Twitter is using A.I. to ditch those awful auto-cropped photos

The Twitter auto crop feature functions like a tweet’s character limit in order to keep images on the microblogging platform consistent with the rest of the feed — but now Twitter is getting better at those crops, thanks to artificial intelligence. Twitter is now rolling out a smarter auto crop based on neural networks, the company announced in a blog post on January 24.

The previous auto crop feature worked by using face detection to keep faces in the frame. When no faces were detected in the image, the software would simply crop the preview at the center, while a click on the image allowing users to see the entire shot. Twitter says the crop option without faces would often lead to awkward crops, while sometimes the software didn’t correctly identify faces.

To fix those awkwardly cropped previews, Twitter engineers used what’s called salient image maps to train a neural network. Salient maps use eye trackers to determine the areas of an image that most catch the viewer’s eye. Earlier research in the area showed that viewers tend to focus on faces, text, animals, objects, and areas with high contrast.

Twitter used that earlier data to train the program to understand which areas of the image are the most important. Using that data, the program can recognize those features and make that auto crop in a place that will leave the most visual areas inside the crop.

But Twitter wasn’t done — while saliency software works well, it’s also slow, which would have prevented tweets from being posted in real time. To solve the awkward crops problem without a slowdown, Twitter refined the program again using two different techniques that improved the speed tenfold. The first trained a smaller network using that first good but slow program in order to speed up those crops. Next, the software engineers determined a number of visual points to map on each image, effectively removing the smaller, less important visual cues while keeping the largest areas intact.

Before

After

The resulting software allows images to post in real time, but with better crops. In a group of before and after pictures, Twitter shows images with faces that the earlier system wouldn’t detect properly cropped to face rather than feet. Other examples show images of objects that were cut out in the first program because they didn’t sit in the middle of the image, but were more appropriately cropped using the updated algorithms. Another example shows the program recognizing text and adjusting the crop to include a sign.

The updated cropping algorithm is already rolling out globally on both iOS and Android apps as well as Twitter.com.

Editors’ Recommendations

• These are the 20 best PS4 games you can buy right now
• Here’s what social media giants are doing to keep extremism off your screen
• Tweet-analyzing algorithm can detect depression sooner than a human doctor
• Social giants to testify before Congress on extremist content
• 8 things you need to know about the Russian social media election ads

Google introduces Allo’s Smart Replies on Android Messages

Despite being adopted by at least some users, Google’s Allo chat app hasn’t exactly been the resounding success that Google may have been hoping for. Thankfully, Google seems to believe in reincarnation, as some of Allo’s more useful features are being brought into other Google platforms. Announced yesterday by the Google Project Fi Twitter account, Allo’s Smart Reply feature is being brought to Android Messages — but only for phones on Google’s Project Fi.

Messaging on the go? Smart Reply for Android Messages lets you text with a tap, rolling out starting today on Project Fi. pic.twitter.com/FRYO4hu9Ah

— Project Fi (@projectfi) January 24, 2018

Allo’s Smart Reply suggests quick replies that show up above your keyboard that can be tapped to be sent quickly and easily. It might seem like a minor addition, but it will likely appeal to anyone in a rush, or anyone who lives in a cold climate — less time with fingers tapping on a screen is more time said fingers can be kept warm. The process takes advantage of Google’s A.I. machine learning, the same learning that allows Google Assistant to reply contextually to your voice queries, and Allo’s Smart Reply analyses your conversation, noting the tone and content of the chat, and suggests a number of replies, based on what it think you’ll be wanting to say. It will mostly be suggesting simple replies like “okay,” “nice,” and simple questions — but having the ability to more quickly tap your answer is a neat little addition to the standard Android Messages app.

But as we mentioned, Smart Reply support in Android Messages is currently restricted to phones currently on Google’s Project Fi network — and that’s an unfortunately small pool to pick from; the Pixel range, the Nexus range, or the Moto X4.

