Okay, Google, read my latest WhatsApp messages.
This command to Google’s voice assistant is going to become the norm very soon and if you don’t mind messages getting read out loud, this feature might be yours for the taking.
The feature has been spotted by a user quoted in this report by Android Police, which says the Assistant will soon be able to read and reply to messages sent from third-party platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram among others.
Earlier this option was limited to Google’s default messaging app but it seems the search giant is now letting other developers to support the voice assistant, letting users message hands-free.
Interestingly, the report points out that the read and reply message option is limited to text content for now, and no audio or visual media content works with this feature on mobile devices.
For the feature to work, users will have to allow the Assistant app to read notifications, and only then platforms will be able to integrate themselves with the Assistant.
The report doesn’t mention which Android version supports this feature on the voice assistant but it’s possible that the upcoming Android Q update could be its first to read and reply messages hands-free.
By giving the ability to read WhatsApp and Telegram messages, one will have to question the encryption standards of the messages sent and received by the user.
Either way, it will be interesting to see if people would be willing to allow Google’s voice assistant to read their messages, especially with all the privacy concerns fresh in memory. Google, along with Apple and Amazon were recently accused of snooping into private conversations of its users.
At the end, it all comes down to the choice of the user, whether he prefers convenience over privacy or the other way around.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)