what is google homework help

Google Lens Can Now Help With Math and Science Problems

Google Lens homework help is here and it's a game-changer when you want to solve math and science problems.

Google is looking to help children and parents get ready for a whole new form of school when education resumes in the coming months. The company announced a slew of new educational tools and features on The Keyword .

While all the changes seem useful, the one that really stands out from the crowd is the update to Google Lens. It was already a useful tool, but Google is adding a new feature that will allow it to help with solving difficult math and science questions.

Google Lens Homework Help

The new Google Lens feature uses Socratic to allow students or parents to take a photo of a difficult problem and get help.

It's not just a tool that provides you with the answer, either (though it does give you the answer in the end). Instead, Google Lens and Socratic will provide step-by-step instructions to solve the problem. It'll also show helpful explainers that will help the student actually learn to solve the math or science equation. After all, the point isn't just to find out the answer, but to understand how to reach it yourself.

Google Lens is an awesome visual search tool that's becoming more useful as the company introduces new functionality to it. With this new homework feature, not only does it function as a cool way to find information, but it could be a game-changer for kids who struggle with difficult math problems.

For science, Google Lens will show graphics and explanations of the concept you're struggling with when it scans a question.

How to Use Google Lens for Homework Help

The feature is incredibly easy to use. To start with, you need to tap the graduation cap within Google Lens. From there, it'll prompt you to take a photo of the problem you need help with. Google Lens will highlight all of the equations or questions it sees, and you tap the one you're stuck on . Next, you'll have the option to copy the text, send it to your computer via Chrome, or edit the math equation.

Below those options is a Steps to Solve area. You can use this to learn how to solve the problem and ultimately find the answer to the question. This same method applies to both math and science questions, though the type of results will vary.

Get More Homework Help

Homework is hard. We've all struggled with various concepts in school throughout the years. Thankfully, the internet has made finding homework help much easier. Check out these Chrome extensions that will help with your homework for even more assistance.

5 ways Google Assistant can help with homework

Take the headache out of homework with these tips.

I don't know how many times my teen has asked me a question about a topic I know nothing about during homework time and I've told her to Google it. It actually isn't bad advice.

Turns out, Google Assistant can help with a wide range of homework problems that hassle kids and parents every evening. These tips will make homework easier for everyone using Google Assistant. 

Set study timers

Studies show that frequent breaks during tasks can lead to better concentration and higher productivity . To make pacing your child's study time easier, you can schedule homework breaks using Google Assistant's timer feature. 

To set up a study timer, say, "OK Google, set my homework timer." Google will create a timer named My Homework and will ask you how long you want the timer to last. Once it gets your command, the timer will start counting down. Then let your kid know that when the timer goes off, it's break time.

5 new Google Assistant actions for your home and phone

Set reminders

If your child is really bad about remembering when to study for tests, set up reminders using Google Assistant. To either the Google Assistant app or a Google Home speaker say, "OK Google, set a reminder." Then, just answer the assistant's questions to save the reminder. 

At the beginning of study time ask, "Hey Google, what are my reminders?" to know exactly what needs to be studied that evening.

Foreign language classes can be tricky to study for, especially when mom or dad doesn't know the language. While it's not great at translating complicated sentences yet, Google Assistant can help with rudimentary questions like:

• Hey Google, what is the Spanish word for bathroom?
• OK Google, what does "n'est-ce pas" mean?
• Hey Google, how do you say milk in Russian?

Use it as a calculator

Have you ever checked your child's math homework and had no idea if the answer is correct? I've been there, too. Thankfully, Google has equation solving abilities. 

For example, you can ask, "OK Google, what is pi times 49 squared?" Google Assistant will answer back, "The answer is 7,542.96."

Learn how to solve problems

Google Assistant can also teach you and your child how to solve math problems. For example, I've asked it, "Hey Google, how do you solve an algebraic equation with a fraction in it?" 

For complicated processes like these, Google will search for a good YouTube video on the subject and will bring it up on devices with a screen, like Google Home Hub , Lenovo Smart Display or your phone.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 5 best homework help websites (free and paid).

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Listen: we know homework isn’t fun, but it is a good way to reinforce the ideas and concepts you’ve learned in class. But what if you’re really struggling with your homework assignments?

If you’ve looked online for a little extra help with your take-home assignments, you’ve probably stumbled across websites claiming to provide the homework help and answers students need to succeed . But can homework help sites really make a difference? And if so, which are the best homework help websites you can use? 

Below, we answer these questions and more about homework help websites–free and paid. We’ll go over: 

• The basics of homework help websites
• The cost of homework help websites 
• The five best homework websites out there 
• The pros and cons of using these websites for homework help 
• The line between “learning” and “cheating” when using online homework help 
• Tips for getting the most out of a homework help website

So let’s get started! 

The Basics About Homework Help Websites–Free and Paid

Homework help websites are designed to help you complete your homework assignments, plain and simple. 

What Makes a Homework Help Site Worth Using

Most of the best sites allow users to ask questions and then provide an answer (or multiple possible answers) and explanation in seconds. In some instances, you can even send a photo of a particular assignment or problem instead of typing the whole thing out! 

Homework help sites also offer more than just help answering homework questions. Common services provided are Q&A with experts, educational videos, lectures, practice tests and quizzes, learning modules, math solving tools, and proofreading help. Homework help sites can also provide textbook solutions (i.e. answers to problems in tons of different textbooks your school might be using), one-on-one tutoring, and peer-to-peer platforms that allow you to discuss subjects you’re learning about with your fellow students. 

