Voice control technology is something we could have only dreamed about a couple of decades ago. Remember how excited we were when Siri launched?
Now it’s everywhere. Voice assistants work with loads of our everyday tech, from smartphones to fridges. They’ve helped organise us, entertain us, and make life that little bit easier. So, it makes sense that most smart TVs now work with voice control.
What does voice control on a TV do?
Voice control is a feature found on lots of modern TVs that lets you interact with them using voice commands instead of a remote control. It’s basically a hands-free alternative to using a traditional remote.
Why get a TV voice assistant?
The main benefit of a voice-controlled TV is speed. There’s so much stuff to watch on TV now with streaming services, hundreds of channels, and even web-browsing. And it can be a real faff to trawl through multiple apps to find what you want. But with a voice assistant, you can ask and it’s there in seconds!
It’s just simpler all-round. When you use voice control, you basically condense loads of button presses into one spoken command. You don’t need to find the menu button, the volume button, or the brightness control. It’s all down to you and your voice.
What kind of different voice assistants are there?
There are quite a few out there now, and they all function very similarly. These are the main four you’ll come across:
Amazon Alexa
Google Assistant
Samsung Bixby
Apple Siri
Samsung's Bixby voice control feature will only work with Samsung TVs. It comes built into most of their newer models of smart TVs, including affordable models. While Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri, on the other hand, can work with lots of different brands.
How do I know which TVs have voice control?
When you’re browsing online for a new TV, it will say in the product description whether it has voice assistant built in. Or whether you can link it up to another bit of tech with voice control functionality, like smart speakers.
If you buy with Currys online, you’ll see there’s an option on the left-hand navigation bar specifically to filter out TVs that don’t have voice control. Or if you want to head in-store, you can just ask one of our helpful colleagues which ones have it.
Do I need to have a smart home device?
No you don’t, as many modern TVs now have voice control built in. That means you’ll usually get a little remote with a voice control button. You hold it down, give your command, and it’ll show it’s listening.
With some other smart TVs, you can link it to your smart home hub. So, if you have an Amazon Echo or Google Nest, you may be able to connect it and use the smart speaker as a microphone of sorts to talk to your telly. You can even use them to control other smart home tech in your house.
Setting up voice control on your TV
Setting up Alexa
Amazon's Alexa voice assistant is one of the most well-known. And loads of smart TVs from the likes of LG, Hisense, and TCL have Alexa built in already. Which means you just have to sign into your Amazon account, and she'll be ready to listen right away.
If your smart TV is compatible with Alexa but doesn't have it built in, then you can still control your telly with voice commands by connecting an Alexa smart speaker to your TV. Just open up the Alexa app on your phone or tablet, then add your TV to your network. That way, you'll be able to hook your Alexa speaker up to your smart TV just by following the on-screen instructions.
Setting up Google Assistant
Google Assistant comes included with lots of TVs too now, and if so, there should be a Google Assistant button on your remote. Click it once, log into to your Google account, and you'll be able to start telling your TV what you want to watch. By signing in, you can ask other smart home devices linked with your Google account to do certain things too, like turning on the lights.
To get your Google smart speaker or similar device connected to a TV compatible with Google Assistant, you can do so via the Google Home app.
Setting up Bixby
You won't have to worry about pairing your Samsung TV up with a smart speaker to use Bixby. This is Samsung’s very own voice assistant tech, so it comes installed in almost all of their new TVs as standard.
Setting up Siri
Siri is one of the best voice assistants out there, and you can get chatting with her if you've got one of Apple’s TV boxes plugged into your TV. Or you could connect your compatible smart TV up to Apple's HomeKit platform instead.
To control your telly using HomeKit, open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad and make sure your TV and device are using the same Wi-Fi network too. To get them talking to each other will depend on the make of your TV, but you'll need to add your TV as an accessory in the Home app. Refer to your TV's manual for further setup instructions.
What kind of commands can I give?
Every voice assistant will have slightly different things you can ask. But here are a few examples…
“Open Netflix” – opening apps.
“Show me comedy films” – checking out specific genres if you have an idea of what you’re after.
“Turn the volume up/down” – some TVs let you change settings.
“Play ITV2” – playing a specific channel
“Play Fallout” – finding a specific show that’s on a streaming service.
Any more questions?
We hope that’s made things loud and clear when it comes to voice controlling your TV! For more TV advice, check out our top questions to ask when buying a TV for watching sport article. Or for late night catch-ups without disturbing your family, learn how to connect headphones to your TV.
