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Google Assistant Not Working in Android 12: How to Fix

In this guide, we will show you various methods to fix the issue of Google Assistant not working in Android 12. Whenever a new update gets rolled out, there are always a few rough edges, even in the stable build. But with the twelfth iteration of the OS, there seems to be an astronomical number of bugs and underlying issues that are bugging the entire user experience. The likes of Bluetooth audio suddenly pausing, scrolling screenshot not working, excessive battery drain, and the inability to change the lock screen clock size are just the tips of the iceberg.

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To round it all off, the Assistant app from Google has now made its presence felt, albeit for all the wrong reasons. A slew of complaints is lined up across Google Support Forums where users have reported that Google Assistant keeps on force stopping, randomly closing, or not functioning along the expected lines on their Android 12 device. If you are also getting bugged with this issue, then this guide is here to help you out. Given here are the detailed instructions steps that shall help you fix the issue of Google Assistant not working in Android 12. Follow along.

How to Fix Google Assistant Not Working in Android 12

fix google assistant not working in android 12

Do note that there’s no universal fix as such. You will have to try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and then check which one works out best in your favor. So with that in mind, let’s get started.

FIX 1: Re-Enable Hey Google

First off, let’s start with the basic fix of disabling and re-enabling the Hey Google prompt on your device. Here’s how it could be done:

  1. To begin with, launch the Google App on your device.
  2. Then tap on your profile picture situated at the top right and select Settings.
  3. After that, go to Google Assistant and scroll to the Hey Google and Voice Match section.
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  4. Now disable the toggle next to Hey Google and then re-enable it.
  5. Check if it manages to fix the issue of Google Assistant not working in Android 12.

FIX 2: Retrain Assistant Voice Model

A few users were able to rectify this issue after retraining the Assistant to recognize their voice. So proceed with the below steps to try it out:

  1. Open the Google App and go to its Settings menu as before.
  2. Then go to Google Assistant and select Hey Google and Voice Match.
  3. Now tap on Voice Model > Retrain Voice Model.
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  4. Speak Hey Google/OK Google to complete the setup process.
  5. Once done, verify if the issue of Google Assistant not working in Android 12 has been fixed or not.

FIX 3: Delete Google Assistant App Data

If the app data has got corrupted or outdated, then it might lead to a few issues with the associated app. Therefore, the best bet is to delete their data so that the app repopulates it from scratch. So proceed with the instructions to delete the Assistant’s app data.

  1. To begin with, head over to the Settings menu on your device.
  2. Then go to Apps > See all Apps and select the Assistant app from the list.
  3. Now go to the Storage and Cache section and tap on Clear Storage [if this option is greyed out, then refer to FIX 5 ].
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  4. Finally, tap OK in the confirmation dialog box and wait for the process to complete.
  5. Once the data gets deleted, launch the Assistant app and sign in with your Google account.
  6. Now verify if it manages to fix the issue of Google Assistant not working in Android 12.

FIX 4: Re-Install Google Assistant App

In case the app’s configuration files and settings get corrupted, then just deleting its data wouldn’t be enough. In that case, you will have to uninstall the app from your device and then re-install its latest build. here’s how it could be done:

  1. Head over to Settings > Apps > See All Apps.
  2. Then select Assistant from the list and tap on Uninstall [if this option is greyed out, then refer to FIX 6].
  3. Finally, tap OK in the confirmation dialog box.
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  4. Once the app has been uninstalled, go to Play Store and install the latest version.
  5. Now launch the app, sign in with your credentials and check if the Google Assistant not working in Android 12 has been fixed or not.

FIX 5: Delete Google App Data

On some devices, such as the Pixel series, the Assistant app is baked into the Google App itself. As a result, the option to delete the Assistant app data would be greyed out as it is under the control of the Google App. So you would have to instead delete the Google app’s data, which could be done as follows:

  1. Head over to Settings > Apps > See All Apps.
  2. Then select the Google app from the list and go to its Storage and Cache section.
  3. Now tap on Manage Space and then tap on the Clear All Data button situated at the bottom right.
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  4. Finally, click OK in the confirmation dialog box.
  5. Once the data has been deleted, launch the Google App and sign in with your credentials. Check if it manages to fix the issue of Google Assistant not working in Android 12

FIX 6: Uninstall Updates to Google App

If you are unable to uninstall the Google Assistant app, then it’s because it is under the control of the Google App. So the next course of action should be to uninstall the Googe App itself. However, most of the devices don’t allow you to carry out this task either. So you should then take the third route and uninstall all the updates to the Google App. This will revert the app and all its settings to its factory default state.

