The Broadcast feature for Google Assistant is an excellent way to get a message out, but some might say it doesn't get it out far enough. Now, Google is adding a way to make your messages go much farther than ever before, so everyone is on the same page no matter where they are.

Google's Enhancements to Its Assistant's Broadcasting Feature

Google gave all the details in a post on The Keyword. The post contains information on many new family-based features coming to Google Assistant, so be sure to give the whole piece a read to see all the fancy things you can do with it now.

One of the biggest highlights in the post is the changes to how Google Assistant's Broadcast feature works. Broadcast lets you send a message from one smart device and transmit it across every supported device in the home. You can use it to alert family members of events or things that need doing.

The problem is, Broadcast only worked with Google Nest and Google Home devices on a local Wi-Fi connection. This caveat is OK if everyone has a speaker or display in their rooms, but as soon as someone leaves to do something, they're out of the loop.

As a result, Google enhanced Broadcasts to support other devices better. First of all, you'll now see Broadcasts on your phone if it has Google Assistant installed. Google has confirmed that this does also include iPhones.

Second, you no longer need to be on local Wi-Fi to get a Broadcast message. Once you leave the boundaries of your network and move onto cellular data, Broadcasts will still reach you.

Finally, Broadcasts are becoming less of a fire-and-forget feature and more like a messaging service. Anyone in the family can see a history of all the Broadcasts sent and send a message back if they want to.

Unfortunately, there is a catch. You'll need to bundle your whole household into a Google Family Group, so your assistant knows who to send Broadcasts to. However, once you've done that, you can send a message to every family member regardless of where they are.

A Better Broadcast, At Last

Google Assistant's Broadcast feature is a great way to corral the family together, but it wasn't great for people without Google Home devices in their room or for those out of the home. Now, Google is solving both problems at once to help connect families better.

If you haven't used the Broadcast feature in a while, now is an excellent time to play around with it and see what it can do. For instance, a recent update lets you send a Broadcast to a single device instead of the whole household.

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