Skip to main content

Google Assistant can now finally talk like a (John) Legend

Google Assistant: Now featuring the voice of John Legend

In the movie Her, main character Theodore falls in love with his digital assistant, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. With the latest update to Google Assistant, that concept doesn’t seem so far off. Google Assistant can now be voiced by R&B singer and EGOT winner John Legend. The feature was first announced by Google at Google I/O 2018.

Recommended Videos

You can experience the smooth new voice for yourself by asking Google Assistant to “talk like a legend,” after which you’ll hear Legend’s voice for jokes, or for answers to questions like “What’s the temperature outside?” or “Why is the sky blue?” You’ll also get the new voice for Legend-specific questions, such as “Who is Chrissy Teigen” or “Are you John Legend?”

Unfortunately, it’s only certain content that will be in John Legend’s voice, so you can’t really permanently set John Legend to be your assistant’s voice, and at least some of the time, it will use the standard set voice that you’ve chosen. Still, Google says that you may be surprised to hear Legend’s voice for other content along the way, so it’s possible that you’ll hear it more often than you think.

Still, we’re likely to see more so-called “cameo” voices on Assistant as time goes on — Google says it has been one of the most-requested features. Google generally wants Assistant to be as customizable as possible, as you’re more likely to use it if it’s personalized to your tastes. At Google I/O 2018, the company announced six new voices for Google Assistant, allowing users to find a voice that best matches what they’re looking for in a digital assistant.

The John Legend voice is a long time coming. The voice was first announced in May 2018 and at the time was supposed to be rolled out “sometime in 2018.” That, of course, never happened, but it’s better late than never. The voice was developed by DeepMind’s WaveNet, which allows for more natural-sounding voices while ensuring that voice actors don’t need to spend quite as much time in the studio recording.

Google Assistant’s John Legend voice is now available on Google Home and Google Assistant phones. Just remember, Google Assistant is still a machine, and can’t reciprocate your love for it.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
Now Playing is the best Google Pixel 9 feature you aren’t using
The Google Pixel 9 standing upright next to an Android statue.

The Google Pixel 9 is here, and if you haven't heard yet, it's excellent. Google did almost everything right this year — releasing phones with gorgeous hardware, excellent cameras, great battery life, and more.

All Pixel 9 phones also come with a host of new AI features. Some of them, like Add Me and Pixel Screenshots, are legitimately great. Others, like Pixel Studio, could have used more time in the oven.

Read more
The Google Tasks app just got a big redesign. Here’s what it looks like
Google Tasks August 2024 update shown on Android device.

The Google Tasks app has undergone a significant update, featuring a redesigned look. This update is being rolled out to users and will soon be available on your Android phone.

First revealed in June, the update provides a more polished user experience by replacing the current list format for each task with cards. The bottom bar has been removed; there's a floating action button instead. Furthermore, the three-dot overflow menu is now accessible from each card. The menu sits beside the app's sorting options.

Read more
You can now make your current smartwatch look just like the Pixel Watch 3
The Google Pixel Watch 3 lying on top of a plant.

Using a sideloading APK, you can now make your current Wear OS smartwatch resemble the upcoming Google Pixel Watch 3, even before its official release next month. The Pixel Watch 3, announced last week, will be available in a new size with a larger display and improved components. It will also feature some fancy new watch faces.

To get started, you'll need to download the latest Google Pixel Watch Faces APK (v3.0.119.647124927) on APKMirror. Unfortunately, as Android Police explains, you need to install the APK on your watch, not your phone, to get the new watch faces. As Android Police reminds us, this is a "convoluted process" at best.

Read more