Control your smart display

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 and 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 "Hey 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.

Important: Alarms and timers still work when Do Not Disturb is on.

Change what shows in ambient mode

Your 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 and Digital Wellbeing Digital Wellbeing.
Tap the schedule that you want to change.
Choose which days that you want Downtime to turn on. You can use a pre-made schedule or create a custom schedule.
Tap Save.
Choose the times for Downtime to start and end.
Tap Save.

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.

Hide personal results from your home screen and notifications

If you turn on personal results for your smart display, you will automatically see personal results such as upcoming calendar events and commute info, as well as personalised 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 Assistant settings.
Tap Devices your smart display.
Under "More", tap Recognition and personalisation.
Turn off Allow personal results.

Learn more about personal results.

Change your display theme to light, dark or auto

On your smart display, swipe up.
Tap Settings Display.
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.

Important: When you adjust the “Hey Google” sensitivity for a device, it applies to anyone who uses that 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 Audio “Hey Google” sensitivity.
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.