Still, it’s a step in the right direction for Google. Allo was announced back in 2016 alongside three other chat apps, and despite the fact that Allo worked pretty well, Google failed to provide any real distinction between the six available chat apps that it had out at one time. As such, it never really took off, despite desktop support and continued patches to allow for more language support. Given the disaster that Allo, Duo, and Spaces have been, we’re hoping that we start to see more features from each bleeding into the mainstream Android apps soon.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Here’s everything you need to know about Google’s Project Fi
• Moto X4 review
• Win a free phone or Chromecast with Google’s Project Fi holiday promotion
• Google replacing Project Fi Nexus 5X with an Android One Moto X4 for subscribers
• Google Project Fi will no longer charge you for more than 6GB of data

Which is best — Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL?

If you need some advice when deciding between the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, our forum users are ready to help.

Of all the phones talked about in the Android Central forums, one that seems to get some of the most discussion is the Google Pixel 2. The Pixel 2 is not a perfect phone, but it’s the one that I (and many members of our little community) choose to rock on a daily basis.

One forum user created a new thread saying that they currently own the Pixel 2, and while they like it, are thinking about making the jump to the larger Pixel 2 XL. Here are some of the top responses.

Zendroid1
01-24-2018 01:51 PM

“

I’ve had both and prefer the regular. It’s all subjective. But for me I like the smaller form factor and the smaller has a nicer screen in my opinion. I had horrible blue shift on all 3 Pixel 2 XLs I tried. My coworkers and friends have models with much less blue shift. My opinion might be different if I got a perfect 2 XL but alas, I didn’t get one.

I love the size, weight, and capabilities…

Reply

Morty2264
01-24-2018 04:39 PM

“

I’ll take your Pixel 2! 🤣

In all seriousness though, if you are wanting some peace of mind and are willing to switch, go for it! See if you like the differences that the 2 XL have to offer. And, if something happens that you do not, at least you know for sure! Let us know what you decide!

Reply

ptkelly
01-24-2018 06:46 PM

“

I went from the Pixel to the Pixel 2. I have no regrets over the move and no regrets for not getting a Pixel 2 XL. I won’t use an expensive phone without a very good case and the XL with a good case is a big item. I like the slightly smaller Pixel 2.

The camera is a hoot. A few years ago when photo software started handling DNG files I tried it out but the wait between shots was horrible. Now,…

Reply

bxrider117
01-24-2018 10:44 PM

“

I’ve had the Panda Pixel since it was released and I ordered the smaller Pixel. I really liked it but for me it just came down to battery life. Both are great but my office has not the best reception and the smaller Pixel would make it till I got home but I would have to charge it before bed. This is not the case with the larger Pixel. so sent the smaller one back to Google within 14 days.

Reply

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It’s not perfect, but Google Play is still the best place to get all your apps

Android allows you to install apps you downloaded from anywhere and everywhere, but most people should stick to Google Play.

As smartphone users and general citizens of the internet, we’re all used to seeing headlines telling us how the app store for our phones was found to have a handful of apps with malware and that they were downloaded a few million times. These stories come from security companies who spend 100% of their time looking for this sort of thing, and it’s great that those companies are out there doing all this dirty work — the more eyes on the things we can install on our phones the better. But it’s also just as important to put everything in perspective; not to downplay the risks involved when downloading any application to any type of computer, but to reinforce it and find out what’s best when it comes to the things we do.

And when it’s all said and done, Google Play is still the best place for almost everyone to use when they want to download an app. Sure, it’s not perfect. Even Google knows this. But when it comes to minimizing the risks involved when you share anything with yet another company or individual who wants to profit from your data, it is your best bet.

What is malware?

The first thing you need to consider is that the definition of malware varies. To you and I (and security companies like Sophos or Lookout), malware is any app or part of an app that does something we don’t think it should be doing. A game that harvests information from your address book or an app that has ads that track your location and internet history is crap, and they are malware. But there is another factor in the equation, and that’s asking for permission.

Malware is that thing we all hate talking about, but we need to do it anyway.

