Multi-user and hands-free calling comes to Google Home in Canada

Google has revealed that new features, including multi-user support and hands-free calling, are coming to Google Assistant for the Google Home in Canada.

Multi-user account support, an eagerly anticipated Google Home feature that some Canadians have already had access to for a few weeks, allows the standalone assistant to recognize the voice of multiple users. Switching the Canadian Google Home’s location to the United States in some cases also added multi-user support to the device for some users. Now, however, multi-user accounts are officially supported by the Google Home in Canada.

This new feature allows Google Assistant to distinguish your voice from your partner or roommate, giving users access to their own personal playlist, schedule or commute time, as well as a variety of other information. In total, Google Home supports up to six individual users.

In order to add the feature to their Google Home, open the Google Home app and look for a notification card that says “multi-user is available.” If this card does not show up, check the right corner of the app to view your connected devices. Then, locate your Google Home and select ‘Link Your Account.’ From this section of the app, you’re now able to teach Assistant to recognize various users.

The other new feature arriving on Google Home is the ability to ask Assistant to make phone calls hands-free, whether at home or via a mobile device. For example, if you’re busy in the kitchen and need to make a call, just say “Ok Google, Call Dad,” and Google Home will instantly make a phone call.

Additionally, because Assistant now recognizes your voice with Google Home, the device will call your dad, instead of another user’s father that is linked to your Google Home account.

While multi-user support is rolling out now to Google Home users, Google Canada says hands-free calling will begin to be available next week. MobileSyrup reached out to Google Canada regarding language support and were told that while both multi-user and hands-free calling are launching only in English, French language support is coming soon for these two features.

Google Home is the only standalone voice-activated assistant current available in Canada, though rumours of the Amazon Echo’s impending Canadian launch continue to swirl. Most recently users have been reporting that the Amazon Echo is now capable of accepting a Canadian address, adding more fuel to the rumours surrounding the device’s launch.