How do you turn on Hey Google?

To turn on Hey Google, open the Google Assistant app, say "Assistant settings," and turn on Hey Google under Popular settings. Then follow the prompts so the phone learns your voice. If the setting is missing or Hey Google does not respond, check the Voice Match settings in the Google Home app first. A school account that an admin manages can also block it.

Turn it on in the Google Assistant app

Google's steps for an Android phone or tablet are these ¹:

1. Open the Google Assistant app.
2. Say "Assistant settings."
3. Under Popular settings, tap Hey Google and Voice Match.
4. Turn on Hey Google, then follow the prompts so the phone learns your voice.

The wake phrase belongs to the voice assistant that is primary on your phone. Once a phone moves to Gemini, the steps are different, and they are covered in the section on Gemini below.

On a phone that uses Gemini

If Gemini is your primary assistant, Google's Gemini help page says you can get quick access to Gemini using "Hey Google" if it is enabled. The Gemini app is where you turn it on, so the menu names can differ from the Assistant app's steps. Check the menu on your own phone, since the names change with app updates.

Hey Google is not available in every language. Google says the Hey Google feature and some quick voice actions with Gemini are not available in 14 languages, including Greek, Hebrew and Ukrainian ².

When Hey Google does not respond

Google's troubleshooting page for Hey Google starts with the Google Home app, not the Assistant app. It says that if your Google Home app does not respond to "Hey Google" on an Android device, you should make sure the Google Home app, Hey Google and Voice Match are all turned on. Google's steps are:

1. Open the Google Home app.
2. At the top right, tap your profile picture or initial, then Manage your Google account, then Data & privacy.
3. Under Other settings, tap Voice Match, then Set up.
4. Turn on Hey Google and set up Voice Match.

Two cases need a different fix. First, a school account can block the setting. Google says that if you are signed in to a Google Workspace for Education account on your Android device and cannot turn on Hey Google, the admin might have turned off settings that Hey Google needs ³. Only the admin can change that. Second, a speaker or display has its own microphone switch. On many speakers, a switch on the back turns the microphone off, and the switch is often orange or red when it is off.

It depends on which assistant your phone uses

The setting moves with the assistant. A phone on Google Assistant has Hey Google under the Assistant app's settings. A phone on Gemini has it in the Gemini app. A speaker, display or car with built-in Assistant keeps its own setting and does not follow the phone. If you switch your phone to Gemini and Hey Google stops working, the setting for the new assistant is the one to check, and it may need turning on again.

A speaker or display has its own microphone switch and its own setup, so check that device separately when the phone works and the speaker does not.

What to do

1. Open the Google Assistant app or the Gemini app and check which assistant answers when you press and hold the power button.
2. Turn on Hey Google in that assistant's settings, and set up Voice Match so it learns your voice.
3. If it still does not work, check the Google Home app, then the Workspace admin setting, then the speaker's microphone switch.
4. Test the phrase in a quiet room before you rely on it.

For the commands you can use once Hey Google works, see the guide to Google Assistant voice commands. If you are deciding whether to switch the phone to Gemini at all, read the question on whether Gemini is replacing Google Assistant and the question on switching back. For the wider category, see our overview of voice assistants.