Google Assistant has always had some measure of integration with various messaging apps; for example, it’s long been able to read and reply to Telegram messages (which we use at Ausdroid) but that integration hasn’t been complete.
However, that’s now changed. Google Assistant can now include many third party messaging apps in its round-up of new and unread messages.
If you ask Google Assistant to “read my messages”, it will now read your SMS, but also third party apps such as WhatsApp, Slack, Telegram, Discord and more. Better yet, Assistant will now let you reply to those messages as it reads through them.
As Assistant works its way through your unread messages, if it encounters an app it hasn’t used before, it will need your approval to grant Notification Access. It will then read through your messages, reading the text, the sender and also which app they’ve sent with.
It might be obvious, but Assistant can’t read picture, audio or video messages – it will notify you that it’s received one, though, and give you the option to play it back later when you’re able to do so yourself.
The feature is available here in Australia, and seems to be widely available elsewhere too.
Check it out in your Google Assistant!