  1. Head over to Settings > Apps > See All Apps.
  2. Then select the Google app from the list.
  3. After that, tap on the overflow icon situated at the top right and select Uninstall Updates.
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  4. Finally, tap OK in the confirmation dialog box.
  5. Once done, relaunch the app and then verify if the Google Assistant not working in Android 12 has been fixed or not.

FIX 7: Enroll as Google App Beta Tester

You could also consider enrolling yourself as a beta tester for the Google App. While the beta builds are less stable, but in my day-to-day usage, I haven’t found out any issues as such that would hinder the usability of the app. Moreover, the beta version receives updates more frequently than its stable counterparts, so even if there is a bug, it would be ironed out pretty quickly. So if you wish to be a part of this beta community, then here’s what you need to do:

  1. Head over to the Google App Beta Tester page and click on Become a Tester button.
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  2. Then open the Play Store on your device and search Google App.
  3. There will be a pending update to this app, hit the Update button to download it.
  4. Once installed, launch the app once and that’s it, you are now a beta tester.

So with this, we round off the guide on how you could fix the issue of Google Assistant not working in Android 12. We have listed seven different fixes for the same. Do let us know in the comments section which one spelled out success for you. Likewise, all your queries are welcomed in the comments below.

UPDATE 1 [26th November 2021]: Fix OK Google/Hey Google Not Working

Numerous users have voiced their concern across the Google Support Forum that the Assistant app isn’t responding to the OK Google/Hey Google commands. At the time of writing, Google has been informed of this issue and the fix might be rolling out soon. Moreover, this time around, the issue isn’t limited to any particular Android version or device, and that makes the issue more concerning.

But at the same time, it also makes it easier to find out the workaround that would rectify this issue.  Joining all the dots and there was only thing common- all the affected users had recently updated their Google App. So the culprit this time around is the latest update that the search engine giants have rolled for this app.

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To fix the issue of OK Google/Hey Google commands not working Google Assistant, you will have to downgrade the app to an earlier build, with the v12.33.16 being confirmed that it is free from this issue. So to perform this downgrade, there are two different approaches that you could take, depending on the device you own.

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If your device allows you to uninstall the Google App, then do so via the steps mentioned in FIX 4 above and then install/sideload the v12.33.16 APK. But if your device allows you to remove this app, then you may instead Uninstall Updates to the Google App and then disable its Auto-Update feature from Play Store [check out FIX 6 above].

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  • Donald DeGeorge

    Your suggested remedies are helpfully geared toward a variety of issues that might crop up with Google Assistant under a broad range of conditions, including the upgrade to Android 12, but I believe you missed one that can solve a very specific, but common, problem much more simply: the problem of no response to “Hey Google” after the phone’s screen has been blank for a few minutes. On my Samsung Galaxy S10+ there were no issues with Google Assistant as long as the screen was on or had only been off for a minute or two; but after a longer period, Google Assistant seemed to be in a deep sleep from which it could not be aroused. The problem–in my case, at least–was that the battery setting for the Google app was set to “Optimized”; and I solved the problem by changing the setting (Settings…Apps…Google…battery) to “Unrestricted.” It doesn’t seem to be necessary to invoke “Unrestricted” for the Assistant app–only the main Google app. Up through Android 11, the “Optimized” setting took into account the need for Google to be awake enough to respond to the wake-up phrase “Hey Google” or “OK Google”; but in Android 12 (so far, as implemented in the Samsung version) “Optimized” no longer works properly, thus depriving users of the ability to invoke Assistant hands-free. Google needs to fix the algorithm so that it keeps Google in light-enough sleep to respond to its wake-up phrase. People who don’t want or need the wake-up feature can leave the battery setting to “Optimized” and extend their battery use, but people who depend upon “Hey Google” to work hands-free will surely be willing to give up a little battery time in order for this important feature to work properly.