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by moffkalast 1309 days ago
> why don't we have "text assistants"

We do, it's called typing things into Google.

1 comments

Will that initiate actions like the voice thing does? I thought it just returned search results.
Google assistant on your phone can accept text input. If you're on a relatively recent version of Android you should be able to long-press the home button, then tap the keyboard icon in the popup. Works the same as a voice prompt
A lot of assistant functionality is just getting data from the internet, which search engines already know how to present and format in a useful way.

If you need to go to a specific spot in the house to write some text that turns on a light it seems easier to just walk to an actual light switch? For general automation then I think there are some visual block-based configurators to set up triggers for smart appliances otherwise.

Why do I need to go to a specific spot? I have devices that take text input on my body at all times, and I sit in front of one for most of the day.