UPDATE November 20th
Apr 18, 2018 - To download to your desktop sign into Chrome and enable sync or send. Dictate your essays on Google Docs in record time and comment on. Today, Alex will show you how to enable and use 'ok google' for your google chrome browser. 'Ok Google' allows for quick and easy searches on the web without the hassle of having to type.
Enabling this feature now lets you say OK Google 3 times to let it recognise your voice and the next time you say OK Google from any screen there is a response. The feature opens the Chrome App Launcher but anything you say after that is not registered. But still we are getting closer all the time.
UPDATE November 20th
The wording under the 'enable experimental hotwording' flag has changed in the latest release of Chrome Canary.
It now shows the following:
The wording under Chrome's search settings has changed too. It now shows the following:
So when this does eventually work we will be able to say OK Google from pretty much anywhere when your computer is unlocked and Chrome is open.
UPDATE November 2nd 2014
Well we are edging ever nearer to having 'OK Google' work from any screen on none Chromebook devices when your laptop/desktop has the screen on and is unlocked.
In the latest version of Canary 40.0.2208.0 the search settings entry has changed to this:
Selecting 'Enable OK Google to start a voice search' opens the setup window and there is some animation on the 'Say OK Google 3 times' screen but saying 'OK Google' still doesn't do anything. Hopefully within the next couple of Canary updates this will be sorted.
UPDATE September 2014
A new icon now appears in the OS X menubar when you try to enable the Ok Google Hotword from any screen. Unfortunately it disappears after a few seconds. Come on Google get it fixed.
UPDATE September 2014
Well the experimental hotwording flag still isn't working but it seems to be getting closer. Enabling 'Ok Google' now brings up the following cards.
Clicking I Agree brings up this card. As you can see it is asking to '...train your Chromebook' so this must be what happens when enabling Ok Google on a Chromebook and needs updating. As you can see it is asking you to 'say Ok Google three times'. This is something we see on mobile devices when enabling the hotword to work on all screens so it obviously works in the same way. Hopefully it wil start working in newer builds.
The latest version of Canary has added a new flag which when enabled adds two new check boxes to the Voice section of Chrome settings.
The flag is
It adds the following
- Enable 'Ok Google' from any screen, when the screen is on and unlocked
- Enable audio history
Once enabled you should (not working yet) be able to start a Google voice search from any screen when Google Chrome is open, your screen is on and your desktop/laptop is unlocked.
The second entry is the same as we have on Android devices that use the Google Search app (Google Now). Audio history must be enabled in the Google Search app settings for 'OK Google' searches to work on any screen so I am presuming this will work in the same way for desktop/laptop searches.
With this enabled the Enable 'OK Google' feature doesn't currently work (pretty typical in Canary whilst they iron things out), hopefully it will work soon so I can have a play around with it.