Google Assistant is more or less on par with Siri. In fact, it beats Apple’s virtual assistant in some areas because of how open Android is. Google Assistant can do a lot with contextual information alone but it has other neat features too. For example, you can control Netflix with Google Assistant. There’s a bit of a set-up process to it but it’s worth it. Here is what you need to do.
You must have the Netflix app installed on your Android phone, and you must be signed in to it. The app doesn’t have to be installed for the set-up but it is needed when you tell Google Assistant to play something on Netflix.
Link Netflix With Google Assistant
Tap and hold the Home button on your Android phone to bring up Google Assistant. Tap the blue box icon at the top right. This will take you to the Explore screen. Here, tap the more options button at the top right and select Settings from the menu.
On the Settings screen, tap Videos and Photos. Here, you will see Netflix listed under Videos. You will see it regardless if you have the Netflix app installed on your phone or not as it’s a service that Google Assistant natively supports. Under Netflix, tap the ‘LINK’ option.
You will see a prompt confirming if you want to link your Netflix account with Google Assistant. Tap ‘Link Account’. You will be redirected to your default browser where you will have to sign in to Netflix. Once signed in, Netflix will ask you to pick which profile you want to link your account to. It will then confirm if you want to make the link. Tap ‘Confirm’ to continue. That’s all you need to do in order to set it up.
Control Netflix With Google Assistant
Assuming you have the Netflix app installed on your Android phone, and the app is signed in you can tell Google Assistant to play something. For example, you can ask Google Assistant to ‘Play Black Mirror on Netflix’. It will open the Netflix app and play the show. The Netflix app will handle your watch progress i.e. it’s up to the Netflix app to help you pick up where you left off. You can do the same for other TV shows and movies provided you know they’re available in your country.
This may not work if you’re using Google Assistant via a third-party ROM. We’re not saying there’s absolutely no chance of it working with a custom ROM but there is a small chance it won’t.
