Google Assistant can now read you in a story before sleeping

If you dream of a childhood where you always read a story before going to bed, you’re lucky (if you have an Android smartphone) because Google Assistant can now do exactly that.

Just in time for the national Tell A Story day, Google Assistant has a new storytelling tool: “Tell Me a Story” is now available from Assistant on iOS and Android. With this feature, mobile users can ask Google to read a story using the simple command “Hey Google, tell me a story before going to bed.”

In the past, Google had already launched this narration feature on its Google Home connected speakers, forcing users to make their request through a speaker rather than their smartphone. This is an interesting feature, given its accessibility to children who may not have access to a smartphone or tablet, but it limits the place where the stories take place.

The “tell me a story” command now works on Android and iOS devices, Google announced in a blog post this week. The mobile support has arrived in India, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, in addition to the United States. However, only US users have the remote play feature offered on connected Google Home speakers.

Not yet available in France

Each audiobook lasts between three and ten minutes and is read in a pleasant and comforting voice. The stories are for children and are taken from a secure book library for kids, including Let’s Be Firefighters and Robot Rampage. To use this feature on mobile devices, Android and iOS users will need to update Google Play Books to the latest version of the app.

Assuming you’re using the simultaneous playback feature and a connected Google Home speaker, the story will be complemented by sound effects. Google Assistant also supports reading audio books from Google Play. The user must be logged into their Play Books account and own the audiobook to hear more than one sample.