Remap Google Assistant Gesture To Secretly Open Any App
Android 10 lets you open the Google Assistant by swiping from the bottom edge to the middle of the screen. However, if you don’t use the Google Assistant quite often, the gesture is lying out there wasted. So, here’s anopen-source appcalled “App Launcher Assistant” that lets you remap the gesture to open any Android app. So, let’s have a look at the setup, drawbacks, and workarounds.
The App Launcher Assistant app performs a smart trick. It registers itself as a voice assistant app. So, this way whenever you invoke the gesture to open Google Assistant, in turn, the App Launcher Assistant is triggered. The Launcher Assistant then passes the control to your custom selected app and it opens. This is just a software level remapping and works flawlessly on any Android device. In case you have a Samsung or a Pixel device, you will still be able to use Bixby and Google Assistant via the Bixby button or Google Pixel Active Edge.
Now, in order for the App Launcher Assistant to work, we need to set it as the default assistance app within Android system settings. Here’s how you do it.
Foremost, install the “App Launcher Assistant” app from the Google Play Store. Open the app and it will prompt you to change the default Assist app in Settings. To do that, tap on “OPEN SETTINGS“.
DownloadApp Launcher Assistant
On the Device assistance page, tap on the “Device assistance app” option. Next, tap onApp Launcher Assistantto set it as the default assistance app instead of Google Assistant.
Once done, we need to select the app we want to launch instead of Google Assistant. To do that, head over to the App Launcher Assistant and tap on your favorite app from the list. For instance, I want to launch “Microsoft To-Do” instead of Google Assistant, hence I’ll select that.
So, now when I invoke the Google Assistant gesture, I have theMicrosoft To Doapp launch. Here’s a before and after of the same gesture.
Read:How to Delete Voice Recordings From Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri?
Ok Google Doesn’t Work
Now, after you have set “Launcher Assistant” as the default assistance app, there is one problem that you will face – “Ok Google won’t work”. So, there’s no way to activate the assistant unless you have a Bixby button orGoogle Pixel Active Edge. In case you never use Google Assistant it’s fine.
But, if you do seldom using it during driving or running, there’s no workaround to activate the Google Assistant. However, here’s a small workaround. If you use Google Assistant-enabled earphones or headphones, you can still press the key and use Google Assistant. For instance, I use the Oppo Enco M31 neckband that lets me trigger Google Assistant when I tap the power button 3 times. So, even after remapping the Google Assistant gesture, I can still access Google Assistant via the earbuds.
Also Read:Add Google Assistant Shortcuts to the Home Screen with this App
Pratik works as an In-house writer and video host at TechWiser. Former Programmer, Current writer. Loves tech in any form, quite optimistic about AI, data science and IoT. Talks extremely less but you betcha can geek out over anything on Twitter.
