"Ok Google" not working? Here's how to fix it

Jump to:

• Rule out all the simple fixes
  • Turn Google Assistant on
  • Check internet connectivity
  • Check if it's not just you
  • Check your language settings
• Check the microphone on your device
• Turn off Battery saving mode
• Update Google app
• Retrain "Ok Google" voice model

Simple steps to identify the problem

Sometimes you do not need to perform long, drawn out, complex troubleshooting steps to fix a nagging issue. The solution could be something that is very basic. And that is exactly what we want to do here. Before we try some of the more difficult steps out, let us begin with a few basic ones to solve your 'OK Google not working' issue.

Make sure Google Assistant is turned on

As elementary it may sound, you will be surprised to know just how many people may have simply turned the Google Assistant feature off and then wonder why it isn't working. In case you often hand over your phone to kids, they might, on some occasions, fiddle with the phone's settings and turn off Google Assistant (and the OK Google command by default) accidentally. Before you even start reading about major troubleshooting steps, make sure Google Assistant is enabled in the first place. 

Here's how you do so.

1. Launch the Google app on your phone.
2. Scroll until you see Settings for Google Apps. Select that.
3. Select Search, Assistant and Voice.
4. Select Google Assistant.
5. Scroll down until you see the General option. Select General.
6. Make sure the Google Assistant slider button is enabled.

As an additional step, you may also want to check the following

1. Follow steps 1 to 3 as mentioned above.
2. Select Voice followed by Voice Match.
3. Make sure the 'Hey Google' slider button is enabled.

Make sure you're connected to the Internet

This may be stating the obvious, but in most cases, Google Assistant does need a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection to function, so make sure your device is connected before you attempt a search. Also, and this is probably the oldest piece of advice in the book, it never hurts to perform a quick reboot where sometimes, magic really does happen!

 Check if you're not alone

It's always good to know if the problem you're facing is affecting just you and nobody else. There have been occasions when people noticed that the problem is on Google's side rather than theirs. Check Twitter, Reddit, and Google's support forums to see if other users are complaining about 'OK Google' not working or that 'Google Voice' is not working as it should. You can also try searching for a solution using the term 'Google assistant not working.' 

Check your language settings

One fix that has worked for many users when faced with the dreaded 'Ok Google not working' issue is to check the language settings on your phone. What if it turns out that the reason Google Assistant isn't responding to you simply because you're speaking the wrong language to it?

Note that US English will be the default language for many users, but it's still worth checking in the Settings menu and make the necessary alterions as required. To do this, perform the following steps:

1. Launch the Google app on your phone.
2. Select Settings for Google Apps.
3. Select Search, Assistant and Voice.
4. Select Voice.
5. Select Languages.
6. View the available language options which are checked and make sure that the selected language is one that you can work with. 

This same menu will also show you dozens of language options, each one with a checkbox, allowing you to set primary and secondary languages if desired. Google will automatically detect which language you're speaking and automatically switch between them. If you're multilingual, be warned that voice recognition for languages other than English can sometimes be subpar.

Updating your language pack may also solve your problem. From the same Voice menu, go to the section that says Offline speech recognition and download or update your English (US) language pack.

Check your device microphone

As a voice-based system, Google Assistant relies on uninterrupted access to your smartphone's microphone. When you launch the Google app, the microphone icon on the right-hand side of the search bar should appear in bold with fully-formed lines. If it has a dotted line, you may be experiencing a problem with your microphone.

This may be caused by debris in the small microphone hole often found next to the charging port – have a careful poke around with a safety pin or something similar to clear it, and you'll often solve the problem. If that doesn't work, check the microphone settings within the Google app.

Occasionally, apps running in the background generate audiothat may interfere with the microphone's ability to pick up your voice, so check these too and kill any apps that you think may be generating audio.

Turn off battery saver mode 

Android smartphones of today feature a dedicated battery-saving mode that kills background processes to make sure you manage to eke as much juice from the battery as possible. An unintended consequence of this is having your Google Assistant (and the OK Google command) stop working because of this. It is a good idea to check whether the battery-saving mode on your phone is enabled before you blame anything else for OK Google not working.

On stock Android, you can check if the Battery saver option is enabled by taking these steps.

1. Launch Settings.
2. Scroll down and select Battery.
3. Select the Battery Saver option and make sure it is off

On other Android skins, the same option may appear under a different name, i.e. Adaptive Battery. 

Update the Google app to the latest version

One possible fix to your OK Google problem is to ensure that your smartphone is running the latest version of the Google App. Here's how you can make sure you're on the newest version of the app.

1. On your smartphone, launch the Google Play Store.
2. Search for the Google app.
3. On the Google app page, check whether there is the option to Update instead of Uninstall.
4. Update the app by selecting Update to see whether the issue is resolved.

6. Retrain the "Ok Google" voice model

Sometimes, for reasons unknown, Google Assistant doesn't retain the commands you have given it. If all else fails, it might be time to retrain your digital companion. Here's how you can do so.

1. Launch the Google app.
2. Select Settings, followed by Voice.
3. Select Voice Match and then under the This Device tab, enable the alert slider for Hey Google.
4. Follow the on-screen steps.

Now that you have reached the end of this article do let us know if these steps helped you fix the issue. Additionally, do let us know if we have missed any useful fixes.

This article was last updated in April 2022. Older comments have been retained, so they might seem out of context.