Google Assistant is the “Siri” of Android phones ─ it is an upgrade over Google Now that offers two-way communication. You can ask questions or tell it do things, Google Assistant will be there listening to you, tracking your every move and answering all your queries.

It was introduced back in 2016, but until recently this feature was only limited to Google Pixel devices. However, last week Google announced that Assistant is making its way to Android devices running Marshmallow and Nougat.

Many new smartphones in market are running Marshmallow or Nougat flavor of Android, but in order to get this upgrade your will have to meet these conditions.

  • An updated version of Google Play Services
  • Default device language set as US English
  • You must be in the United States

Well that’s a bummer, Android users in Pakistan won’t get this feature and there is no timeline given when this feature will be available outside the United States.

You can Still Activate The Google Assistant

Don’t worry, if you don’t meet the above requirements there’s another way to get the Assistant working on almost any Android smartphone.

Just make sure of two things:

  • Your smartphone is running Android Marshmallow or Nougat
  • Your smartphone is rooted with SuperSU installed

The Procedure:

User a file browser with root access to browse to /system/ directory, locate build.prop file and open it with a text editor. Find this line the build.prop file:

ro.product.model

There should be an equal sign with your phone model number written after it. Delete the whole line and paste this one instead:

ro.product.model=Pixel XL

After doing this, scroll to the bottom of build.prop file and paste this line of code as well:

ro.opa.eligible_device=true

After this save the file and restart your device. You should have Google Assistant ready to go when you long-press the Home button.

Take Caution:

  • Do not attempt this method if you don’t know what rooting is and how you can restore the build.prop file.
  • Keep in mind that changing the build.prop may affect the software updates available for your smartphone.
  • Furthermore, we don’t take any responsibility if your phone becomes unstable or bricked in the process, do it at your own risk.