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Google Assistant now speaks a second language, adding Japanese to the mix

If you purchase a new Android smartphone these days, but usually comes with Google Assistant onboard. For a long time now the digital assistant has only understood and replied in English, with a few different variants being issued for the likes of the UK, Canada, Ireland and Australia.

Now Google Assistant has added support for a new language, bringing the total up to two – Japanese. The feature remains exclusive to those users who carry around a Pixel 4, with Google also confirming that the gesture-based Motion Sense controls have been added to the smartphone range too.

It is strange to think that it has taken Google this long to add another language to its Assistant, but the addition is likely welcome none the less. With Google Translate catering to a number of different languages outside of English, porting that functionality over to Google Assistant would seem like a relatively easy procedure to pull off, but apparently not.

This as the firm has not detailed any plans to add more languages to the mix at this stage. With Google I/O happening in May, perhaps it’s saving that sort of announcement for the developer-focused conference.

Shifting back to the new feature, Android Police says it will only work if you enable Japanese as the native language on your device. The site also notes that users will still be able to use the English catchphrase “Ok, Google” if they want to activate the Assistant.

As for what other languages Google should add to the mix, Mandarin seems a solid choice, as does Spanish, French and Portuguese. If Google is planning to add more languages, hopefully it won’t take as long as it has with Japanese.

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