Google Assistant Can Now Read Bedtime Stories on Android, iOS Devices

Google is now allowing Assistant on Android and iOS devices to read out stories (both regular and bedtime) in English to people in India, US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

The available stories range from tales about Blaze and the Monster Machines to more classic bedtime stories like Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood.

This is in addition to other story features like "read along", which automatically plays sound effects as you read from a number of Disney Little Golden Books. The selection of supported books remains limited for now.

"Whether you're on the way to school drop-off or waiting for soccer practice to start, you can hear stories like 'Let's Be Firefighters!' (Blaze and the Monster Machines), 'Robot Rampage' (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and more. To get started, just say, 'Hey Google, tell me a story.' If you're trying to get the kids ready for bed after a long day, try, 'Hey Google, tell me a bedtime story.' You'll need to have the latest version of Google Play Books for Android or iOS installed to listen to all of these great stories," the blog post says.

The feature was first introduced in 2018, however, it was only made available on Google Home.

Previously, when asked over a smartphone for a story, Assistant would come out with a short inspirational quote or a joke.

Google's decision comes just in time for the "Tell a Story" day that is celebrated on April 27.