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Google widens rollout of feature that turns your Android phone into a smart display
According to XDA, Google Assistant's Ambient Mode is rolling out to more Android devices. When enabled and a particular phone or tablet is plugged into an outlet, or a tablet is placed in a charging dock, Assistant shows up and turns the handset or slate into a smart display. It does this by showing your upcoming calendar appointments and reminders, the current weather, controls for smart appliances and music, and it will also become a digital photo frame using an image from your Google Photos app.
When first launched, Ambient Mode was offered on a couple of tablets (Lenovo Smart Tab M8 HD and Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab) and a pair of handsets (Nokia 7.2 and Nokia 6.2). Now it appears that some Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro, Nokia 6.1 Plus and Pocophone F1 users are seeing it as well. If you have the feature on your phone running Android 10, you will be able to toggle it on by going to Settings > Assistant > Say "Hey Google." On Android 9, open the Google app and go to Settings > Assistant > Devices (Phone).
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Google Assistant Ambient Mode on a smartphone; image credit 9to5Google
Most likely though, you would know whether your phone or tablet has this feature. When it first appears on an Android device, Google will send you some information about Ambient Mode with a prompt that allow you to turn it on.
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When Google Assistant Ambient Mode is available on your phone, you should see these screens that include a prompt to turn on the feature; image credit 9to5 Google
So far, this has not shown up on our Pixel 2 XL running Android 10. However, you might want to keep your eyes peeled for this update since Google seems to be widening its rollout.
