How to Use Google Assistant on Windows 10

A clever hack that’s also useful

The first thing you should know before reading this article is that there’s no such thing as an official Google Assistant client for Windows 10.

The workaround is a customized clone for Windows 10 created by developer Melvin Abraham and availablevia GitHub.

There is a little bit of a setup process to get it working properly, but we’ll walk you through the entire process in this guide.

Google Assistant for Windows 10 Features

This unofficial Windows 10 version of Google Assistant supports most of the same commands that the official version of Google Assistant does.

This includes checking the weather and news, adding items to your to-do list, and controllingGoogle Home smart home devices.

However, there are some features it doesn’t support such as initiating commands with “OK Google” or the Continued Conversation feature.

How to Prepare Your Computer for Google Assistant

Since the Google Assistant app for Windows 10 is written in Python, you’ll need to download and install the latest version of Python to your PC for it to work.

1.Download Pythonto your computer.

  1. Run the executable installer after it downloads.

  2. On the installer window, enableAdd Python 3.9 to PATH(your Python version may be different). Then selectInstall Now.

  3. Open File Explorer and create a new folder on your root drive called GoogleAssistant. For example:C:\GoogleAssistant.

Now that your computer is ready to install Google Assistant for Windows 10, you’ll need to set up your Google Account with the right permissions and authentication to make it all work.

How to Set Up Google Account Authentication

Open a web browser and navigate toGoogle Cloud. SelectConsoleat the upper right next to your profile image.

Note: This process has a lot of steps, but if you just take it a step at a time and follow the instructions this should only take 10 to 15 minutes.

  1. On the Google Cloud Platform window, select the down arrow at the upper left to select a project. In theSelect a projectwindow, selectNew Project.

  2. Name the projectWin10GoogleAssist. SelectCreateto continue.

  3. You’ll see a notification at the upper right. Click onSelect Projectto open your new project.

  4. In the center APIs section, selectGo to APIs overview.

  5. At the top of the window, selectEnable APIs and Services.

  6. On the next window, typegoogle assistantin the search field. SelectGoogle Assistant APIfrom the results list.

  7. On the next screen, select the blueEnablebutton.

  8. Now you’ll see a message about creating credentials for this API at the top of the screen. Select theCreate Credentialsbutton.

  9. You’ll see a form you need to fill out. ForWhich API are you using?, selectGoogle Assistant APIfrom the dropdown list.

  10. ForWhere will you be calling the API from?, selectOther UI (e.g. Windows , CLI tool).

  11. ForWhat data will you be accessing, selectUser data. Then selectWhat credentials do I need?

  12. A popup window will display for you to set up OAuth consent. SelectSet Up Consent Screen.

  13. On the User Type window, selectExternaland then select theCreatebutton.

  14. Under Edit app registration, fill out the App information fields. You can give theApp nameany name, but it’s best to use the same app name you used in step 2 so it’s easier to remember. Fill in your email into theUser support emailfield.

  15. Fill the same email into theDeveloper contact informationfield, and selectSave and Continue.

  16. The next page will display information about “scopes”. You can ignore this. Scroll to the bottom and selectSave and Continue.

  17. Finally, you’ll need to add test users to complete this section. In the Test users section, selectAdd Users.

  18. In the Add users window, enter your email address into the field and selectAdd.

  19. Scroll down to the bottom of the previous form and selectSave and Continue.

Now your Google Assistant API is enabled and you’ve provided the necessary permissions to your own Google account to access the API.

Set Up Google Actions

The next step is to use the Google Actions service to enable Google Assistant action triggers, and retrieve the Oauth file that the Google Assistant for Windows 10 application is going to need.

  1. Go to Google Actions Console and selectNew Project. SelectYesto agree to terms of service. Then selectAgree and continue.

  2. SelectWin10GoogleAssistas the project name and selectImport project.

  3. Scroll down to the bottom and selectClick herenext toAre you looking for device registration?

  4. On the next page selectRegister Model.

  5. On the Register Model page, type any product name and company name. Then select the device type dropdown and pick any device. Then selectRegister Model.

  6. SelectDownload Oauth 2.0 credentials. Save the authentication file anywhere on your computer that you’ll remember in the next section.

You’re finally ready to install Google Assistant for Windows 10 onto your computer!

Install Google Assistant for Windows 10

To install the app, you’ll need to download the files from the GitHub page and run the Python app.

  1. Go to theGitHub Releases pageand download the latest release of the app for windows (the .exe file).

  2. Once downloaded, save the file to C:\GoogleAssistant and then right-click the file and selectRun as administratorto run it. On the first step, select to install it for all users, and then selectNext.

  3. Change the install path to the directory you created and selectInstall.

  4. Once the application is installed, leave theRun Google Assistantcheckbox enabled and selectFinish. The application will then launch. You’ll see the Google Assistant icon on the taskbar. Right-click the icon and selectLaunch Assistant.

  5. You may want to start using Google Assistant, but it won’t work yet. You need to authenticate with your Google account. To do this, selectGet Startedat the lower left corner of the window.

  6. You see a notification message. SelectProceedto continue.

  7. You’ll see instructions to set up your OAuth credentials. Select the gear icon at the upper left corner of the window to do this.

  8. In the Settings window, select theBrowsebutton and browse to the Oauth file that you saved earlier in this procedure. You can leave theSaved Tokens Pathblank. SelectSaveto continue.

  9. You’ll see a pop-up window about the Saved Tokens Path. Selectautomatically set a path.

  10. You’ll be prompted to relaunch Google Assistant. When you do, it’ll open a browser window where you’ll need to log into your Google account. Accept all permissions requests and then copy the token code that Google provides. Paste it into the code field in the Google Assistant window. SelectSubmitwhen you’re done.

  11. Relaunch one last time by selectingRelaunch Assistant. This time, Google Assistant will launch but is now connected with your Google account.

Now you can use Google Assistant for Windows 10 just as you would use it on the mobile app. You’ll even hear thesame voice in responseto your queries.

Most Google Assistant queries will work as normal. If you try to use Google account apps like Calendar, the app will connect with the Google Assistant app on your phone where you’ll need to add the new device and give it permissions.

Now that you have Google Assistant on your Windows 10 computer, you can enjoy all of the convenience andautomationsthat come from having a digital assistant, even when you’re not using your mobile device!

Ryan has been writing how-to and other technology-based articles online since 2007. He has a BSc degree in Electrical Engineering and he’s worked 13 years in automation engineering, 5 years in IT, and now is an Apps Engineer.Read Ryan’s Full Bio

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