So what can Google Home do that Alexa can’t?

Google Home is a worthy competitor when it comes to being a great Smart home controller. After all, this device is made by one of the biggest tech companies out there, and they’ll be damned if they don’t give it their all to make it the best that it can be.

That slightly heavier price tag comes with the power of Google behind it, which is not something small. Of course, the single best thing about Google Home is that it is powered by Google and all the knowledge held within; which means you’ll get the most in depth and accurate answers possible to your queries. Here are a few more things Google Home can do that Alexa can’t:

1. Music Streaming

Like I mentioned above, Alexa has a few more music streaming services than Google, but that doesn’t mean that Google doesn’t have it’s exclusive streaming services either. First, of course just like Amazon Prime Music, Google has its own version called Google Play Music that you will find on Google Home. Next, Google Home is also compatible with YouTube Music which Alexa is not.

But, if you have Chromecast, you can technically use any streaming service you desire and cast it onto your Google Home and use it as the speaker!

2. Chromecast

While we are on the subject of Chromecast, it is safe to say that this is the single biggest selling point of getting Google Home vs. Amazon Echo. Your Google Home is integrated with Chromecast, so any of your devices that have Chromecast become automatically integrated with Google Home as well. You can use your smart home hub to control these devices easily and seamlessly through voice control.

Don’t have a Chromecast device? You can find the latest version HERE.

3. Multiple Commands

Unlike Alexa, Google Home has the capability of understanding multiple commands in one. This is a really great feature because it saves you time and allows you to speak a lot more naturally. “Ok Google, play Stranger Things and put the volume down”, this command would not be understood by Alexa, but your Google Home will do exactly what you asked.

4. Natural Conversations

As I mentioned in the last point, Google understands contextual speaking which makes for a lot more natural conversations. Suppose you ask your hub a question and once it answers you have a follow up question. Your Google Home will be able to fill in the blanks and understand that you are referring to the previous subject and answer you accordingly; something Alexa cannot do.

5. Play Songs in Context

Just in the same way, Google Home can also understand context when you are talking about music. During the hub’s release press event, Google shared an example of how this works. They said “Ok Google, play that Shakira song from ‘Zootopia.’” Google Home started playing the right song, ‘Try Everything’ by Shakira. When they asked Alexa to carry out the same command, she replied with a list of Shakira songs, and a list of all the songs from ‘Zootopia’. This is a pretty neat feature to have.

6. Short Commands Set Up

If you take your time to set up shortcut commands on your Google Home hub, you will notice that your life is so much simpler. Saying things like “Ok Google, play my favorite song” or “Ok Google, date night” could help you set the room exactly how you want it, from temperature to lights, music and everything with a few short words.

7. Change Voice

This might not seem like a big deal, but Alexa simply doesn’t have this feature. Google Home has two voices; male or female. Both hubs allow you to change dialects, but only Google has the choice between voices.

8. Night Mode

While I mentioned that Alexa has whispering capabilities, Google Home can be set to Night Mode. Though the hub won’t be able to tell what you’re trying to say when you whisper to it, it will still reduce the volume of the speaker and dim the lights on it as well. You can set the timer for how long you want night mode to remain on.