Android’s permissions make it possible for an app to do really crummy things and not be classified as malware by an automated scanner or by Google itself. And that sucks. But it’s also perfectly acceptable on another level because all the rules are being followed. This is why Google regularly changes those rules and makes things like screen overlays forbidden. When your favorite screen dimming app or that sidebar on your Galaxy S edge phone changes how it works and you don’t like it, blame shitty developers who used an overlay to trick people into clicking things. And there are a lot of those.

Actual malware is an application that does a thing you didn’t give it permission to do. Those exist, and sometimes they can end up in Google Play. But they don’t last very long and Google has secondary checks that block them from being installed on your phone even if they are being hosted in the Play Store and you downloaded them. Even if an app does something tricky to get you to add something from a different source via a direct download, Google Play Protect scans all your apps regularly and will find it, provided you have it enabled. And you totally should have it enabled.

Malware in Google Play

As mentioned above, it happens. You will see a headline everywhere when it does (which is a good thing) to let you know that malware was found in your app store. You’ll also see how many millions of times it was downloaded, and seeing that 5 million people downloaded an app that can exploit their phone’s software and send data back to some server is scary. But again, some perspective is in order; Google says there are over 2 billion active Android devices using Google play every month. 5 million people is 0.25% of them, so that means that 99.75% of Android users weren’t exposed.

Any malware in an app store is too much malware for our tastes. Google’s, too.

That 0.25% is still too high. Google agrees and it has the lofty goal of zero instances of malware in its store. They also know that’s not going to happen, but they still aim high. And they should because they are asking for our trust. Trust should never be given freely and should also be quickly revoked when necessary. Remember that Google is a huge company and the people who want to do whatever they can to collect your data are not the same people who want to do everything they can to protect your data. Thankfully, Google embraces both departments.

Most of the “malware” found in Google play is that other kind of malware. Apps that follow the rules but depend on you not reading app permissions (or not even knowing about them) and installing their crap anyway. This is a bigger problem because there is no easy fix.

An open app store

We want and embrace an “open” app store. That means anyone can spend just $5 and register with Google Play and upload an app for you and me to download. We’ve seen some amazing apps from people who might not afford to be able to write apps for iOS because of the fees and necessary equipment (you need a modern Mac computer to write iOS apps) and Google Play doesn’t have those same restrictions. But with the good, there is always bad.

Google Play places some of the responsibility on you when it comes to app permissions. Read them.

The other side of an open app store isn’t as pretty. Anyone with an iPhone can tell you that all the apps in the App Store have the same level of attention to the user interface, and Apple vets every single submission to make sure it meets its standards for both the user experience and what data the app is able to collect, and what it can do with it. This causes some headache for developers, but all hyperbole aside, it does benefit the users. That’s you and me.

Google doesn’t use the same submission methods. Instead, it lists what Android’s capabilities are, how a developer can use them through exposed APIs, and forces the app to ask for permission to do any of it. This puts the onus on you and me when it comes to allowing apps that aren’t technically malware to live on our phones. This is good and bad; we should be able to install anything we like since we paid for the device, but most people don’t even know or understand app permissions let alone read through them.

What those scary App Permissions mean

Google has done a good job of breaking out the permissions from the install process, and since Android 6.0 you’ve been able to go into your settings and revoke any or all the permissions for an app. But that’s still not good enough because we really need to know what the permissions actually entail and why an app would have a legitimate need for it. We should hold the bulk of responsibility when it comes to what apps we install on our phones and what those apps can do. But we also should be properly informed about it all. Right now, the information available needs some technical expertise to wade through and that’s not good enough for a product aimed at the general consumer.

Other app stores

I’ve been using F-Droid since 2012, but it’s not a replacement for Google Play for most people.

Other app stores exist, and we’re not trying to say they aren’t safe to use. Samsung, LG, Amazon and other names everyone knows all have their own market for Android apps. Another popular service is F-Droid, which hosts 100% free software (the kind of free that means you can get the source code and build it yourself) for Android devices. Generally, you can trust that the apps you get from any of these stores will be safe to use. Amazon and F-Droid scan apps that are uploaded and Google Play Protect also scan them regularly, but there are other things to consider.

