After first showing Quick Phrases on the Nest Hub Max at Google I/O, Google appears to be rolling out the feature this week. New support pages and an accompanying video went live today to explain the feature again and how you can enable it on your device. Additionally, my Pixel 6 now gives me access to features on my Nest Hub Max unit.
To recap, Quick Phrases are a set of phrases you can say to your Nest Hub Max without needing to say “OK, Google” or “Hey, Google” first. You’ll be able to say things like turn lights off or on, set timers or alarms, ask what time it is, or find out the current weather.
To get started, after going to the Google Home app, tapping on your profile, and then choosing “Assistant Settings,” you’ll scroll down and find “Quick Phrases.” Assuming you have a Nest Hub Max in your home or office, you’ll tap the “Other Devices” panel and then start adding phrases you want to access from that unit.
Here’s a screenshot of what that page looks like on my phone:
Once added, they should work almost immediately. I tapped the “+” button next to several and then got feedback about the time, weather, and timer within seconds. And yes, I can already attest to how great it is to be across the room and have your Nest Hub Max tell you the time when there’s no clock nearby or set a timer without first yelling “Hey, Google!”
We’re not sure why Google is limiting this to the Nest Hub Max, but it could be a hardware thing. If they open it up to additional devices, we’ll let you know.
Here’s the new support page if you need help getting started.