The Google assistant will now react differently when users say "please"

Google has rolled out a number of new features for Assistant, including a new way to answer users who ask polite questions.

When users say "please" or "thank you", Google Assistant is showing the same courtesy in response.

For example:

• "Hey Google, please set a timer for 5 minutes."
• "Thank you for asking so kindly. Okay, 5 minutes. From now on."

The new Google Assistant feature of Google Assistant is designed to encourage polite behavior, the company says.

It is now enabled for all users with voice matching on Smart Speakers and Smart Displays as of today.

Other new features

Here are some of the other new features available in Google Assistant.

Create lists

Users can now create detailed lists with Google Assist using voice commands.

The new list functionality can be triggered with the help of commands such as:

• "Create a gift list"
• "Add Opera tickets for Mom to my gift list"
• "What's on my to-do list?"
• "Show me my last note"

Google will soon add support for creating lists with Google Keep, Any.do, Bring !, and Todoist.

New features for smart screens

Users with smart views, such as Google Home Hub, now have access to these new features:

• Answers broadcast: Bidirectional communication between a smart screen and a smartphone / speaker.
• Sharing photos: Photos can now be shared from a smart view with people in your contact list.
• Touch alarms: Swipe up from the home screen and press the new stopwatch button to set an alarm.
• Lyrics: The lyrics of the song will appear on the screen when you use Google Play Music.

Most of these new features are available now, but some will be rolled out over the next week.