And best of all, nearly all of them offer their services 24/7, including tutoring! 

What You Should Should Look Out For

When it comes to homework help, there are lots–and we mean lots –of scam sites out there willing to prey on desperate students. Before you sign up for any service, make sure you read reviews to ensure you’re working with a legitimate company. 

A word to the wise: the more a company advertises help that veers into the territory of cheating, the more likely it is to be a scam. The best homework help websites are going to help you learn the concepts you’ll need to successfully complete your homework on your own. (We’ll go over the difference between “homework help” and “cheating” a little later!) 

You don't need a golden piggy bank to use homework help websites. Some provide low or no cost help for students like you!

How Expensive Are the Best Homework Help Websites?

First of all, just because a homework help site costs money doesn’t mean it’s a good service. Likewise, just because a homework help website is free doesn’t mean the help isn’t high quality. To find the best websites, you have to take a close look at the quality and types of information they provide! 

When it comes to paid homework help services, the prices vary pretty widely depending on the amount of services you want to subscribe to. Subscriptions can cost anywhere from $2 to $150 dollars per month, with the most expensive services offering several hours of one-on-one tutoring with a subject expert per month.

The 5 Best Homework Help Websites 

So, what is the best homework help website you can use? The answer is that it depends on what you need help with. 

The best homework help websites are the ones that are reliable and help you learn the material. They don’t just provide answers to homework questions–they actually help you learn the material. 

That’s why we’ve broken down our favorite websites into categories based on who they’re best for . For instance, the best website for people struggling with math might not work for someone who needs a little extra help with science, and vice versa. 

Keep reading to find the best homework help website for you! 

Best Free Homework Help Site: Khan Academy

• Price: Free!
• Best for: Practicing tough material 

Not only is Khan Academy free, but it’s full of information and can be personalized to suit your needs. When you set up your account , you choose which courses you need to study, and Khan Academy sets up a personal dashboard of instructional videos, practice exercises, and quizzes –with both correct and incorrect answer explanations–so you can learn at your own pace. 

As an added bonus, it covers more course topics than many other homework help sites, including several AP classes.

Runner Up: Brainly.com offers a free service that allows you to type in questions and get answers and explanations from experts. The downside is that you’re limited to two answers per question and have to watch ads. 

Best Paid Homework Help Site: Chegg

• Price: $14.95 to $19.95 per month
• Best for: 24/7 homework assistance  

This service has three main parts . The first is Chegg Study, which includes textbook solutions, Q&A with subject experts, flashcards, video explanations, a math solver, and writing help. The resources are thorough, and reviewers state that Chegg answers homework questions quickly and accurately no matter when you submit them.  

Chegg also offers textbook rentals for students who need access to textbooks outside of their classroom. Finally, Chegg offers Internship and Career Advice for students who are preparing to graduate and may need a little extra help with the transition out of high school. 

Another great feature Chegg provides is a selection of free articles geared towards helping with general life skills, like coping with stress and saving money. Chegg’s learning modules are comprehensive, and they feature solutions to the problems in tons of different textbooks in a wide variety of subjects. 

Runner Up: Bartleby offers basically the same services as Chegg for $14.99 per month. The reason it didn’t rank as the best is based on customer reviews that say user questions aren’t answered quite as quickly on this site as on Chegg. Otherwise, this is also a solid choice!

Best Site for Math Homework Help: Photomath

• Price: Free (or $59.99 per year for premium services) 
• Best for: Explaining solutions to math problems

This site allows you to t ake a picture of a math problem, and instantly pulls up a step-by-step solution, as well as a detailed explanation of the concept. Photomath also includes animated videos that break down mathematical concepts to help you better understand and remember them. 

The basic service is free, but for an additional fee you can get extra study tools and learn additional strategies for solving common math problems.

Runner Up: KhanAcademy offers in-depth tutorials that cover complex math topics for free, but you won’t get the same tailored help (and answers!) that Photomath offers. 

Best Site for English Homework Help: Princeton Review Academic Tutoring

• Price: $40 to $153 per month, depending on how many hours of tutoring you want 
• Best for: Comprehensive and personalized reading and writing help 

While sites like Grammarly and Sparknotes help you by either proofreading what you write via an algorithm or providing book summaries, Princeton Review’s tutors provide in-depth help with vocabulary, literature, essay writing and development, proofreading, and reading comprehension. And unlike other services, you’ll have the chance to work with a real person to get help. 

The best part is that you can get on-demand English (and ESL) tutoring from experts 24/7. That means you can get help whenever you need it, even if you’re pulling an all-nighter! 

This is by far the most expensive homework site on this list, so you’ll need to really think about what you need out of a homework help website before you commit. One added benefit is that the subscription covers over 80 other subjects, including AP classes, which can make it a good value if you need lots of help!  

Best Site for STEM Homework Help: Studypool

• Best for: Science homework help
• Price: Varies; you’ll pay for each question you submit

When it comes to science homework help, there aren’t a ton of great resources out there. The best of the bunch is Studypool, and while it has great reviews, there are some downsides as well. 

Let’s start with the good stuff. Studypool offers an interesting twist on the homework help formula. After you create a free account, you can submit your homework help questions, and tutors will submit bids to answer your questions. You’ll be able to select the tutor–and price point–that works for you, then you’ll pay to have your homework question answered. You can also pay a small fee to access notes, lectures, and other documents that top tutors have uploaded. 

