Google Home overtakes the Amazon Echo with this new upgrade

After months of feverish anticipation, Google Home devices now offer seamless integration with Tile so you can quickly find your keys and other valuable possessions with a simple and intuitive voice command. Tile and Google announced the new feature was in development back in September. In a nutshell, the new announcement means you can bark out orders to your Google Home device like “okay Google, find my keys” or “hey Google, make my keys ring” and the Tile tracker attached to the item in question should start to emit a sound.

Previously you would have to include Tile in your command to locate your items – “ok Google, ask Tile to find my keys”, for example.

The new feature is available on all Google Assistant-enabled devices. Meaning the likes of the Google Home, Google Home Mini, Google Nest Mini and Nest Hub Max will all support it.

In case you haven’t heard of Tile, here’s a quick introduction. The company was founded back in 2012 and makes Bluetooth trackers in all shapes and sizes that can be attached to your valuables to help you find them in an emergency, or if you’re just the forgetful type.

Tile also offers a smartphone app that can be used to locate a device on a map, if you can’t hear its alert sound.

Announcing its partnership with Google last year, the company said: “Tile has announced a collaboration with Google to super-charge Tile’s platform by integrating the company’s finding technology with the Google Assistant, making it an additional hub that can ring your lost Tile, even when your phone is not around.

“The Google Assistant, will support Tile’s voice-enabled ‘direct ring’ technology, allowing the platform to connect directly with and ring lost items, for a faster and more reliable result. The process is very similar to executing any other smart home Action with the Assistant.”

Unfortunately, the Amazon Echo doesn’t currently support the shorter voice commands for Tile offered by the Google Home. Instead, users will still have to utter commands like “Alexa, ask Tile to ring my Keys” or “Alexa, ask Tile to find my Keys”.

It’s currently unclear if the Amazon Echo will be treated to the same upgrade in the future. But of course, Express.co.uk will let you know if this arrives.

Tile is hugely successful on Android and iOS, but it could face major competition from Apple this year. The Cupertino tech giant is widely expected to unveil its own tagging line of products that could be called AirTag. The product was initially rumoured to be unveiled alongside the iPhone 11 series back in September, but of course this never happened.

Apple has traditionally held hardware events in March and June for its annual WWDC conference. It’s possible the tech giant could unleash its tracking devices at either event.

In an interview with TechRadar last year, Tile’s Chief Experience Officer, Simon Fleming-Wood, said the firm is not worried about a major player like Apple entering a market it has found huge success.

He said: “Tile has pioneered this category for the past five years, single-handedly growing its footprint and consumer awareness, all with the resources of a growing start-up. If a company like Apple launches a tracker, it will validate the category for customers and retailers alike, signalling that the category will become mainstream.”

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