For most actions, you can control the screen with your hands or your voice.
Important: Some features aren't available in all languages or countries.
Use your screen
- Wake up your screen: Tap it or say "Hey Google."
- Go back to the previous screen: From the left edge of the screen, swipe right or say "Go back."
- Go to the Home screen: Swipe right or say "Go Home."
- Monitor & control smart devices: From the Home screen, swipe down or say "Show me my home view." To see home control options, tap a device type or group, then choose a specific device.
- Start screensaver (ambient mode): From the Home screen, swipe right or say "Go to ambient."
- Turn off your screen: To make the screen dark, swipe right twice or say "Turn off the screen." Your screen will automatically turn off when the room is dark or you haven’t used it in a while.
​Important: Your screen is still on even when it’s dark.
Change your screen settings
- Brightness: Swipe up, then change the brightness. To have your screen change brightness automatically, tap Brightness
.
- Volume: Swipe up, then change the volume. Or say "Ok Google, turn it up" or "Hey Google, turn it down."
- Silence incoming calls and notifications: Swipe up, then tap Do Not Disturb
. You’ll see missed notifications on the Home screen.
.
. You’ll see missed notifications on the Home screen.Important: Alarms and timers still work when Do Not Disturb is on.
Change what shows in ambient modeYour screen can show personal photos, weather, or other backgrounds when you’re not using it.
On your phone
- Open the Google Home app
.
- At the bottom, tap Home
.
- Touch and hold your device.
- At the top right, tap Device settings
Notifications & digital wellbeing
- Tap the schedule that you want to change.
- Choose which days you want Downtime to turn on. You can use a premade schedule or create a custom schedule.
- Tap Save.
- Choose the times for Downtime to start and end.
- Tap Save.
.
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Notifications & digital wellbeing On your Smart Display
- On your Smart Display, swipe up.
- Tap Settings
.
- Under “Photo frame,†choose what to display in ambient mode.
To have your Smart Display show a photo album that automatically updates, learn how to set up a Live Album.
If you turn on personal results for your Smart Display, you will automatically see personal results like upcoming calendar events and commute info, as well as personalized YouTube video recommendations, on your home screen and as notifications. Anyone near the device can see, tap, and act on them.
To stop them from showing on the home screen and as notifications:
- Open the Google Home app
- At the top right, tap your Profile picture or initial
- Tap Devices
- Under "More," tap Recognition & personalization.
- Turn off Allow personal results.
Change your display theme to light, dark, or auto
- On your Smart Display, swipe up.
- Tap Settings
- Select a theme: Light, Dark, or Auto.
- When you select Auto, your Smart Display switches between the light and dark theme based on sunset and sunrise times and ambient lighting.
Set Google Assistant’s “Hey Google†sensitivity
This feature is available on most speakers and Smart Displays but only in some languages.
Home members can change the sensitivity settings for a device.
- Open the Google Home app
- At the bottom, tap Home
- Touch and hold your speaker or Smart Display.
- At the top right, tap Device settings
- Choose how sensitive you want Google Assistant to be when it responds to you.
- To change this setting on another device, tap Adjust more devices.
Turn your camera on or off
On most devices, you can use the switch on the top of your Smart Display to control your camera.
Turn your microphone on or off
On most devices, you can use a switch on the back of your Smart Display to turn the microphone on and off.