The downside to Studypool is that the pricing is not transparent . There’s no way to plan for how much your homework help will cost, especially if you have lots of questions! Additionally, it’s not clear how tutors are selected, so you’ll need to be cautious when you choose who you’d like to answer your homework questions.  

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Homework Help Sites?

Homework help websites can be a great resource if you’re struggling in a subject, or even if you just want to make sure that you’re really learning and understanding topics and ideas that you’re interested in. But, there are some possible drawbacks if you don’t use these sites responsibly. 

We’ll go over the good–and the not-so-good–aspects of getting online homework help below. 

3 Pros of Using Homework Help Websites 

First, let’s take a look at the benefits. 

#1: Better Grades Beyond Homework

This is a big one! Getting outside help with your studies can improve your understanding of concepts that you’re learning, which translates into better grades when you take tests or write essays. 

Remember: homework is designed to help reinforce the concepts you learned in class. If you just get easy answers without learning the material behind the problems, you may not have the tools you need to be successful on your class exams…or even standardized tests you’ll need to take for college. 

#2: Convenience

One of the main reasons that online homework help is appealing is because it’s flexible and convenient. You don’t have to go to a specific tutoring center while they’re open or stay after school to speak with your teacher. Instead, you can access helpful resources wherever you can access the internet, whenever you need them.

This is especially true if you tend to study at off hours because of your extracurriculars, work schedule, or family obligations. Sites that offer 24/7 tutoring can give you the extra help you need if you can’t access the free resources that are available at your school. 

#3: Variety

Not everyone learns the same way. Maybe you’re more of a visual learner, but your teacher mostly does lectures. Or maybe you learn best by listening and taking notes, but you’re expected to learn something just from reading the textbook . 

One of the best things about online homework help is that it comes in a variety of forms. The best homework help sites offer resources for all types of learners, including videos, practice activities, and even one-on-one discussions with real-life experts. 

This variety can also be a good thing if you just don’t really resonate with the way a concept is being explained (looking at you, math textbooks!).

Not so fast. There are cons to homework help websites, too. Get to know them below!

3 Cons of Using Homework Help Websites 

Now, let’s take a look at the drawbacks of online homework help. 

#1: Unreliable Info

This can be a real problem. In addition to all the really good homework help sites, there are a whole lot of disreputable or unreliable sites out there. The fact of the matter is that some homework help sites don’t necessarily hire people who are experts in the subjects they’re talking about. In those cases, you may not be getting the accurate, up-to-date, and thorough information you need.

Additionally, even the great sites may not be able to answer all of your homework questions. This is especially true if the site uses an algorithm or chatbot to help students…or if you’re enrolled in an advanced or college-level course. In these cases, working with your teacher or school-provided tutors are probably your best option. 

#2: No Clarification

This depends on the service you use, of course. But the majority of them provide free or low-cost help through pre-recorded videos. Watching videos or reading info online can definitely help you with your homework… but you can’t ask questions or get immediate feedback if you need it .

#3: Potential For Scamming 

Like we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of homework help websites out there, and lots of them are scams. The review comments we read covered everything from outdated or wrong information, to misleading claims about the help provided, to not allowing people to cancel their service after signing up. 

No matter which site you choose to use, make sure you research and read reviews before you sign up–especially if it’s a paid service! 

When Does “Help” Become “Cheating”?

Admittedly, whether using homework help websites constitutes cheating is a bit of a grey area. For instance, is it “help” when a friend reads your essay for history class and corrects your grammar, or is it “cheating”? The truth is, not everyone agrees on when “help” crosses the line into “cheating .” When in doubt, it can be a good idea to check with your teacher to see what they think about a particular type of help you want to get. 

That said, a general rule of thumb to keep in mind is to make sure that the assignment you turn in for credit is authentically yours . It needs to demonstrate your own thoughts and your own current abilities. Remember: the point of every homework assignment is to 1) help you learn something, and 2) show what you’ve learned. 

So if a service answers questions or writes essays for you, there’s a good chance using it constitutes cheating. 

Here’s an example that might help clarify the difference for you. Brainstorming essay ideas with others or looking online for inspiration is “help” as long as you write the essay yourself. Having someone read it and give you feedback about what you need to change is also help, provided you’re the one that makes the changes later. 

But copying all or part of an essay you find online or having someone write (or rewrite) the whole thing for you would be “cheating.” The same is true for other subjects. Ultimately, if you’re not generating your own work or your own answers, it’s probably cheating.

5 Tips for Finding the Best Homework Help Websites for You

Now that you know some of our favorite homework help websites, free and paid, you can start doing some additional research on your own to decide which services might work best for you! Here are some top tips for choosing a homework help website. 

Tip 1: Decide How You Learn Best 

Before you decide which site or sites you’re going to use for homework help, y ou should figure out what kind of learning style works for you the most. Are you a visual learner? Then choose a site that uses lots of videos to help explain concepts. If you know you learn best by actually doing tasks, choose a site that provides lots of practice exercises.

Tip 2: Determine Which Subjects You Need Help With

Just because a homework help site is good overall doesn’t mean that it’s equally good for every subject. If you only need help in math, choose a site that specializes in that area. But if history is where you’re struggling, a site that specializes in math won’t be much help. So make sure to choose a site that you know provides high-quality help in the areas you need it most. 

Tip 3: Decide How Much One-On-One Help You Need 

This is really about cost-effectiveness. If you learn well on your own by reading and watching videos, a free site like Khan Academy is a good choice. But if you need actual tutoring, or to be able to ask questions and get personalized answers from experts, a paid site that provides that kind of service may be a better option.

