Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant for home automation now has the ability for up to six people to connect their account to one speaker and can recognise who is talking to it.
When you connect your account on a Google Home, Google asks you to say the phrases "Ok Google" and "Hey Google" two times each.
Those phrases are then analysed by a neural network, which can detect certain characteristics of a person's voice.
From that point on, any time you say "Ok Google" or "Hey Google" to your Google Home, the neural network will compare the sound of your voice to its previous analysis so it can understand if it is you speaking or not. This comparison takes place only on your device, in a matter of milliseconds.
"The feature will start rolling out for Google Home users in the US and will be expanded to Britain in the coming months," said Yury Pinsky, Product Manager, Google Assistant, in a blog post.
To get started, first make sure that you have the latest Google Home app. Then, look for a card that says "multi-user is available" when you open the app.
If you don't see a card, click on the icon in the top right to see all of your connected devices. Once you see your Google Home in the list, select "Link your account."
From there, you will teach your Assistant to understand it's you, not your partner, family member or roommate and vice versa, based on who is speaking. For certain features, like personalised music and commute, you will also need to set up your preferences within the app, Pinsky noted.