Google quietly releases update that lets you speed up Assistant

You can now remove idle devices to make Google Assistant even faster.

what you need to know

• The Google Assistant has received a new tweak that lets you unlink devices you’re not using.
• The latest update will make the digital assistant more responsive to voice commands.
• Deleting a device will also reset it to its default factory settings.

If you’ve used a lot of Google devices over the past few years, including any of the best Android phones or Nest smart displays, and linked them to Google Assistant, you’ve probably noticed a lag in the way they respond to your commands. It seems that setting Assistant on a large number of devices affects its speed.

Google has addressed the issue with a new update that has been quietly rolling out to users over the past few months, as Mishaal Rahman. In its settings, Assistant now has a new feature that allows you to delete idle devices.

This new feature only works on Google Assistant-enabled devices that you haven’t used for at least three months. Google has a convincing explanation that should convince you to disconnect idle devices.

Get a faster Google Assistant by removing devices you haven’t used in 3 months or more. This means your other Google Assistant devices won’t be able to communicate with the device you removed. To add a device back, just use the Google Assistant on that device.

The latest changes are available in the latest version of the Google app. To delete unused devices, go to the app’s settings menu by tapping your profile photo in the top right corner. Then, open Google Assistant and tap the “Devices” option below the menu. Select “Remove Unused Devices” and you will see all devices currently linked to Assistant.

Google will only show you devices that haven’t been used in three months or more. After selecting the device you want to unlink, click the “Remove” button. But there’s a catch: the process not only removes unused devices, it also resets them to factory defaults.

It remains to be seen how much speed this feature brings to the Assistant, but it doesn’t hurt to free up some space.