Back in mid-2014, Chrome users could use the "OK Google" hotword to initiate web searches using their voice but just 17 months later the feature was removed from the desktop browser. It was also revealed earlier this year that hot-word detection was being removed from Chrome OS, with reports emerging that Google Assistant may be brought over to the OS to fill the void.
When Google launched its Home product, eleven months after its unveiling, users discovered that to get the device"s attention, they could call out either "Hey Google" or "OK Google" while smartphones continued to be restricted to the latter. Now, it appears that non-Pixel handsets with Google Assistant are seeing notifications prompting users to recreate the voice model, a prerequisite for the alternative hotword to be recognized.
According to a number of reports on Reddit, specific models that have received the prompt include the Moto G5S and G5 Plus, the Nexus 5X, the OnePlus 5 and 5T, as well as the Galaxy S6, S7, and S7 edge, to name a few while Pixel devices had the capability enabled in the preceding weeks.
Of course, some users may have liked the fact they could separately invoke their smartphone or their Google Home smart speaker and they will still have that ability by ignoring the optional prompt to retrain Google Assistant. But, if you prefer to use the same hotword across both types of devices for the sake of consistency you now also have that option available to you.
Source: Reddit via Android Authority