If you have an Android phone, you should know about two new updates to Android that Google announced this past week. The updates add new features to Android phones to make them more useful. Google Assistant is Google's digital assistant that carries out voice commands, similar to Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa. Since Google Assistant was launched in October, the service has only been available on Google's Pixel and Pixel XL phones, Google Home smart speaker, Android Wear smart watches, and Allo messaging app. Earlier this week Google announced that many more phones will be getting Google Assistant. The update including Google Assistant will be available to phones running Android 6.0, or Marshmallow, and 7.0, or Nougat, as well as phones made by companies HTC, Huawei, LG, Samsung, and Sony. Google said the update would arrive this week for English speakers in the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. German speakers in Germany should also get the update this week. Additional languages will be added during 2017. To receive the update, make sure you have an eligible phone and have downloaded the Google Play Services app onto the phone. After the update you can press the home button or say, "OK Google" to begin using Google Assistant. Then start asking questions such as, "What is the weather forecast?" and Google Assistant will answer based on where you are. In its announcement, Google said, "Our goal is to make the Assistant available anywhere you need it." In January, the company announced plans to bring Google Assistant to televisions and cars later this year. Google also announced a major update to one of its messaging apps. With this update, the app changes its name from Android Messenger to Android Messages. Android Messages will become the default text messaging app for Android phones.