Can I install Google Assistant on my PC?

Answered by Douglas Hiatt

You can install Google Assistant on your PC. While there is no official Google Assistant app for Windows, there is an unofficial version available that you can use. In this response, I’ll guide you through the process of installing the unofficial Google Assistant on your Windows PC and setting it up as a project in the Google Actions Console. I’ll also provide instructions for Chromebook users.

Here are the steps to install and set up Google Assistant on your Windows PC:

1. Download and install Python: As the unofficial Google Assistant for Windows is built using Python, you’ll need to have Python installed on your PC. You can download the latest version of Python from the official website (https://www.python.org/downloads/). Follow the installation instructions provided on the website to complete the installation.

2. Install the Google Assistant SDK: After installing Python, open the command prompt on your PC. You can do this by pressing the Windows key, typing “cmd,” and selecting the Command Prompt app. In the command prompt, enter the following command to install the Google Assistant SDK:

“`
Pip install google-assistant-sdk[samples]
“`

This command will download and install the necessary packages for the Google Assistant SDK.

3. Configure the Google Assistant project: To use the Google Assistant SDK, you’ll need to create a project in the Google Actions Console. Visit the Google Actions Console website (https://console.actions.google.com/) and create a new project. Follow the instructions provided by Google to set up your project.

4. Enable the Google Assistant API: In the Google Actions Console, navigate to your project and go to the “APIs & Services” > “Library” section. Search for “Google Assistant API” and enable it for your project.

5. Generate credentials: In the Google Actions Console, go to the “APIs & Services” > “Credentials” section. Click on “Create credentials” and select “OAuth client ID.” Follow the instructions to create a new client ID. Make sure to set the “Authorized JavaScript origins” to ‘http://localhost:5000’ and the “Authorized redirect URIs” to ‘http://localhost:5000/auth/google/callback’.

6. Download the credentials file: After generating the credentials, click on the download button to download the JSON file containing your credentials. Save this file to a secure location on your PC.

7. Set up the Assistant: Open the command prompt again and navigate to the directory where you saved the credentials JSON file. Enter the following command to start the setup process:

“`
Googlesamples-assistant-devicetool –project-id YOUR_PROJECT_ID –client-secrets CLIENT_SECRETS_FILE
“`

Replace “YOUR_PROJECT_ID” with your actual project ID and “CLIENT_SECRETS_FILE” with the path to your credentials JSON file.

8. Follow the setup instructions: The setup process will guide you through the authentication and authorization steps. Follow the instructions provided in the command prompt to complete the setup.

9. Launch Google Assistant: After completing the setup, you can launch the Google Assistant by using the keyboard shortcut Windows key+Shift+A. This will open Google Assistant on your PC, allowing you to interact with it using voice commands.

Please note that the unofficial Google Assistant for Windows may not have all the features and capabilities of the official Google Assistant app. However, it should provide basic functionality and allow you to perform tasks such as web searches, setting reminders, and controlling smart home devices.

For Chromebook users, the process is slightly different:

1. Go to Settings on your Chromebook.

2. Navigate to “Search and Assistant” > “Google Assistant.”

3. Enable Google Assistant by toggling the switch.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up Google Assistant on your Chromebook.

Once set up, you can access Google Assistant on your Chromebook by clicking on the circle icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen or using the keyboard shortcut Search key+A.

I hope this guide helps you install and set up Google Assistant on your PC or Chromebook. Enjoy using Google Assistant to make your tasks easier and more convenient!