We didn’t really think about it, but it’s kind of weird that Google hasn’t made a standalone version of the PC Assistant, is it? Or at least integrated into Chrome. After all, Chrome OS does now, and the Assistant is a big part of the Android experience too (damn it). We even bought smart speakers and monitors to use around the house, headphones can talk to Google, and yet our desktops and laptops are ignored. But if you want to fill that gap on your own, you can. There is an unofficial Google Assistant desktop client that sucks to set up, but manner better than it has the right to be.
The client was made by developer Melvin L. Abraham, and you can download it from the project’s GitHub. Remember that the setup process is a bit unpleasant. You will need to register for a Google Cloud account (free trial will suffice) and follow the thirty step the setup process here. The short version is that you will register your own project with Google so that you can use the API Assistant in a way that probably it was not made for. It probably also goes against Google’s terms of use, and it can stop working at any time.
Although you don’t have to be a developer to follow the steps (or even understand them, it’s not that hard to understand), it’s definitely not a simple process. But if you can get it to work, you’ll take advantage of the Wizard right from a window on your desktop.
The general interface is really good. Based on what I can say, it appears to be channeling a more phone-based Assistant UI – although it looks like a kind of smart screen, some things look different to my eyes. The microphone trigger is at the bottom right, but you can also enter commands using a text entry field on the left. The themed window controls are in the upper right corner and the settings on the left side. There is also a history, accessible via the forward / back buttons in the upper left corner next to it, and it still has support for a light / dark theme buried in the settings menu.
Many configurations are available.
The window is adjustable and you can configure it to be on top, close when it loses focus or even automatically activate the microphone for commands when it is opened. It has a shortcut key (ctrl + win + a on Windows) and even a built-in updater, all with a pretty design, with big buttons, rounded corners and Google fonts. (Much nicer than the only other standalone desktop product from Google: the trash-destroying CPU and flashing random icons that is Backup and Sync.)
Most of Assistant’s basic commands work – or at least work as well as on other compatible devices. The biggest obstacle is the lack of visual controls for some doubts, such as if you ask about your thermostat or want to adjust the lighting. It can show images if you ask (including from Google Photos) and provide some visual feedback, but the accompanying smart home controls can be via snippet of recommendations at the bottom or nothing, so it’s not as useful as a Smart Display Assistant with power that can show big buttons to change the settings. Still, it’s hard to complain a lot when it’s free.
Light and dark modes.
That said, many commands no to work. There is no constant listening mode and Continuous Chat is more inconsistent than on other devices – although the settings menu implies that the feature is supported, it appears to work only randomly and only manner after you wait. I was also unable to trigger some third-party services, such as Spotify or Netflix, which makes sense. But that means that you can’t use it to play music or start streaming on other devices. Finally, my routines didn’t work either.
The unofficial Google Assistant client on macOS (above) and elementary OS (below).
If you want to try, there are even versions of macOS and Linux, although some of the configurations we mentioned may vary between platforms.
Although I sincerely hope that our coverage does not knock the Google hammer down, this app is too great not to be shared. Why doesn’t Google make a desktop assistant client?