Best headphones with Google Assistant support 2024

Smartphones are laden with smarter features every year, and one of the constants is Google Assistant, which you can find on several different devices. Some of those include headphones, where the trusty Assistant can pipe in on-demand, either by voice or a simple button press.

Google's own Pixel Buds Pro earbuds are the leading example for making that access easy, functional, and consistent. But there are plenty of other options to choose from, so we gathered the best Google Assistant headphones and earbuds for you to consider.

At a glance

Best overall

By going "Pro," Google took its earbuds further, expanding on what it had already experimented with before. It also added new features that helped a great deal, even if it was late to the party in bringing them in. Our review found the combination worked well to make them worth considering. Reliable touch controls always help when talking out loud isn't an option.

Wearing these is a gateway to Google Assistant in ways other earbuds don't usually offer. Hands-free access by simply saying "Hey Google" or "OK Google" is all you need to wake it up and do what you need to do. Reliable touch controls always help when talking out loud isn't an option. Plus, translating languages is pretty cool via Google Translate when you need to do it. No different from other Pixel Buds, mind you, though you get overall better performance here.

Google gave these buds a clearer sound by tuning them in a way that gives real life to the mids and highs. You will hear bass, but if you're looking for a serious rumble in your ears, this probably isn't it. The good news is you get very good active noise cancelation (ANC) that blocks out a good amount of background noise.

As comfortable as they are to wear, you should try the sound test in the Pixel Buds settings on Android (separate app on non-Pixel devices) to see which ear tips are the best for you. You may find that the three included pairs aren't enough, but you can always try an extra-large or extra-small size from another brand. Worked for us.

Best runner up

On the heels of Google's reimagined Pixel Buds in 2020 came the Pixel Buds A-Series, a more compelling alternative that didn't cost as much to put in your ears. You lose out on the the swipe gestures to control volume but that's not a huge loss. Tight integration with Google Assistant is easily one of the biggest reasons to want these earbuds above all others, especially when all it takes is a touch gesture or just saying "Hey, Google" to activate it hands-free. Google even added the ability to turn off touch controls entirely by voice.

The translation features alone are pretty good, going the extra mile through the Transcribe mode in helping Spanish, French, Italian, and German speakers translate into English. It also works the other way, letting English speakers get translations from those languages, too.

It's super easy to pair them with any Android phone right out of the box. Sharing Detection lets you share one of your earbuds with someone, with individual volume control for each one. Sound quality is solid, but getting the right fit is crucial. Unfortunately, unlike the Pixel Buds Pro, you still don't get an EQ to customize the sound further, but the default sound, especially with Bass Boost, is pretty solid.

Battery life isn't spectacular at up to five hours per charge, with an additional 19 hours of battery life coming from the case. It supports wireless charging, or you could charge faster when plugging in via USB-C.

Best upgrade

In our review, we felt the Sony WF-1000XM5 were the company's premier true wireless earbuds, maintaining the company's penchant for amazing sound and ANC, along with pretty seamless access to Google Assistant. While you won't be able to wake it purely by saying "OK, Google," you will be able to get to it by way of the controls on the earbuds themselves, which are now more reliable than before.

Sony didn't change how it works with these earbuds. By default, the right earbud is designated for media controls, with the left controlling ambient sound mode. You can reverse it, but not in such a way as to map all the features onto one earbud. Either way, Google Assistant works regardless of which earbud you've assigned to it. Just tap and hold and the familiar chime should sound off. The relatively larger surfaces on each of the earbuds should make touch controls easier to manage.

Being that it works so well when you use the Assistant, it also helps that the WF-1000XM5 are such good audio performers. You can expect a balanced sound that you can only make better through the EQ in Sony's Headphones Connect companion app (though it could use a visual overhaul). ANC is among the best you'll find on any pair of true wireless earbuds, so that's a bonus.

Battery life is solid at up to eight hours per charge, plus an extra three charges from the case. With fast charging via USB-C, a quick 10-minute charge is enough to get 90 minutes of listening time.

Best USB-C

Where the Pixel Buds remove all wires, the Google Pixel USB-C Earbuds retain them, though do it with a USB-C port rather than the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack. If you want something wired to not worry about battery life — and want quick access to Google Assistant — you will find some convenience with these earbuds. It also doesn't hurt that they're so affordable.

The earbuds themselves were designed to look more like the original Pixel Buds, not the latest pair, but that doesn't mean you won't be comfortable. They should feel pretty stable, and the cable itself isn't all that weighted. As Google no longer offers these in the box with its Pixel phones, you can still get them separately.

Don't expect outstanding sound quality because these headphones don't have that. The bass is subdued in favor of more mids and highs unless you're able to get a tight enough seal to bring out more of the low end. Unless you use a third-party equalizer to playback audio files, you won't get as far with streaming services.

When it comes to invoking Google Assistant, you can't do it the same way as you would with the Pixel Buds, where just talking is enough. Here, you'll have to press the button on the inline remote to bring it up. But once you do, all the same features apply, including translation.

Best on-ear

You won't notice Google Assistant by default on the JBL Tune 670NC but you can easily change that by setting everything up in the JBL app first. The reason is because spoken notifications need to be on for Google's voice assistant to work as seamlessly as it can.

