrates it (on YouTube or wherever), I am skeptical. It will literally be the difference between my migrating back to Android now (and Google Project Fi replacing AT&T as my carrier) vs. waiting for a major upgrade with an iPhone 8 in a year or two.