Many use Google Assistant primarily to organize their routine tasks like appointments, reminders and more, but Assistant is not just limited to those tasks. It can also be used to make phone calls and send text messages. However, many users have been complaining about a Google Assistant issue which keeps them from using it to make calls or send texts.
Is this Google Assistant issue new?
Affected users say other commands to Google Assistant are working fine, and the issue is only with making calls and sending texts, notes tech site Piunikaweb. The Google Assistant forum includes many such complaints, as users report error messages such as, “Can’t reach Google at the moment,” “This internet connection isn’t stable right now,” and, “This internet connection isn’t reliable at the moment.”
“I can make the call by manually selecting from the contacts. But when young [sic] to trigger the call by voice using the assistant it doesn’t work. Would my internet provider affect this issue? I can ring them but that will take ‘a long time’ and it’s doubtful I’ll find anyone who can help. It was working fine until last week,” one user said.
The issue was also live on the Google Issue Tracker website until yesterday, but it was closed out by a Google employee who said, “For issues regarding Google Assistant, the platform to reach the responsible team is the Google Assistant Help page[2]. Seeing that you already reported the issue on that forum, the next step is awaiting a response from them.”
The latest Google Assistant issue is not device-specific as users of Samsung, Pixel and other Android handsets have reported the same problem. Even Android Auto users have reported the issue, and it’s not a new one
In August, one Brazilian user reported a similar Google Assistant issue, saying, “The voice command to make call is not working.”
However, the user added that the issue appeared only after an update. A week later, it was fixed following an update.
It’s possible this time the issue is also caused by an update, so Google may soon come up with a fix.
Workaround and general fixes
One user facing the Google Assistant issue noted that saying, “Call John Smith” was throwing up an error, so he tried asking Assistant, “Can you make a call?” Assistant replied, “Who do you want to call?” and the user said, “John Smith.” This worked.
In addition to this workaround, there are a few generic fixes that you can try to fix the issue yourself.
Check the Google Assistant permissions. To do it, open Settings on your device, and then choose “Apps.” Next, go to the Google app and tap “Permissions.” Turn on all the permissions, especially phone permissions. If this resolves the issues, you can later deselect the ones you feel are not relevant.
If this does not help, you must try to reset the app. To do this, go to the Google app properties (Settings > Apps > Google app). Tap on “Clear Cache” and also “Manage Space” and then choose “Clear All Data.” Next, return to the app properties and select “Disable.” After waiting a few seconds, tap “Enable.” If the Google Assistant issue persists even after this, your only option is to contact the support team.
Another issue with Google Assistant
Another Google Assistant issue that many have reported lately is that Assistant does not reply to queries out loud; instead, it shows a text response. This could be a major issue for those who enjoy conversation with Google Assistant. Like always, there are generic fixes that could help you address the issue before reporting it to Google.
First, try restarting the device. It is the most common fix and is generally effective as well, so there is a good chance it will address the issue for you. If not, try the next solution, which is clearing the device’s cache. You can follow the same steps as discussed above to clear the cache.
If that doesn’t solve the issue, check the settings. You might have changed some settings and then forgot to revert them back. For instance, there is an option in Google Assistant that allows you to give commands using other methods, like typing.
There is an option to type queries and then get a response from Google Assistant in the form of text. Check this option and enable voice. To check it, launch the Google Assistant app and tap the “Explore” icon. Next, go to the Explore screen and tap the three-dot icon on the top-right corner. Now select “Settings” from the menu and tap the option “Phone.” Next, go to “Preferred Input” and select “Voice” if it isn’t already selected. Hopefully this should fix the issue for you. If not, contact the support team.
