How To Enable Google Assistant Ambient Mode

Google has tried its hand at everything. It basically makes every smartphone run as there is atleast one essential service from Google without which your life is almost meaningless. I mean come on, when was the last time you looked at YouTube – five minutes ago?

Just a few weeks back, Google added some new entries to its series of digital wellbeing experimental apps. Earlier, it was the incognito mode on Google Maps, and YouTube’s auto-delete feature.

And, then came Google Assistant’s Ambient Mode. Ambient Mode first rolled out in June 2019 on Pixel devices and other selected phones. It was later included on other Android phones gradually. Ambient Mode is a Google Assistant feature that is enabled when a phone is charged. Labeled as a “proactive” experience, Ambient Mode on Google Assistant is meant to help users receive notifications, weather information, reminders, etc. through their lock screens, when the phone’s charging. It’s intended to be a lock screen displaying significant information, while the users have kept the phone aside for charging.

Let’s learn a bit more Ambient Mode on Google Assistant, and know-how to enable it on Android devices:

What is Google Assistant Ambient Mode?

For a start, you can say the Ambient Mode on Google Assistant is an embedded feature in Android phones, which takes over your lock screens when the phone’s on charging. The idea is to help users see if they have a notification without much disturbance when the phone’s not charging.

You usually keep your phone aside if it’s the battery is drained. Now, you don’t want to use it but also do not want any notification pass by. In the Ambient Mode, you’ll receive notifications from all the apps that are granted access for the same without opening your lock screen or flashing your screen saver. The Ambient Mode screen would remain calm and will display icons of apps whose notification has arrived on your phone. You can check if there’s an important one. All you’ll have to do is swipe up to unlock your phone. The other feature offers users to directly operate the Google Home devices directly from your Ambient Mode lock-screen, which gets you an easier way to control your home appliances.

This way, you can let your phone charge without bearing it with constant use and not miss a relevant text or task notification on your phone. Besides, since it’s powered by Google Assistant, you can use the Voice Assistant to access mails, contacts, make calls, etc. directly from the Ambient Mode lock-screen.

Learn, how the whole deal with Ambient Mode works out, and how you can make the best out of it:

How To Enable Google Assistant Ambient Mode?

Step 1: Open the Google Search app. It’s pre-installed in a majority of Android phones. If it isn’t, you can download it from the Play Store.

Step 2: Tap on More, and then head to Settings .

Step 3: From there, head to Google Assistant that’ll take you to your Google Account home page.

Step 4: Tap on Assistant. Scroll down to find the option – Phone, under the section Assistant Devices.

Step 5: Scroll down the next page and find Ambient Mode. Turn the switch on to enable Google Assistant Ambient Mode.

How To Setup Google Assistant Ambient Mode?

Once you’ve enabled the Ambient Mode on Google Assistant, it will take over your lock screen when the phone’s on charging. This is how your primary Ambient Mode would look like after taking over your lock screen.

Let’s set up the Google Assistant Ambient Mode on your phone to make the best of it:

Step 1: Click on the option – Get Personal Results on Your Lock Screen.

Step 2: Click on Allow. This will allow Google Assistant to show you your Google reminders and upcoming events on your lock screen. You’ll also be allowing it to send messages and access emails and contacts on Ambient screen over Google Assistant Voice Commands.

Step 3: This is how your Ambient Mode screen would look like if anything is running in the background while the phone is on charging. In my case, I am listening to songs on my Amazon Prime Music account.

Step 4: Do not touch the screen for a few settings, and you’ll see the Ambient Mode lock screen with an option – See Your Notification in Ambient Mode.

Step 5: Click on Turn On in Settings.

Step 6: Allow Google to access notifications. You can turn this on in your Phone Settings directly. The way to head to notification settings may vary from phone to phone.

Step 7: Now, Google Assistant Ambient Mode will display information if you receive any notification for a WhatsApp text, a reminder, an event, a message, etc. Any app allowed to access the notification panel will also be displayed in Ambient Mode.

Bonus Point:

Tap on that Google Assistant symbol on the Ambient lock-screen, and access Google Assistant.

Ambient Mode is quite underrated and can be developed to do more things. But for now, it is quite decently helpful. From what it looks like, I believe that the Ambient Mode is about experimenting with Google Assistant and see how far its capabilities can be extended. Google knows how people are inclining towards smart home devices and voice assistants, and it wants to stretch Google Assistant’s capabilities furthermore. Nevertheless, I don’t feel any harm in trying it out. It’s pretty decent, and for a change, I get to use Assitant and explore it much more regularly. So, I say, do check out the Google Assistant Ambient Mode.

Tell us in the comments how useful Google Assistant Ambient mode is. If you’ve been using it already, tell us why one should continue to do so and what more you expect from it. Follow us on social media – Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.