[Guide] Add Google Assistant to almost any car with the Anker Roav Bolt!

Google Assistant is a very useful tool on your smartphone that can do a lot of different things, but one of the best situations to have it in is in your car. Google knows that the car is a popular spot for Assistant usage, too, considering they're adding a dedicated driving mode to the AI later this year.

But that's not always super convenient, especially if you don't have a car that's fully capable of taking advantage of Google Assistant. That's where Anker's Roav Bolt comes in, and we'll show you how to get it set up and running to fully integrate Google Assistant into your vehicle.

First up, you're going to need to invest in a Roav Bolt, obviously. Anker sells them for just $49, and they simply plug into your car's cigarette lighter, and then into your AUX port or via Bluetooth. It'll never connect to your phone, giving you a fully hands-free experience.

After you've got everything plugged in, head into your phone's Bluetooth settings and connect to the Roav Bolt.

Simply tap the device, and it'll automatically get paired up. If you're having trouble because you're setting up the device for a second time, or because you're changing phones, you might need to factory reset your Bolt. Simply hold the physical Assistant button on the device for 12 seconds until all four LED lights turn blue, indicating that it's ready to be paired again.

Once it's paired, the Google Assistant app will take over setup.

You'll see the screen where Google asks whether or not you'd like to opt in to sharing device information, and then you'll be prompted to hit next to continue setup. The next few screens are typical Google Assistant device setup screens, but there is a point where you'll have to select whether you're using Bluetooth or AUX for the Bolt.

AUX is going to be preferred for better audio quality and lower latency, since your phone will be connecting to the Bolt via Bluetooth. If you don't have an AUX port in your car, though, you can make do with Bluetooth.

After selecting your option here, you'll be able to test that the Roav Bolt is working. If you have to use Bluetooth, you'll also have to navigate to the Bluetooth settings in your car to get all of that paired up.

Once you are paired, though, you'll have to switch to the correct input channel in your car and listen for a test tone to make sure that everything is working properly.

If you can hear the test tone, hit next. Your Bolt is working and ready to go, and now Google Assistant will show you some of the things it can do, just like if you were setting up a Google Home.

And just like on a Google Home, you're getting a fully featured Google Assistant device here. You can fire off any questions that you'd normally ask your devices, and it'll handle everything since it's paired with your phone for a data connection. That includes general questions, directions, music, and more.

The Anker Roav Bolt utilizes two microphones for far-field voice recognition, and is able to hear your commands even over music. It's also a pretty quick little gadget to use, since it starts up almost immediately when you turn your car on; it pulls power from the cigarette lighter, and it's ready to go as soon as the Bluetooth connection happens, which is typically just a few seconds.

From here, asking your Assistant for directions or to play some music will activate the Bolt, which then asks for the data from your phone. Your phone sends it back over, and the Bolt gets everything going through your car speakers. It's fully integrated with your Google Assistant settings, so that means it can play music through Google Play Music, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, or anything else you have set up. You'll still get turn-by-turn directions, you can send text messages and answer calls, and it'll all work even when your phone is locked. The better microphones allow for some noise cancellation that your phone can't do, too.

As some extra perks, Anker also crammed two high-speed USB charging ports into the device, too, so you can still charge your phone, connect a wireless charger, or more, so you won't have to sacrifice your usual car charger to use the Bolt.

At just $49, this is going to be a pretty nifty upgrade to just about any semi-modern vehicle. It's way cheaper than an Android Auto head unit, too, and it's incredibly simple to set up.

You can also follow these setup steps with an iPhone, so you don't necessarily need an Android device to take advantage of everything here. It's a little more limited with less functionality, but in a pinch, Anker's got you covered.

Buy it now: Anker / Best Buy