Google tests text messaging from the lock screen for Google Assistant

Modern technology poses us with many quandaries, but they usually boil down to having to give something up in order to receive some other sort of benefit. We’ve sacrificed privacy for better connectivity for example. Another little trade-off we’re constantly having to consider is ease of use versus security. The more we rely on technology, the easier it becomes for somebody to hijack our digital personas and take advantage of them.

A good example of this is voice control. When it works, being able to simply tell your phone what to do is a revelation. You can interact with the world without having to get your phone out of your pocket.

It is inherently insecure though, as our voices are easily mimicked. How do we deal with this trade-off? Is there a way to make voice activation more secure or are we just going to have to choose between easier or more secure?

Google Assistant Download now

Unfortunately, it looks like there is no magic wand to wave here. Google is working on a new policy feature, but it isn’t a solution to our quandary. Whereas at the moment Google is erring on the side of security, the internet giant is testing voice-to-text messaging that you can send from your lock screen using Google Assistant. This means you might soon be able to send a text message while your phone is in your pocket, but then, so will anybody else who sounds like you.

Google’s A/B test is looking at actually sending messages using only voice commands rather than showing an “Unlock to continue…” prompt

The new Google Assistant text from lock screen feature has been spotted by 9 to 5 Google on one of their Pixel 3 devices running Android 9 Pie. The feature works much like the current “send a text” skill. All you have to do is tell Google Assistant to send a text and specify the body of the message and the name of the recipient. The big difference now though, is that Google Assistant will actually send the message instead of prompting you to unlock your phone before doing so.

The essential guide to Google Assistant

Read now

There aren’t many other reports of this and interestingly, the feature doesn’t seem to be running on devices running the Android Q beta. This indicates that Google is still A/B testing this new feature and will no doubt be collecting data on how it has been working on select devices and how users have been interacting with it.

There is a lot more to Google Assistant than you think

Read now

There is no doubt that this would be a very useful addition to any phone’s set of features. Also, with Assistant being a part of the Google app, should it get through this testing phase all Android phones should get it and not just Pixel devices.

This could see people going back to their regular old SMS apps, especially considering how hard Google has worked on turning into a modern internet messaging machine to rival the likes of WhatsApp and Messenger.  The only thing to consider will be the security trade-off.

Check out this fully holographic AI assistant

Read now