Have You Said "OK Google" To Your Phone?

You've probably seen the TV ads for OK Google, but what is OK Google and how do you use it? You must be curious to know how to access the Google Now voice search from any screen on your phone, even if you are outside your home country.

"OK Google" is the voice command used to activate Google Now voice search on your Android smartphone, as well as other Google devices such as its Google Glass smart glasses. Google Now can be accessed by opening your phone's Google Search app or Google Search widget and either tapping the microphone icon or saying "OK Google".

On some handsets (notably the Moto X) it even works when the phone is in sleep mode, while other phones have the search bar on the home screen. Just say "Ok Google" to trigger voice input when you're on your home screen. Then say your search query or tell your phone what to do, like send a text message, get directions, or play a song.

Google's been pushing to get them onboard since late October. Couple that with the ability to awaken some Lollipop-capable devices with the same "OK Google" command and we're starting to see the line between bog-standard smartphones and tiny, functional assistants blur.