Tip 4: Set a Budget

If you decide you want to go with a paid homework help website, set a budget first . The prices for sites vary wildly, and the cost to use them can add up quick. 

Tip 5: Read the Reviews

Finally, it’s always a good idea to read actual reviews written by the people using these homework sites. You’ll learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of what the users’ experiences have been. This is especially true if you intend to subscribe to a paid service. You’ll want to make sure that users think it’s worth the price overall!

What’s Next?

If you want to get good grades on your homework, it’s a good idea to learn how to tackle it strategically. Our expert tips will help you get the most out of each assignment…and boost your grades in the process.

Doing well on homework assignments is just one part of getting good grades. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about getting great grades in high school in this article.

Of course, test grades can make or break your GPA, too. Here are 17 expert tips that’ll help you get the most out of your study prep before you take an exam.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Easily distribute, analyze, and grade student work with Assignments for your LMS

Assignments is an application for your learning management system (LMS). It helps educators save time grading and guides students to turn in their best work with originality reports — all through the collaborative power of Google Workspace for Education.

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Distribute personalized copies of Google Drive templates and worksheets to students

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Google's ai-powered homework helper is finally ready to try out.

Project Tailwind has a new name and is now accepting testers

The AI revolution is well underway, and advanced language models like Google's PaLM 2 are at the heart of most recent breakthroughs. Google teased several new machine learning tools at I/O 2023 , and the one that got the biggest reaction was something called Project Tailwind . In a demo, someone's notes and Google Docs files were used to generate detailed summaries about subjects that were addressed deep within the notes. Now, Google has given the utility has a new name and is finally opening it up to testing.

Now dubbed NotebookLM , Google's language model can be "grounded" to a set of files you upload to Google Drive — in other words, you select the data it gets trained on. These could be your notes from a class or the various study materials you've been given, for example. Once you feed it a set of documents, NotebookLM can summarize the notes, answer specific questions you may have about them, and even generate new ideas.

Starting today, NotebookLM will be gradually made available to people who enrolled in the Project Tailwind early access program through Google Labs . If you have not already expressed interest in the beta, Google has a new link you can use to sign up now .

Students are NotebookLM's main target demographic, but the tool has potential to be useful in professional settings as well. In addition to summarizing the contents of your notes into easily digestible bullets, Google offered example use-cases like an author uploading research notes and asking the AI to “Summarize all the times Houdini and Conan Doyle interacted,” or an entrepreneur wondering what types of questions an investor might ask after seeing a slideshow about a new product.

To start, Google is making the tool available to only a "small group of testers" in the US. The company says that the only data NotebookLM will be able to access is the set of files you specify in Google Docs, and that it will not use any information gathered to train other AI models. A gradual rollout will help Google ensure that the proper safeguards are in place before expanding availability to another round of users.

8 ways Google Lens can help make your life easier

Jun 14, 2023

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Lens makes it easy to search what you see and explore the world around you — including the new ability to search for skin conditions.

If you can see it, you can search it. That’s the simple idea behind Lens , our visual search tool available in the Google app ( Android and iOS ). With Lens, you can search what you see with your camera, take a picture or a screenshot, or long press an image you see while browsing, and get a range of visual results to explore.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and it seems that many people agree: Every month we see more than 12 billion visual searches on Lens.

Haven’t tried Lens yet? If you need some motivation, here are our favorite ways that Lens can make your life a bit easier.

1. Learn about the things you see as you go about your day

If you see a cool building or landmark that you don’t recognize, Lens can tell you what you’re looking at and provide links to learn more. Similarly, whether on the road or in your own backyard, it’s not uncommon to discover plants and animals that you can’t quite clock or describe perfectly with words. Lens helps you search what you see and learn all about it — like whether that beautiful plant can grow indoors.

2. Search for skin conditions

Describing an odd mole or rash on your skin can be hard to do with words alone. Fortunately, there’s a new way Lens can help, with the ability to search skin conditions that are visually similar to what you see on your skin. Just take a picture or upload a photo through Lens, and you’ll find visual matches to inform your search. This feature also works if you're not sure how to describe something else on your body, like a bump on your lip, a line on your nails or hair loss on your head. This feature is currently available in select markets.

This is an image comparison feature that matches to images available publicly on the world wide web. This feature does not constitute a medical analysis of the image. Search results are informational only and not a diagnosis. Consult your medical authority for advice.

3. Translate street signs, menus and more into over 100 languages

If your summer plans involve travel, Lens can help you bridge the language barrier. Using the Translate filter in Lens, you can upload or take a picture, or even just point your camera at the text you want to translate, like a menu or a street sign. Lens will automatically detect the written language and overlay the translation on top of it, directly on your phone screen.

4. Get step-by-step help with homework problems

If you’re stuck on a homework problem in math, history or science, tap the “homework help” filter, then snap a picture, and Lens will share instructions to help you learn how to solve the problem. The homework help feature also enables you to tackle questions in multiple languages, and you can set your preferred language for search results.

5. Shop for the products that catch your eye

If you’re browsing on your phone and notice a product that you’d love to get your hands on — maybe a snazzy pair of walking shoes or a sleek and functional backpack — you can use Lens to find and buy one of your own. Just take a screenshot and select it in Lens, and you’ll get a list of shoppable matches with links to where you can make a purchase. It works the same way if you see something you want to buy while you’re out and about: Point your camera with Lens, snap a pic and you’ll see options from online merchants.

