YouTube TV Voice Control Arrives Via Google Home

YouTube TV subscribers now have the option of controlling the service using their voice via a Google Home device. The new support has arrived for the Google Home and Google Home mini; it'll also be available on the Google Home Max once it is available. YouTube TV is the service's live TV option available in most of the nation's major metro regions.

Google announced the new support today, explaining that it works via a combination of the Google Home device and Chromecast. Users must have both, then open the Google Home app and link it to the Chromecast. That is achieved by opening the Google Home app's menu button and then choosing 'More Settings.' From there, the Chromecast device should be found under 'TVs and Speakers.' Google goes into greater details about this process here.

Assuming you've set everything up correctly and you've got YouTube TV up and running on the TV, Google Home will enable you to control it using various simple voice commands. If you have a certain show in mind, for example, you can say something like "Play *show's name*" or "Record *show's name*." Users can also tell it to play a specific episode, a specific category of content (e.g., "the NFL game"), and more.

Users also have the ability to control a currently playing episode, including rewinding it and fast-forwarding it, turning captions on or off, and playing or pausing.

Don't have a Chromecast or YouTube TV subscription? Google is currently offering a promotion to get Google Home owners on board with both. Customers who sign up for YouTube TV, which costs $35/month, will be given a Chromecast on the house; with it, the service can be cast to a TV or any HDMI display.

SOURCE: Google Blog