You know Samsung or F-Droid offer safe apps because you’re reading an Android blog; not everyone reads Android blogs.

Companies like Samsung or Amazon are also in the data business and have their own policies when it comes to what can be collected, how it can be collected, and who it can be shared with. F-Droid requires you to disable a well-known security feature and allow apps from “unknown sources” on your phone to install apps. Neither of these situations is bad, but it puts an extra burden on the user.

I have used all the above-mentioned stores, and really like F-Droid in particular because it appeals to my love of Free, Open-Source Software. Plenty of people reading this will have done the same. But if you’re online reading an Android blog you are not that “average consumer” that Android and the phones running it are designed for. Many people with an Android phone aren’t technically inclined, and even those that are might not be interested in changing security settings or sorting through yet another EULA to use a different app store. We are here to help inform anyone, but our reach is extremely limited when you go back to that 2 billion monthly user number.

Google Play works for everyone

We’re not cheerleading here, but Google Play remains the best place for anyone to get apps for their phone. Google has a vested interest in the Android platform, and it knows the app store is the reason why it has 2 billion users. It spends plenty of money and time to make it as safe as it can be or at least try to do so.

We want Google to work hard to make the Play Store even better for users and developers.

It has plenty of room for improvement, though. Go back to the two different definitions of malware and how most of it ends up installed on someone’s (including yours and mine) phone. Google’s current policies allow things like unnecessary data collection or sketchy ad injection to happen because users don’t know about or understand the rules. The offenders know the rules and are very good at skirting the edges of them so they can profit from our data. They depend on uninformed consumers making illogical choices when it comes to installing apps, and it needs to come to an end, finally.

All things considered, though, Google Play is still your best bet for a huge selection of safe apps. The small percentage that falls under either of the definitions of malware are a thing that needs to be addressed but those are few and far between, and might very well be in other app stores, too. “Advanced users,” for lack of a better term, can benefit from other open markets like F-Droid, but as a general recommendation all of us here at Android Central would point anyone towards Google Play and have faith that it’s the right decision.

How to download audiobooks from Google Play

Here’s how to get started with audiobooks on Google Play.

After months of rumors, Google has finally started listing audiobooks on Google Play. Unlike Amazon’s Audible — which has a monthly subscription fee of $14.95 that lets you pick up one title every month — Google is offering individual titles for sale without any monthly commitments.

Google is also rolling out a 50% discount on your first audiobook purchase as a way to incentivize customers, with the promotion valid until February 26. The deal makes it an enticing option if you’re just getting started with audiobooks and are interested in seeing what’s in store. Let’s dive in.

How to download audiobooks from Google Play

Open the Play Store from the app drawer or home screen.
Select the Books tab.

Tap the Audiobooks category.

You should see a banner for 50% off your first audiobook. Tap it to add the promo to your cart.
Browse the list of audiobooks or search for a particular title via the search icon in the top right corner.

Enter your query in the text field.

You’ll see a list of results. Select your desired title to proceed.
In the listing, you’ll see the duration of the audiobook, and an option to listen to a sample before you make your purchase. Tap Play sample to listen to an excerpt of the audiobook.

If you decide to go through with the purchase, tap the blue Audiobook button.

Google will populate the card information associated with your account, and you should also see your discount code applied automatically. Hit Buy audiobook to finalize the purchase.
You’ll be prompted to enter your password or your fingerprint to authenticate the purchase. Do so and hit the Confirm button.

You should see a payment confirmation dialog box.

That’s it! You’ll be able to listen to your audiobook on Android, iOS, the web, and on your Google Home by just saying, “Ok Google, read my book”. If you’re listening on your phone, Play Books automatically downloads new purchases, allowing you to listen to the book offline.

The Play Books interface has options to skip ahead or back 30 seconds, as well as settings to adjust the playback speed and set a sleep timer. You also have options to cast audio to a Chromecast Audio device.