6. Or find different versions of those eye-catching products

About those snazzy walking shoes — maybe they’d be even better in blue. Multisearch in Lens lets you combine both words and images to find exactly what you’re looking for. In this case, snap a picture of the shoes in Lens and then swipe up to add words to your search (like “blue”). Lens will then show you similar shoes in the color of your choice. This also works with patterns — say you see a fun shirt and would love that pattern for your curtains. Take a pic of the shirt in Lens, swipe up and type “curtains” — and there you have it.

7. Discover delicious food near you

Multisearch also works for finding things nearby, like food from local restaurants. Let’s say you stumbled across an image of a dish you’re dying to try, but you’re not sure what it’s called. Just pull up that image in Lens and add the words “ near me ” to your search; Lens will show you nearby restaurants that serve what you’re looking for.

8. Unleash your creativity with Lens + Bard

As we shared at I/O, the power of Lens is also coming soon to Bard , our experiment that lets you collaborate with generative AI. Whether you want to learn more about something you saw, or explore completely new ideas in a more visual way, you can partner with Bard to start that journey. In the coming weeks, you’ll be able to include images in your Bard prompts and Lens will work behind the scenes to help Bard make sense of what’s being shown.

For example, you can show Bard a photo of a new pair of shoes you’ve been eyeing for your vacation, and ask what they’re called. You can even ask Bard for ideas on how to style those gladiator sandals for a complete summer look, and then continue browsing on Search — using the “Google it” button — to explore a wide range of products from retailers across the web.

Related stories

Celebrate spring with floral illustrations on Google Books

How Fitbit can help you measure stress — and use it to your advantage

Find more sustainable ways to get around, with new Maps and Search updates

Enhance visual storytelling in Demand Gen with generative AI

101 real-world gen AI use cases featured at Google Cloud Next ’24

6 new conversations with global leaders on AI and society

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What Is Google Home and How Does It Work?

Learn all about the staple of Google's smart speaker lineup

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• The Google Home Product Lineup Explained
• Google Home Capabilities

Can Google Home Eavesdrop on Your Conversations?

Guest mode and privacy issues.

• Google Home Entertainment Options
• Google Home Productivity Features
• How Google Home Interacts With Your Smart Home

Google Home is a line of smart speakers that includes the original Google Home, Google Home Hub, Google Home Mini , and others. The line is marketed under the Google Nest brand, which includes a variety of smart home devices like the Nest thermostat . With Google Assistant built right in, Google Home is able to answer informational queries, provide weather reports, manage your calendar, and more.

What Is Google Home?

Google Home refers to two things: the original Google Home smart speaker, and the entire product line, including Google Home Hub, Google Mini, and other products.

The original Google Home device is essentially a single two-inch speaker and some computer hardware packaged up in a housing that looks something like an air freshener. It has Wi-Fi connectivity built right in, which it uses to access your Wi-Fi network and connect to the internet.

Google Home was originally designed to compete with the Amazon Echo . It has similar capabilities and functionality, but it's built around Google Assistant instead of Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant .

In addition to the original Google Home smart speaker, Google has created a variety of other devices in the Google Home line that provide access to Google Assistant:

• Google Home Mini : A miniaturized version of the Google Home smart speaker. It takes up less space, and the speaker quality isn't as good, but it still provides full access to Google Assistant.
• Nest Mini : An improved version of the Google Home Mini. It has a similar form factor, but the sound quality is better.
• Google Home Max : A larger version of Google Home that has more speakers and provides superior sound quality.
• Nest Hub : Essentially a Google Home with a built-in screen. It can do everything Google Home does, but it can also display photos, do video calling, and more.
• Nest Hub Max : A version of Nest Hub with a bigger screen, better sound, and some more perks.

Aside from Google Home devices, you can also access Google Assistant on your phone. It comes built right into modern Android phones, but you can also download Google Assistant for your iPhone .

What Can Google Home Do?

Without being connected to the internet, Google Home can't do a whole lot. You can use it as a wireless speaker for local media, but most of the useful functionality relies on an internet connection. While Google Home is a decent enough speaker, you can find better wireless speakers for less money if you don't plan on connecting to the internet.

When you do connect Google Home to the internet, you unlock the functionality of Google Assistant. The way it works is you say "OK Google" or "Hey Google," and then talk to the device almost like you would talk to a person.

This natural language interface allows you to ask questions like, "What is the weather today?" or make requests like, "Play my morning playlist on Spotify." Google Home will respond appropriately.

If you aren't completely on board with talking to a speaker, Google Home has an app for both Android and iOS that allows you to configure and control your Google Home speakers remotely.

Some of the things you can do with a Google Home device include:

• Listen to music and podcasts on a variety of streaming services.
• Hear the latest news briefs for your area.
• Play TV shows and other video content on your TV if you have a Chromecast.
• Control your smart home devices, like lights, thermostats, and more.
• Manage your Google calendar.
• Get your local weather report.
• Create shopping lists.
• Find and make recipes with step-by-step instructions.
• Use Google Assistant to complete your online food order, automatically filling out your contact and payment details.
• Set up routines, including sunrise/sunset routines like turning on your lights in the evening automatically.
• Get the inside scoop on the Academy Awards by saying things like, "Hey Google, who's nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars?"

This list is far from exhaustive, and you can even add to the basic functionality of Google Home skills and commands .

Since Google Home is always listening for its wake word, you may wonder if Google home is able to spy on you, and that's a valid concern. (By the way, you can turn off OK Google .)

