Google could bring a “Look and Sign” feature to the Pixel Tablet

Google is reportedly working on a new “Look and Sign” feature for the Pixel Tablet. This new feature will likely offer users a new way to interact with Google Assistant on their device. It’s worth noting that the Pixel Tablet comes with an included charging speaker dock. It allows users to use their tablet just like they would a Nest Hub Max.

Thanks to the speaker dock, users can easily manage their smart home and get answers to their queries through Google Assistant. But, this is likely to change with the future update coming to the Pixel Tablet.

In a recent APK teardown of the Google Search app, 9to5Google found that a revamped feature like Nest Hub Max’s “Look and Talk” is in the works. For those who are uninitiated, the Look and Talk feature on Nest Hub Max uses the device’s built-in camera to recognize when a user is talking while looking at it.

This eventually eliminates the whole “Hey Google” process and streamlines it for a better user experience. Not to forget, rumors about the development of the Look and Talk feature for the Pixel Tablet already surfaced online a few months ago.

A new ‘Look and Sign’ feature might come soon to your Pixel Tablet

The teardown revealed the feature in the Google Search app beta version 15.15. There were some strings of code labeled as “LnS” that pointed out the Look and Talk feature. Although Google chooses to hide these labels, 9to5Google managed to forcibly enable it in the “Assistant on Hub Mode” settings.

While there’s no exact information on what this could mean, there are a few possibilities around how the Look and Sign feature would work. First, Google might allow users to make hand gestures to engage with Google Assistant rather than saying “Hey Google.” It could be a thumbs-up, pointing fingers at the camera, or hand-waving.

Secondly, Google could bring the “Look and Sign” feature to cater to Pixel Tablet users who use sign language. No doubt, the possibilities are immense. But, if Google chooses this route, it would require advanced machine learning capabilities to achieve it.

Although Google is gradually replacing Google Assistant with Gemini, the new finding hints that Google Assistant is here to stay. At least in smart home devices, if not all of Google’s products.

This feature is in a very early stage. So, the launch date for the Pixel Tablet’s “Look and Sign” feature is unknown as of now. However, we might hear some of it in the upcoming Google I/O 2024 event, scheduled for May.