What audiobooks are you guys looking to pick up? Let me know in the comments below.

Audiobooks at Google Play

LG’s mobile division continued to lose money in Q4 2017

LG saw $2.77 billion in mobile sales in Q4, but it’s still millions of dollars in the hole.

For quite a few quarters, LG’s mobile division has been bleeding money. Phones like the G6 and V30 prove that LG is capable of making quality products, but the sales figures that it’s been seeing simply aren’t good enough. LG just released its financial performance for Q4 of 2017, and as expected, its mobile department reported a loss for the 11th quarter in a row.

LG saw mobile revenues of $2.77 billion in Q4 and $10.52 billion for all of 2017. However, despite these seemingly high numbers, the company is still faced with quarterly operating losses of $192.33 million.

A new CEO was assigned to LG’s mobile division last November, and we’ll be interested to see if new leadership is what LG needs to turn things around. Development for the LG G7 has been quite rocky so far, with conflicting reports coming out regarding the phone’s naming and release date. LG needs to really hit it out of the park in 2018, and while I’d love to see the company dig itself out of the hole that it’s in, it’ll be faced with stiff competition from Samsung, Google, and others.

Despite losing money with its mobile operations, however, LG as a whole actually had a pretty solid last quarter. Q4 revenues are reported to be 15% higher compared to last year, and full-year profits for 2017 saw an increase of 85% from 2016 thanks to LG’s televisions and other home appliances.

LG publishes patents for two foldable phone concepts

Deal: 50% off lease price on Galaxy Note 8, S8, or S8+ from Sprint!

If you’re looking to pick up one of the latest Samsung devices from Sprint — you’re in luck. For a limited time, you can get 50% off the lease price of the Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, or Galaxy S8+ from Sprint with $0 down via an 18-month lease.

Sprint’s Unlimited Freedom Plan

If you’re looking to pair up your new phone with a plan, Sprint’s Unlimited Freedom is one of the cheapest on the market with 4 lines for $25/mo per line and 5th line free (until 03/31/19), with autopay. Plus Hulu is now included!

Plan Includes:

• Unlimited talk, text, and data. Once you’ve reached 23GB of data, your speeds may temporarily slow down during times of high network congestion.
• HD video, 1080p
• 10GB of 4G mobile hotspot

The fine print:

• This deal requires a new line of service activation and an 18-month lease. Well-qualified customers are eligible.
• At the end of the 18-month lease, you have the option to buy your device. You’ll pay the balance between the full price and what you’ve paid so far.
• There are taxes on any device you go with and you’ll have to pay that up front regardless.
• If you cancel your service, the remaining device balance will become due.

Note 8 at Sprint S8+ at Sprint S8 at Sprint

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

• Galaxy Note 8 review
• Complete Galaxy Note 8 specs
• Galaxy Note 8 vs. Galaxy Note 5
• Which Note 8 color is best?
• Join our Galaxy Note 8 forums

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What to do if you’re locked out of your phone after resetting it

While it’s for our own good, Factory Reset Protection can trip you up when you reset your phone. These tips can help.

Google and the company that made your phone have some tools in place to help prevent phone theft and your privacy when it comes to resetting your phone. Factory reset protection is set up so that you’ll need to know your phone password or your Google account password before you can reset a device and use it as new.

Normally, you’ll never see any issues here. You can erase and reset your phone from its settings menu because you used the phone password to unlock the screen (and you might be prompted to enter it again or enter your Google password during the process) and the account data will be properly erased, If it’s not, when you set things back up you can simply enter your Google account password when it asks. Everything will just work.

But sometimes, things don’t “just work”. Getting locked out of your own phone is frustrating and the help options can be, too. Here’s the breakdown of what you can do if it ever happens to you.

Why do I need to know the old account information?

