This article was published on March 19, 2014

Google Search for Android now lets you say ‘Ok Google, take a photo’ or ‘take a video’ to launch the camera app


Google Search for Android now lets you say ‘Ok Google, take a photo’ or ‘take a video’ to launch the camera app
Emil Protalinski
Story by

Emil Protalinski

Emil was a reporter for The Next Web between 2012 and 2014. Over the years, he has covered the tech industry for multiple publications, incl Emil was a reporter for The Next Web between 2012 and 2014. Over the years, he has covered the tech industry for multiple publications, including Ars Technica, Neowin, TechSpot, ZDNet, and CNET. Stay in touch via Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Google today updated its Google Search app for Android with two new “Ok Google” commands: “take a photo” and “take a video.” You can download the new version now directly from Google Play (if you don’t see it yet, be patient as these rollouts are usually staggered).

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As you might expect, each phrase will launch your camera app in the preferred mode. If you don’t want to say “Ok Google” first, you can still use the voice commands by tapping the microphone icon first. These aren’t huge new features, but if turned into a habit, they might be useful when you want to start snapping or shooting as quickly as possible.

Image Credit – Sean Gallup/Getty Images

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