If you've always wanted to be on the receiving end of one of Issa Rae's signature motivational mirror talks, you're in luck, because now, when you ask your Google Assistant how you look in the morning, you'll hear her voice on the other end with a confidence-boosting affirmation. Starting today, Issa Rae is following in John Legend's footsteps as the second-ever Google Assistant cameo voice, which you can access on any Google Assistant-enabled device, including Google Pixel, Google Home, and the new Google Nest Hub Max, as well as on the Google Assistant app for iOS.
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You can ask her normal Google Assistant fare, like about the weather or even for a good pick-me-up joke, but the real fun is in the Issa-specific questions — like, "Hey Google, do you have any dating advice?" To enable her voice, all you have to do is say “Hey Google, talk like Issa," or go to Assistant Voice in Assistant Settings.
Rae is a big fan Google Assistant, telling Refinery29 that she actually has a Google Home in her trailer, where she works in between scenes, and is constantly using it for scheduling. "I'm a big reminder person. I'm always talking to myself out loud — to remind myself to read a script or to remind myself to set up a meeting. I'm also big on music, and obviously it links to Spotify, which I use every single day, almost every hour, so it's really helpful to be able to use it there. And a lot of scheduling stuff, which is the biggest headache in my life. Travel plans, things like that. I really use it for everything that just makes my life easier," she reveals.
As to whether she'll opt to use her own voice for her personal Google Assistant, Rae says she is undecided at the moment. "I'm going back and forth. I don't know, because I guess it'll be less crazy if I'm talking to myself and I respond, or maybe more crazy," she says. "I'm definitely going to give it a shot and see what it sounds like — and I want to discover those Issa eggs. I'll report back."