Investigations have found that Google Home does record and transmit every time it hears its wake word , and it can activate accidentally if it hears something similar to its wake word. Any audio that is overheard during such an event is stored on Google's servers, and about two percent of that audio is listened to and transcribed by human contractors. (Google says users have to opt in to have Google Assistant interactions recorded to their account.)

While Google Home is likely to record things it shouldn't, it isn't likely that anyone will ever hear those recordings. If you have privacy concerns, disable voice recording on your Google Home, although doing so does disable some features. In the next section, we'll address more ways to safeguard your privacy.

By default, Google doesn't save users' audio recordings . If you're interested in learning about how the search giant guards your privacy, ask Google Assistant on any enabled device, "How do you keep my information private?" If you're still concerned, tell Google Assistant, "Hey Google, delete everything I said to you this week."

In another effort to boost Goole Home's privacy and security features, Google launched a function called Guest Mode for Google Assistant, and it's available on any Google Assistant-enabled smart speakers and displays. When you're in this mode, Google won't save any Google Assistant communications to your account and won't include your personal information, such as contacts or calendar items, when it's answering queries or issuing search results.

Guest Mode is a great tool if you have friends in your home and you don't want their Google Assistant interactions on your account. Or, turn it on if you're planning a surprise for a family member and don't want to leave any evidence behind.

To learn more, say:

• Hey Google, tell me about Guest Mode.

To turn it on, you or any visitor in your home would say:

• Hey Google, turn on Guest Mode.

When you turn on Guest Mode, you'll hear a unique chime and see an icon on the display. To turn off Guest Mode, anyone can say:

• Hey Google, turn off Guest Mode.

If you're ever unsure which mode you're in, say:

• Is Guest Mode on?

How to Use Google Home for Entertainment

As a smart speaker, Google Home excels when used for entertainment purposes. Use several Google Home devices together to create a stereo entertainment system, have one in each room of your house to listen to music wherever you go, or arrange these devices in any other way you like.

Some of the streaming services Google Home works with include:

• YouTube Music
• iHeartRadio

To use any of these services, all you have to do is say "OK, Google. Play (song name) on YouTube Music," or "OK, Google. Play (radio station name) on Pandora."

If you have a Chromecast , use natural language commands to ask your Google Home to play video content on your TV from any supported streaming service.

Google Home also supports a variety of trivia and game activities .

How to Use Google Home for Productivity

Beyond its entertainment uses, use Google Home to obtain a vast amount of information. Since Google Assistant is plugged into the Google search engine, it's capable of answering a dizzying variety of questions with varying levels of success.

Ask Google Home for information about the weather, local sports teams, news, traffic, and more. It can also manage your Google Calendar and interface with Google Keep to help you schedule appointments and events, create shopping lists, and perform other useful tasks.

Since Google Home leverages Google Assistant, take advantage of all these useful features on your phone when you leave the house. Make an appointment at home, and your plans change later? Ask Google Assistant on your phone to make the change, just as you would with your Google Home.

Google Home in Your Smart Home

If you're sold on the whole concept of talking to your virtual assistant, control your entire smart home through Google Home with voice commands. With Google Home as the centerpiece of your smart home, use voice commands to turn your lights on and off, control your television and other smart electronics, adjust your thermostat, and more.

Some smart home devices work natively with Google Home, and others require some kind of hub to act as a bridge. Check out our guide to what works with Google Home for more information.

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What we know about online learning and the homework gap amid the pandemic

America’s K-12 students are returning to classrooms this fall after 18 months of virtual learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some students who lacked the home internet connectivity needed to finish schoolwork during this time – an experience often called the “ homework gap ” – may continue to feel the effects this school year.

Here is what Pew Research Center surveys found about the students most likely to be affected by the homework gap and their experiences learning from home.

Children across the United States are returning to physical classrooms this fall after 18 months at home, raising questions about how digital disparities at home will affect the existing homework gap between certain groups of students.

Methodology for each Pew Research Center poll can be found at the links in the post.

With the exception of the 2018 survey, everyone who took part in the surveys is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the  ATP’s methodology .

The 2018 data on U.S. teens comes from a Center poll of 743 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 conducted March 7 to April 10, 2018, using the NORC AmeriSpeak panel. AmeriSpeak is a nationally representative, probability-based panel of the U.S. household population. Randomly selected U.S. households are sampled with a known, nonzero probability of selection from the NORC National Frame, and then contacted by U.S. mail, telephone or face-to-face interviewers. Read more details about the NORC AmeriSpeak panel methodology .

Around nine-in-ten U.S. parents with K-12 children at home (93%) said their children have had some online instruction since the coronavirus outbreak began in February 2020, and 30% of these parents said it has been very or somewhat difficult for them to help their children use technology or the internet as an educational tool, according to an April 2021 Pew Research Center survey .

Gaps existed for certain groups of parents. For example, parents with lower and middle incomes (36% and 29%, respectively) were more likely to report that this was very or somewhat difficult, compared with just 18% of parents with higher incomes.

This challenge was also prevalent for parents in certain types of communities – 39% of rural residents and 33% of urban residents said they have had at least some difficulty, compared with 23% of suburban residents.

Around a third of parents with children whose schools were closed during the pandemic (34%) said that their child encountered at least one technology-related obstacle to completing their schoolwork during that time. In the April 2021 survey, the Center asked parents of K-12 children whose schools had closed at some point about whether their children had faced three technology-related obstacles. Around a quarter of parents (27%) said their children had to do schoolwork on a cellphone, 16% said their child was unable to complete schoolwork because of a lack of computer access at home, and another 14% said their child had to use public Wi-Fi to finish schoolwork because there was no reliable connection at home.

