Google is rolling out a new feature to the Google Assistant that lets you ask it to book you a ride, like an Uber or a Lyft, just using your voice.
Until now, Google Maps users were able to select a destination and then choose Uber, Lyft, or one of several other services to take them somewhere. But it required some poking around Google Maps and typing in your destination.
Now, Google has taken that and embedded its smart voice assistant. That means if you own a Google Home, an Android phone, or use the Google Assistant on an iPhone, you can ask for a ride anywhere — like the airport or a restaurant downtown — by just using your voice.
It's rolling out now where Google supports ride sharing services (and only in English, currently). Here's how you can check to see if it's active and try it:
- Open the Google Assistant app on your phone. Or, if you have a Google Home or an Android phone, just say, "Hey Google."
- Now speak the command: "Get me a ride to Taco Bell," or "Hey Google, get me a ride to Newark airport."
- It supports 18 different ride-sharing services, so you can be specific and say "Hey Google, get me an Uber to the Barclay's Center."
- Google will tell you how much it costs.
- Next, open your phone (if you're using a speaker like the Google Home to book) and confirm the booking.
It'll look like this:
The feature is rolling out this week, which means you might not be able to use it immediately, but you should be able to give it a test in the coming days.
