Use Google Assistant for AutoVoice commands

Learn how you can use Join and IFTTT to bring AutoVoice commands to Google Assistant

  1. joaomgcd
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    /!\ IMPORTANT: This method is now deprecated for Google Home. You should now use native Google Home support. You can continue using this for the Google Assistant on your phone until Google opens up that version of the assistant to 3rd party apps as well.
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    This will allow you to use all your existing AutoVoice profiles with the new Google Assistant.
    This is a workaround using Join and IFTTT until the official Google Assistant API is released. When that happens I expect to be able to bake all of this directly into AutoVoice. :)

    This is how it'll look like in the end:


    For this tutorial you'll need:
    • Google Assistant on your phone or on Google Home
    • An IFTTT account
    • Join Android App
    • Tasker Android App
    • AutoApps Android app (Alternatively you can use the Join Command condition on step 3)
    • AutoVoice Android app

    STEP 1 - CREATE IFTTT APPLET


    • Go to IFTTT.com and log in
    • Click on your profile picture
    • Click on New Applet
    • Click on this
    • Search for Assistant and select Google Assistant
    • Select the Say a phrase with a text ingredient trigger
    • In the What do you want to say? text field type AutoVoice $
    (i) This will make Google Assistant react with this IFTTT applet whenever you say AutoVoice followed by any other command. You can select any other keyword like Alfred or Jeffrey or even why don't you or do this for me or any other generic phrase that's not reserved for google's internal use
    • In the What do you want the Assistant to say in response? field type Ok
    (i) You can reply with whatever you want, but I like to make it as short as possible so it doesn't interfere with my Tasker actions later.
    • Click on Create Trigger


    STEP 2 - CONFIGURE ACTION TO SEND COMMAND TO YOUR PHONE


    • Click on that
    • Search for Maker
    • Select the Maker Webhooks Channel (IFTTT renamed it from Maker as seen in the video)
    • Select Make a Web Request
    • Go to https://joinjoaomgcd.appspot.com/ and select the device that has Tasker. Then select Join API
    • In the Text field write autovoice=:=
    • (Not in video) Reveal your API Key by clicking the big SHOW button. This will reveal both your API Key and your Join URL
    • Copy the URL in the URL field
    • Paste the URL in the URL field on IFTTT
    • In the URL, just after the autovoice%3D%3A%3D part write <<< {{TextField}}>>>
    (i) By doing this you're configuring IFTTT in a way that when you say something like AutoVoice Hello there to Google Assistant, IFTTT will send a Join command like autovoice=:=Hello there. As you can see, everything you say after AutoVoice is sent at the right of =:= in the Join command.
    /!\ You need to use <<<>>> around the TextField ingredient to make it URL encoded. Otherwise some special charcters might show up incorrectly when the AutoVoice command is processed.
    • Click on Create Action
    • Disable Receive notifications when this Applet runs
    • Click on Finish


    STEP 3 - CREATE PROFILE THAT RECEIVES AUTOVOICE COMMANDS


    • In Tasker create a new profile with the AutoApps Command condition
    /!\ Alternatively you can use the Join Received Push condition here. Use the Text section in the condition.
    • Set the Command Filter to autovoice=:=
    (i) This is the kind of command that is sent from IFTTT. Check out the AutoApps Command System to learn more about this.
    • Set the Variable Names to voicecommand
    (i) This will make AutoApps create a variable called %voicecommand with whatever text is on the right of =:= which in this case will be whatever you say after AutoVoice when using Google Assistant.
    • Accept, create a task and add a Flash action in it with the text New Voice Command %voicecommand


    STEP 4 - SIMULATE AUTOVOICE COMMAND


    • Add an AutoVoice Test Command action
    • In the Test Command field write %voicecommand
    (i) This will make AutoVoice think that it got a voice command with whatever you said to Google Assistant after AutoVoice


    STEP 5 - SAY HELLO WITH AUTOVOICE PROFILE


    You can now use any existing AutoVoice profile with this setup!
    Just say AutoVoice turn on my lights for example, and if you already have an AutoVoice profile that reacts to the turn on my lights command, it'll just work!
    If you want to use this right away don't forget to back out of Tasker to save your new profile.

    For the sake of this tutorial though, let's create a very simple AutoVoice profile:

    • Create a new profile with the AutoVoice Recognized event condition
    • Set the Command Filter to say hello
    • In the task use the Say action to say hello out loud
    • Also add a Flash action just to make sure that the task is running correctly
    • Go back until you exit Tasker to save your new profiles


    STEP 6 - TEST


    If you now say AutoVoice Say Hello to Google Assistant it'll trigger your new AutoVoice profile!