Google Assistant started out as a glorified re-branding of Google Now on Tap + Voice Search, but it has since grown into a competent virtual assistant. It’s now available on many devices ranging from smartphones to tablets to dedicated smart home devices to eventually many Chromebooks. Integration between Assistant-enabled devices is a key feature, and after Google announced new integrations at Mobile World Congress, the ability to set a location-based reminder is finally rolling out.
Yup, we’ve all been there. Try saying, “Hey Google, set a reminder to pick up more coffee at the grocery store” and your Google Assistant will remind you on your phone. pic.twitter.com/IkLjV4I2zd
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) March 14, 2018
Google took their sweet time bringing reminders to its Home product, but it eventually did arrive. Setting a reminder was previously limited to time, but now you can ask your Google Home to set a reminder at specific location so when you arrive there, Google Assistant on your smartphone will remind you of your task. For instance, if I say “Hey Google, remind me to buy milk at Walmart” it will add a reminder that activates when I arrive at any Walmart.
The addition of this feature is a welcome step in making Assistant more useful to the average consumer. Just recently, the service gained the ability to wake you up to your favorite song or playlist and look up TV show schedules. Meanwhile, Amazon Alexa recently got access to a Follow-up Mode so you can send back-to-back commands, so there’s still a lot that Assistant can offer for the user. Still, we’re glad that Google is finally adding such a useful feature to its service. If Google Play Services is already tracking my location, it might as well provide me useful information that I actually care about.