Google tests voice confirmation for some purchases made through Google Assistant

Google Assistant has been getting a lot of useful features as of late. Just a few days ago on Global Accessibility Awareness Day, the company released an app called Action Blocks that lets you setup easy-to-access Assistant shortcuts alongside other accessibility-based features in a few Google apps. The company is now testing a voice confirmation feature for some purchases made through Google Assistant. The feature toggle is already available for a small percentage of users, including me.

The toggle is available under Google app > More > Settings > Google Assistant > You > Payments. Here you can set up your payment method, if you haven’t already, and allow Assistant to handle your purchases. The instructions are now also available on the Google Assistant Help page. Once you’re done, you’re greeted with a screen that includes your default payment option, your billing address, and confirmation options. Confirmation with password, finger, or face is nothing new, but we’ve definitely never seen a voice confirmation before. According to AndroidPolice, Google confirmed that not all purchases will prompt voice recognition. Currently, it’s limited to only in-app purchases and restaurant orders and not for Google Shopping.

Google has also confirmed that the voice confirmation feature is still in testing and it’s intended for Assistant-enabled smart speakers and displays. I could see how these types of gadgets could benefit from such a feature, as most of them don’t have a fingerprint scanner or any type of face recognition technology. In other cases though, I’d trust the above-mentioned methods more, considering the fact that almost all my friends can unlock my Pixel with their voice. That’s just my two cents. It’s also good that not all purchases can be confirmed via voice, as they have a maximum price limit.

We have no idea when this feature will see the light of day for all users, though. Google may mention it at the June 3rd online event of the Android 11 beta launch.