Once you do, it's easy enough to get the assistant talking by just holding down the multifunction button on the right ear cup for two seconds. All onboard controls, like Adaptive Noise Canceling, Ambient Aware, and TalkThru, the latter two of which are JBL's terminology for an ambient sound mode, so you can hear your surroundings without having to remove your headphones. ANC will be decent for on-ear headphones, whereas ambient mode benefits from the passive leakage that can happen when wearing these.

JBL continues to make its on-ear headphones sound better with a balanced sound, though the Tune 670NC could use a bass boost. Battery life holds up well at up to 70 hours per charge (up to 44 hours with ANC on). Charge them up via USB-C, or get a fast charge plugging in for five minutes to get up to three hours of playback.

Best over-ear

Bose earns its established reputation for making good headphones with the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, boosting the outstanding ANC performance and delivering quality sound you can trust. The "Ultra" moniker applies here because the noise cancelation and sound quality stand out from the company's other comparable over-ears.

Bose no longer uses a dedicated voice assistant button, but you can set a shortcut on the QuietComfort Ultra through the volume keys to wake Google Assistant at a moment's notice. From there, it's easy to make your request or command. It's always nice that these are comfortable to wear over long periods, and fold in and flat for much easier transport.

Battery life isn't amazing compared to similar pairs but is above-average at up to 24 hours per charge. Plug them in for a quick 15-minute spurt through USB-C and you can play audio for up to 24 hours. Sadly, you won't be able to charge and listen at the same time.

Best noise-canceling

Sony took what worked so fabulously well with the WH-1000XM4 and made a number of tweaks to maintain its pole position with the WH-1000XM5. Sony's QN1 processor and dual noise sensor do a better job of blocking ambient sound to deliver outstanding ANC performance.

You won't hear any dramatic change in the audio quality, though some improved tuning does help with clarity. You can customize how you want them to sound using the equalizer in the Sony Connect app. Sony's Precise Voice Pickup and Speak to Chat features also play a leading role in improving call quality. This way, you can ask Google Assistant to call someone and not worry about clarity during the call.

Doesn't hurt that the microphones continue to get better. Phone calls are clearer, and with the excellent ANC and ambient modes at work, you can block out or hear your surroundings how you want. Pair with two devices simultaneously to listen to music on one device and take calls on another.

These are comfortable headphones to wear, which is great since they can play for up to 30 hours per charge, give or take a little depending on volume and ANC. With fast charging, just a 10-minute charge can get up to five hours of playback. The only problem is you can't charge and listen at the same time.

Best in-ear

Jabra knows how to make good earbuds, and we certainly felt that way (yet again) when reviewing the Elite 10. Comfortable to wear, with a fit that truly benefits the overall sound, solid ANC adds to the list of superb features. It's adaptive, so it can adjust on its own, and while it won't match what Sony and Bose can do, it will do the job. The Sound+ app adds a lot of customization to personalize a variety of features.

One of those is the sound, courtesy of the in-app EQ, which is excellent. The app is where you also set up Google Assistant for easy access through a dedicated control scheme in the earbuds themselves. Doesn't hurt that they are physical buttons rather than touch-sensitive ones, so you shouldn't get any false positives.

That's great when you want to issue commands or make calls, including support to use a single earbud in mono mode, or multipoint when connected to two devices at once. This way, you can easily tell Google to make a call while listening to music from your computer, for instance.

The IP57 rating is very respectable as far as durability goes, and you can count on reliable battery life, where you can expect up to six hours per charge with ANC on — maybe even eight if you always leave it off. Spatial audio and head tracking will tax the battery as well. The case gives you three additional charges. and in a pinch, a quick five-minute charge can get you up to 60 minutes of playback.

Best neckbuds

Neckband earbuds aren't for everyone, but when they're done right, it's easier to appreciate them. LG has been making them for years, and the Tone Flex XL7 have a few things going for them. Starting with the dedicated Google Assistant button on the neckband itself, you have quick access to the voice assistant with a simple press and hold.

Sound quality is solid, thanks in part to the AAC codec support LG ensured. At this price, you should get higher fidelity anyway, but nice to see that it's there. The only thing is they're not made for the bass-loving crowd, as the sound profile is skewed a little more toward the mids and highs. For certain genres, that works, but you won't get the thump you want for hip-hop and EDM. It's a shame because the built-in DAC actually helps music sound better.

Battery life is reasonably good at about eight hours — maybe more — of playback per charge. There is a fast charging option, where plugging in for just 10 minutes can get you about three hours. They're also pretty loud by default, so you won't have to raise the volume as much, which ultimately conserves some of the battery.

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These headphones will get Google talking

It may not matter how you want your Assistant to chime in, whether it's wearing wireless earbuds, wired earbuds, or noise-canceling headphones. Not all of them, even some on this list, necessarily support hands-free Assistant, where you don't have to press a button because just saying "Hey Google," isn't enough.

Those supporting Google Assistant via a button or gesture are usually using the universal "activate my digital assistant" standard. It makes more sense in most scenarios, particularly out in public, where speaking out loud may not be appropriate or comfortable.

But if you like the idea of having both, then the Google Pixel Buds Pro will fit the bill just fine. They're a versatile set of earbuds that cover many of the right bases, starting with comfort, access, and usability. They also sound good and continue to get better through future firmware updates.