Google Assistant Will Now Let You Hail a Car Just by Asking

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Even if you aren’t a top-level executive, you can still have a personal assistant. It may be in your pocket and it may not be human, but it’s getting a bit smarter every day.

Google Assistant — which is available for iPhone, Android, and the Google Home — can now call you a car.

If you say “Hey Google, get me a taxi to Los Angeles International Airport,” the assistant will show a list of ride services — including Uber, Lyft, Ola and several others — along with estimated prices and wait times. (You can also override this step by saying “Hey Google, book an Uber to the airport.”) Select the ride service and the app will open to confirm the ride.

The feature will be especially useful when you’re running late, with no free time to spare to compare rides. Being able to see all wait times and prices in one place without having to switch back and forth between apps could be the difference between you making it on time to the meeting or walking in sheepishly late.

Google Assistant is becoming a nifty hands-free way to plan your vacation. The assistant can teach you a foreign language, find you flight options, and help you pack with information about the weather. Earlier this year, Google introduced a feature that allows Assistant to book restaurant reservations and salon appointments.