Google Assistant can now control Chrome on Pixel 4. Here’s how to enable it. - Android

The Google Assistant is capable of handling many tasks, from basic queries to smart home toggles and more. You can add web browser commands to the mix too, as the Assistant now offers a variety of commands in Google Chrome.

The feature, spotted by Android Police, is available for the Google Pixel 4 series and isn’t enabled by default just yet. To enable the feature, follow the instructions below.

1. Enter chrome://flags/#direct-actions in Chrome’s address bar
2. Tap the dropdown bar in the Direct actions field, and choose enabled
3. Restart/relaunch Chrome when prompted

Android Police notes that there are nine commands on offer, ranging from opening/closing tabs and to reloading/bookmarking pages. Other commands include going back or forward and opening history or downloads. It only works in English for now, so you might have to wait a while for more supported languages.

I couldn’t get the functionality to work at first, despite restarting my phone and having my Assistant set to US English. But it turns out that the new Assistant and Chrome functionality won’t load up if you have a G-Suite account added to the device alongside your standard account. The feature works fine if you remove any G-Suite accounts, but is disabled once again if you add the offending account.

Nevertheless, it still seems like a rather fantastic feature for lazy people or those with impairments. Hopefully Google adds the ability to scroll and somehow open links for a more hands-free experience.

Have you tried out this feature? Give us your thoughts in the comments!

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