'Hey Google, tighten my Nike Adapt BB shoes': Assistant now works on 30 Android apps

Attention Back to the Future fans: Rather than having to use a connected app to tighten Nike's Adapt BB basketball shoes, you can now do it with just your voice.

The feature is part of a new Google Assistant integration with multiple Android apps.

Rather than having to type out or search the same commands on a daily basis, you can now jump into an app with just your voice. With Nike's Adapt shoes, you can say "Hey Google, tighten my shoes" and voila! Your shoes are ready to go without the need to swipe or touch any buttons.

After Google redesigned Assistant in 2018 — adding the ability to use it and other apps simultaneously, and making it no longer take up the entire screen — engagement doubled. But users said they wanted Google Assistant to do more with their apps.

Essentially, the feature helps to accelerate actions in each app. With MyFitnessPal, you can log your food with your voice by saying, "Hey Google, log a berry smoothie on MyFitnessPal."

It's also compatible with Nike Run Club, allowing you to quickly start your run without having to go through the motions of opening the app and tapping through. Other voice commands include things like, "Hey Google, check my accounts on Mint" or, "Hey Google, check news on Twitter."

You also have the option to create shortcuts, by customizing standard voice commands into your own words or opting for any of the suggested ones. For example, with the Nike sneakers, you can change "tighten my shoes," to "Hey Google, lace it" or whatever is easiest for you to remember.

Since Google Assistant does support a lot of different functionalities, Google is building a Discovery tool for it as well. That way, when you search for something on Assistant, it will not only show you a search result, but also a suggested action in the Google Assistant app. Depending on the apps you use often, it might suggest a voice command, too.

It's currently available to use on 30 different Android apps. In addition to the aforementioned ones, it's compatible with Etsy, Discord, Snapchat, Spotify, Walmart, and more. But Google has made the feature available for any app developers to optimize their apps.

Who knows, if enough developers start taking advantage of the tool, maybe one day you'll be able to control all your apps with simply your voice.