Parents with lower incomes whose children’s schools closed amid COVID-19 were more likely to say their children faced technology-related obstacles while learning from home. Nearly half of these parents (46%) said their child faced at least one of the three obstacles to learning asked about in the survey, compared with 31% of parents with midrange incomes and 18% of parents with higher incomes.

Of the three obstacles asked about in the survey, parents with lower incomes were most likely to say that their child had to do their schoolwork on a cellphone (37%). About a quarter said their child was unable to complete their schoolwork because they did not have computer access at home (25%), or that they had to use public Wi-Fi because they did not have a reliable internet connection at home (23%).

A Center survey conducted in April 2020 found that, at that time, 59% of parents with lower incomes who had children engaged in remote learning said their children would likely face at least one of the obstacles asked about in the 2021 survey.

A year into the outbreak, an increasing share of U.S. adults said that K-12 schools have a responsibility to provide all students with laptop or tablet computers in order to help them complete their schoolwork at home during the pandemic. About half of all adults (49%) said this in the spring 2021 survey, up 12 percentage points from a year earlier. An additional 37% of adults said that schools should provide these resources only to students whose families cannot afford them, and just 13% said schools do not have this responsibility.

While larger shares of both political parties in April 2021 said K-12 schools have a responsibility to provide computers to all students in order to help them complete schoolwork at home, there was a 15-point change among Republicans: 43% of Republicans and those who lean to the Republican Party said K-12 schools have this responsibility, compared with 28% last April. In the 2021 survey, 22% of Republicans also said schools do not have this responsibility at all, compared with 6% of Democrats and Democratic leaners.

Even before the pandemic, Black teens and those living in lower-income households were more likely than other groups to report trouble completing homework assignments because they did not have reliable technology access. Nearly one-in-five teens ages 13 to 17 (17%) said they are often or sometimes unable to complete homework assignments because they do not have reliable access to a computer or internet connection, a 2018 Center survey of U.S. teens found.

One-quarter of Black teens said they were at least sometimes unable to complete their homework due to a lack of digital access, including 13% who said this happened to them often. Just 4% of White teens and 6% of Hispanic teens said this often happened to them. (There were not enough Asian respondents in the survey sample to be broken out into a separate analysis.)

A wide gap also existed by income level: 24% of teens whose annual family income was less than $30,000 said the lack of a dependable computer or internet connection often or sometimes prohibited them from finishing their homework, but that share dropped to 9% among teens who lived in households earning $75,000 or more a year.

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AT&T Data Breach: What AT&T Is Doing for the 73 Million Accounts Breached

A T&T is now notifying 73 million current and former customers who had their personal information stolen. The company has let affected people know they can sign up for one free year of credit monitoring and identity theft detection through Experian's IdentityWorks.

The AT&T account breach appears to be from 2019 or earlier, the company said in a statement , and includes Social Security numbers and account information for approximately 65.4 million former customers and 7.6 million current account holders.

The data leak first came to light in 2021, when  hackers claimed they'd stolen customer data from AT&T  and would put the information up for sale. Fast-forward to March 2024, the stolen personal information was discovered on the dark web, according to Troy Hunt , creator of Have I Been Pwned . 

In response, AT&T said it has contacted the 7.6 million current customers and has reset their passcodes. Whether you're in the smaller set of current customers or the larger group of former account holders who think their data has been stolen in the breach, you can take steps to potentially lessen the damage of the breach. Read on for what you can do. AT&T didn't immediately respond to CNET's request for comment. 

For more, here are our picks for the best identity theft protection and monitoring services  and how Consumer Report's permission slip can help you take control of your online data . 

What to know about the AT&T data leak

AT&T on March 30 said that the personal information of 73 million current and former customers was leaked in mid-March to the dark web. The company said the stolen information appears to be from 2019 or earlier, and it does not know if the information came from AT&T or one of its vendors. 

What personal information was stolen in the AT&T breach?

According to AT&T , which customer and account data was stolen may vary by account, but thieves had access to customers' full name, email address, mailing address, phone number, Social Security number, date of birth, AT&T account number and passcode. AT&T said the information doesn't appear to contain personal financial information or call history. 

What is AT&T doing for the 73 million customers whose data was stolen?

In addition to resetting passcodes, AT&T said it is providing the 73 million current and former customers whose accounts were breached identity-theft and credit-monitoring services through  Experian's IdentityWorks for one year for free.

AT&T said customers need to sign up for identity theft protection service by Aug. 30, 2024.

What is an AT&T passcode?

A customer's passcode is essentially a numerical PIN and is usually four digits. A passcode is different from a password and is required to complete an AT&T installation, perform personal account functions by phone or contact technical support by phone, AT&T said.

How to reset your AT&T passcode

AT&T said it has already reset the passcodes for those active accounts where data was stolen but recommends if you haven't changed your passcode in the past year, you should change yours as a precaution. Here's how to change your AT&T passcode.

• Head to your  myAT&T Profile . Sign in, if asked. (If you have extra security enabled and can't sign in, AT&T says to choose  Get a new passcode )
• Scroll to  My linked accounts
• Select  Edit  for the passcode you want to update
• Follow the prompts to finish up

Where can you check if you are part of the AT&T breach

AT&T said it will email or mail a letter to the 7.6 million current customers whose data was stolen, explaining the incident, what information was compromised and what it is doing in response. The company said it has reset passcodes for affected current customers. The company said it is also communicating with the 65.4 million former account holders whose data was stolen.

