Google Assistant lives on many devices, from smartphones to screens to cars. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a standalone app for your computer? Google has not yet released a Desktop Assistant app, but thanks to developer Melvin L. Abraham, we now have an unofficial desktop client.
The app is available via GitHub and brings Google Assistant to your Windows, MacOS or Linux computer. Melvin built the client on Electron, like Discord and Spotify, which actually made it a flashy web app. To be clear, this is not officially made by Google, so you must proceed at your own risk. But the rewards of having Google Assistant right on your desktop can be worth it.
Because it’s not an official Google app, the setup process involves a bit of work. Fortunately, it is well documented and has step-by-step instructions with pictures. All you have to do is download the app for your OS from the GitHub page and then follow these spelling steps to use Google Assistant.
We were able to successfully configure it on a Surface Pro X, which runs Windows 10 on ARM (however, since there is no client for Windows 10 on ARM, it will run the x86 version by emulation). Because it’s verified with our Google Account, we were able to control Google Home devices directly from a computer. Of course, we can do this just as easily from a phone or smart speaker, but it’s easy to put on the desk.
Android Police Note that in order to use Melvin’s Google Assistant app, you will need to register for a Google Cloud account. You are essentially registering your own project with Google so that you can use the Assistant API Android Police may warn against Google’s Terms of Use. This means that the app can stop working at any time.
Once successfully installed on your device, the Assistant client provides fairly robust features. And there are quite a few settings to customize, including the ability to start at startup and change the theme of the app. However, it is not perfect and does not quite match what you would get from something like a smart screen. For example, there is not an always-listen mode, and Continued conversation is inconsistent in our opinion Android Police. But it’s a pretty good start.
It’s unlikely that Melvin’s assistant client for the desktop will inspire Google to build something of its own. But one can dream. The closest we’ll likely get is Assistant on Chrome OS – something Google launched in 2019.