In recent versions of Android, once a phone has been tied to a Google account you need to use the same account and password to “unlock” it if you reset it. It’s called FRP (Factory Reset Protection), and it’s done to make stolen phones less valuable; if you steal my phone you can’t unlock the screen to use it, and if you reset it you need my Google account information to set it up again. If you can’t use my phone, you’re less likely to steal it. Or if you’ve found a phone and can’t use it you’ll be more likely to turn it over to the police. Every company that makes phones with access to Google Play is using this feature and some also have their own version that can do the same thing through their accounts.

Even a great idea seems bad when it keeps you from using your phone.

The problem is that if you reset your own phone, or buy a used phone that still has FRP active you might need to know the account username and password that was last used on the phone to sync with Google’s servers. Resetting the phone through the settings should remove the account before it erases the data, but it very often doesn’t. Sometimes we forget those details, or if we bought a phone from someone else we might not be able to get them. While people are always looking for exploits to work around the FRP lock, once found they quickly get patched. (Though sometimes those patches take a while to work their way through manufacturers and carriers, so it’s always worth a Google search.)

Resetting your password

When this happens on your own account and you have access from another phone (or tablet or computer) your first instinct is to reset your Google account password. But there are some things you need to know about that, too.

When you change the password on your Google account, you might not be able to use the new password on another device for 24 hours (or 72 for older phones). This is done to prevent “suspicious” activity, like stealing someone’s Google password and changing it, then logging into a device with the new password in order to harvest someones personal data (banking information or other financial details like an Amazon account specifically).

You’ll need to wait 24 hours after a password change before you can use the Google account to set up a device. If the device is still running Lollipop, that changes to 72 hours.

So what should I do?

There are three ways to get in. The first, using the Google account recovery tool, will only work if you took the time to set up a backup phone (and can swap your SIM card with another phone to get a text) or second email account. We’ll go over how to do that in the next section, but if you already did it you can click this link to start the recovery process. Make sure your phone is charged and turned on, and make sure you have access to a phone using the recovery number or the recovery account email. If you’re using two-factor authentication, you’ll need a way to authorize your account. If that would usually be the phone you’re trying to unlock, the recovery tool will walk you through the steps to disable 2FA or use a CAPTCHA code.

The next step is to reset your account password from another device, then wait for 24 (or 72 — see above) hours before trying to set it up. You can leave the phone powered on or shut it off, just don’t try to do anything with it while you’re waiting or you may reset the countdown. Waiting a full day (or three) really sucks, but it’s better than not having any access to your account and not being able to use your phone ever again.

If you bought used, you’ll need to contact the original owner for some help.

The third option is to try hacking your way in. We can’t really recommend this for anyone, but if you’re the kind of person who likes to tinker with your phone’s software and think you have found a hack that will bypass the FRP on your phone it’s an option. But know that this can have some serious drawbacks if things go wrong and you might ruin the phone itself. It’s not a good option for most people.

If none of these solutions work you can try filling out this form or calling 650-253-0000 to work your way through the Google Accounts customer service menu. You can also try checking with the company you bought the phone from, as they may have experience solving the issue.

If you aren’t the original owner and don’t have access to a way to recover the account, you’ll need to contact whoever you bought it from.

Account recovery options

Save yourself some headache and set up your account recovery options. Visit your Google account sign-in and security settings page and add your account recovery options. These tell Google how to send you a token to get into your account if you’re locked out and will solve all the headaches that can happen when FRP doesn’t work as it should. We recommend you provide all the detail you can here.

Remember, just because the FRP “issue” hasn’t hit you yet doesn’t mean it never will. Don’t think that you’ll never be locked out of your own phone and your own account! Take a few minutes and make sure Google can help you get in if you need them to.

Updated January 2018: Added to and verified all the information here.

T-Mobile offers free data and calls in South Korea during the 2018 Olympics

Starting February 7 and going through March 20.

The 2018 Winter Games are just around the corner, and while I’ll personally be watching from the couch in my living room, there are a lot of folks that’ll make the trek to South Korea to watch in person. An international data plan is typically required to stay connected whenever traveling aboard, but T-Mobile is giving its customers free unlimited data and calling during the entire competition.