You don't have to wait for AT&T to contact you. Using Have I Been Pwned , you can check whether your data has been leaked. If you store your password information in a Google account, the company's  Password Checkup tool can alert you if your account information has been exposed. The premium version of our favorite password manager , Bitwarden, can check for stolen passwords on the web. 

Changing your passcode and password, if AT&T hasn't contacted you, can help secure your account.

How to monitor your credit report for fraud

If you think your personal information was part of the AT&T breach, you can watch your credit reports for signs of potential fraud. 

Monitor your credit reports. You get one free credit report a year from the three major credit bureaus: Equifax , Experian and TransUnion . On your report, look for unusual or unfamiliar activity, such as the appearance of new accounts you didn't open. Watch your credit card accounts and bank statements for unexpected charges and payments.

Sign up for a credit monitoring service. Pick a credit monitoring service that constantly monitors your credit report on major credit bureaus and alerts you when it detects unusual activity. To help with the monitoring, you can set fraud alerts that notify you if someone is trying to use your identity to create credit. A credit-reporting service like LifeLock can start at $7.50 a month -- or you could use a free service like the one from Credit Karma . 

What to do if you suspect you're a victim of fraud or identity theft

As soon as you suspect your personal information has been stolen, take action to stop unauthorized charges and start to recover your identity.

Place a fraud alert. If you suspect fraud, place a fraud alert with each of the credit reporting companies: Equifax , Experian and TransUnion . The alert notifies creditors that you have been a victim of fraud and lets them know to verify new credit requests in your name. You can place an initial fraud alert, which stays on your credit report for 90 days, or an extended fraud alert, which stays on your credit report for seven years. Placing a fraud alert won't affect your credit score. 

Contact fraud departments. For each business and credit card company where you think an account was opened or charged without your knowledge, contact its fraud department. While you're not responsible for fraudulent charges to an account, you need to report the suspicious activity promptly.

Freeze your credit. If you want to stop anyone from opening credit and requesting loans and services in your name without your permission, you can freeze your credit. You will need to request a freeze with each of the three credit reporting companies, which again are  Equifax , Experian and TransUnion . To apply for new credit, you need to unfreeze your credit through each of the credit reporting companies. You can either request a temporary lift of the freeze or unfreeze it permanently.

Create a recovery plan.  The Federal Trade Commission has a valuable tool that helps you  report identity theft and recover your identity  through a personal recovery plan and  Identity Theft Report , which you can use to dispute charges.

Document everything. Keep copies of all documents and expenses and records of your conversations about the theft.

For more, here are our favorite password managers and the best VPN services . 

Google Workspace users will soon get voice prompting in Gmail and tabs in Docs

Google continues to bring more AI-driven features to its Workspace productivity applications.

At its Cloud Next conference in Las Vegas, the company on Tuesday announced that Google Workspace subscribers will soon be able to use voice prompts to kick off the AI-based “Help me write” feature in Gmail while on the go, for example. In addition, Google is also launching a new feature in Gmail for Workspace that can instantly turn rough email drafts into a more polished email.

Image Credits: Google

These features will come to paying subscribers first. When asked about this in a press conference ahead of Tuesday’s announcements, Google’s Aparna Pappu noted that the company has “a long history of doing really useful, high-utility features with AI for all our users — including smart reply and smart compose. As we figure out how these work and get feedback from our users, we’ll consider expanding it to all our users.”

Workspace, which according to Google has about 3 billion users and over 10 million paying customers, was one of the first Google services to lean into the AI boom.

In addition to these new AI features, Google is adding a few other capabilities to the Workspace suite. These include notifications for Sheets, where the service will send out a customizable alert when a certain field changes, for example. In addition, Sheets will now feature a new set of templates to make getting started with a new spreadsheet easier.

And Docs, Google’s browser-based MS Word competitor, is getting support for tabs so “ you can organize information in a single document instead of linking to multiple documents or searching through Drive to find what you’re looking for.” That’s a nifty feature and could be quite useful for workflows where you’d otherwise copy and paste a bunch of documents into one long one.  

Docs is also getting full-bleed cover images, and for those really large companies that use Workspace, Chat can now handle up to 500,000 members. Thanks to Google’s partnership with Mio , messaging interoperability with Slack and Teams is now an option, too.

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This new Google Maps feature is game changer for EV drivers

Electric vehicle drivers are getting a little extra help on the road from Google Maps.

Google Maps and Search is rolling out new features tailored just for electric vehicles, including specific information on the location of EV chargers and hotels with on-site chargers. Maps will also help drivers plan charging stops on their travels in real time.

In 2023, 1.6 million electric vehicles were sold in the U.S., up 60% from 2022. However, one of the common concerns about owning an electric vehicle is that people don't know where to charge them.

One of the features now available on mobile is artificial intelligence-powered summaries detailing a charger's exact location since it can be difficult for drivers to locate where a charger is in a multilevel parking lot. Google created the summaries based on millions of reviews posted in Google Maps by fellow users, including what type of plug they used and charging time. In Maps, drivers get detailed summaries leading them right to the charger.

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While on-the-go, Google Maps' in-car map will also display nearby chargers, including real-time port availability and charging speed. While giving directions, Google Maps will also suggest the best charging locations on one- and multistop trips. The suggested stops will be based on the car's battery level. Cars with built-in Google will be the first to get these two features in the coming months, the company said.

To help drivers with their overnight travel plans, Google Search's travel page will also show hotels with on-site EV charging.

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .