The Google Home Mini is an audio-controlled speaker that one can use for many functions namely- playing music, controlling smart home gadgets, and answering trivia questions. This mini speaker can also be used for adding tasks to a to-do list, adding reminders and appointments, and playing videos on a screen that is Chromecast enabled.

You can welcome the smallest version of Google Home and Google’s famous voice assistant by purchasing a Google Home Mini. If you already have a Google Home Mini, there here are some unusual features you should definitely try out!

Make it tell you jokes
Google Assistant is known for its sense of humor. Therefore, apart from using it for the usual things, you can just ask your Google Home Mini to tell you a joke. For this, all you need to do is, say “OK Google, tell me a joke”, then sit back and let it amuse you. Additionally, if you don’t find the jokes funny, you can tell your Mini to simply tell Mini the same and it will change its idea of funny without getting offended.

Use third-party services
Both, Google Home and Google Home Mini, let you interact with certain professional services. These services include Netflix, YouTube, Uber, Domino’s Pizza, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR One. To use these services, all you have to do is say that you want to use the service (service’s name) and that’s it, you will be directed to the service instantly.

Additionally, while the device does not allow you to book flight tickets yet, you can easily look up flight information and add a reminder telling you to book it later!

Make it remember things for you
You might have a really sharp memory, but at some point, we all need a little reminder. Google Home Mini makes this job effortless for you. If you have certain tasks that you cannot afford to forget, you can simply ask the device to remember something for you. So, if you cannot remember where you have kept your keys, you can simply tell the Google Home Mini that you have kept it in the front drawer, and it will remind you the next time you ask it.

Use it to set a timer and event reminder
You can also use the Google Home Mini to remind you of big and small events. So, if you are cooking a meal and have kept food in the oven, requiring you to wait for 30 minutes, your Google Home Mini will remind you to check the food after exactly 30 minutes. Likewise, you can ask Google Home Mini to remind you of other important events as well.

When Google launched its first smart speaker back in 2016, it was already well behind its Seattle-based rival, Amazon. The e-commerce and cloud computing giant had already unleashed the Echo, Echo Tap, and Echo Dot. With the launch of Google Home Mini, Google made a comeback, intending to give a tough fight to the likes of Amazon’s Echo Dot and other smart devices.

The Google Home Mini is an attractive device and has a richer feel than its counterparts. The device looks like a cloth-covered pebble and it is small enough to fit in your palms. Cloaked in coarse fabric, it is available in colors of coral, chalk, aqua, and charcoal. The lower portion is coated with grippy silicone to resist sliding and oily fingerprints. It powers up through a micro USB slot and a power cord with a round plug.

Setup
You need to have a Google account and the Google home app installed on your phone before setting up the Google Home Mini. Once it connects with the Wi-Fi of your home or office, all you need to say is “OK Google” or “Hey Google” for the smart device to recognize your voice and link it with your Google account. Once this setup is complete, it is up to you to decide the extent of your dependence on it and how much it can do for you. For instance, you will have to set up the payment information through the app if you wish to order groceries online through Google Home Mini.

Here’s what Google Home Mini can do:

• It has all the capabilities of its predecessor, Google Home. It includes an extra feature called “voice match.” Once set up, the mini uses this feature to match the voice and detect who is asking for information.
• You can set up shortcuts to give the Mini specific directions for a particular task. For instance, creating a shortcut for Michael Jackson videos on YouTube and simply saying “Hey Google, make me dance” will play the saved videos.
• Google has also introduced an interactive feature for children’s entertainment called “family link” which consists of games, beatboxing, storytelling, and much more.
• You can also make Google Assistant work with a number of smart home devices simultaneously. It can lock your doors, turn off lights. It also allows you to play movies on Google Play; a feature not available in its predecessors.
• The hands-free calling feature allows you to make phone calls to anyone on your contact list, assuming they live in the USA, Canada, or Mexico.

In conclusion, the Google Home Mini is ideal if you are looking for a small, affordable ($49) device to assist you in your daily activities. It is loud enough for its size, it can be streamlined with other Home devices but it cannot be used as a foundation for smart devices for your home or office.