This offer is available for all post-paid T-Mobile customers, and it’ll begin February 7 and go throughout the closing ceremonies on March 20. In addition to the unlimited data and calling that’s being offered, T-Mobile ONE plans already come with free texting in South Korea.

Per everyone’s favorite CEO, John Legere:

The Winter Games are full of unforgettable moments, and now, T-Mobile customers in South Korea can snap, tweet and share those big moments without worrying about bill shock when they get back home. And while the carriers gouge you and make you jump through ridiculous hoops, the Un-carrier makes it easy! Free and unlimited data and calling just HAPPEN from the moment you step foot in South Korea.

For comparison’s sake, AT&T customers traveling to South Korea will need to spend an extra $10 a day to continue to use their service. Verizon is offering free TravelPasses so that customers can get a free 500MB of data each day, but if you miss the deadline for this, you’ll also need to shell out $10 every day you want to use your phone.

Verizon Go Unlimited plans will include coverage in Mexico and Canada

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• Which unlimited plan should you buy?
• Verizon’s Unlimited plans: Everything you need to know
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How to use Google Home to prep for your Super Bowl party!

Use your Google Home to get prepped for the Super Bowl!

The Super Bowl is the biggest football game of the year, and it’s nearly here. That means running to the store to make sure you’ve got everything you need, ensuring that your living room is ready to fit 10 people all hollering about the game, and taking advantage of the ways that Google Home can help you prepare.

From control over your connected home devices to checking on traffic, Google Home can help you to get ready!

• Use commands
• Take advantage of connected devices
• Turn off your microphone

Use commands

Google Home commands can let you set timers, check on traffic, and even check your schedule. Prepping for your Super Bowl party can be stressful. From putting together all of the food to making sure that you’ve timed everything right, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

That’s where Google Home can help. You can set timers if something is cooking in the oven, check travel times if you need to go and pick up last minute supplies, and even check your schedule in the morning to make sure everything is getting done properly. This means you can stress less and enjoy more on game day! You can try out any of these commands to get ready:

• When does the Super Bowl start?
• Who’s playing in the Super Bowl this year?
• How long should you cook nachos?
• Set an alarm for 5:30 p.m. eastern on February 4.
• Set a timer for 10 minutes.
• What’s the Super Bowl score?
• Remind me to pick up taco chips tomorrow at noon.

Take advantage of connected devices

Google Home works with a variety of devices in your connected home from Hue bulbs to ecobee’s thermostat. This means that when it’s time to start getting ready for the party, you can just ask your Google Home to do a few things for you while you try to get all of that delicious food cooked and ready.

You can adjust the temperature, which can be especially handy once the room starts to get too warm during the game or tell your Home to adjust the lights so that everyone is focusing on that epic touchdown and nothing else. While there are plenty of connected home devices, these are the ones you may want to take advantage of during the game:

• Philips Hue smart lights
• Google Chromecast
• eecobee4 smart thermostat
• LIFX smart lights
• Wink Hub 2
• Nanoleaf Aurora smart lights

Turn off your microphone

Plenty of people are used to their friends mucking about with Google Home, or the debacle last year when a commercial activated Google Home units all over the place. If you want to avoid these sorts of things when you’re watching the game, then you may want to just turn off the mic.

All you need to do is hit the mute button button, and you can mute your Google Home. This means you won’t be able to activate it using your voice, but it also won’t pipe up at an inopportune time either.

Get ready for the game!

Using a few of Google Home’s available commands and settings, you can make sure that you’ve got everything ready for the big game. This means everything from adjusting the lighting with your Hue bulbs to ensuring that you’ve got enough time for that last run to the store to grab supplies. Have you used your Google Home to get ready? Let us know about it in the comments below!

Google Hardware

• Google Wifi review
• Google Home review
• Everything you need to know about the Chromecast Ultra
• Chromecast vs Chromecast Ultra: Which should you buy?

Google Wifi:

Google
Amazon

Google Home:

Google
Best Buy

Chromecast Ultra:

Google
Best Buy