Google expands Broadcast and adds more family-friendly Assistant features

If you're a parent or often find yourself needing to wrangle a group of people in your household, Google's latest Assistant update might be helpful. It's expanding the Broadcast tool that was previously limited to its smart speakers and displays to iPhones and Android devices. The company also announced a set of new features for the Assistant, including stories, games, songs and a Mother's Day surprise. Broadcast lets you send a message to all compatible devices at once, and you can create groups to specify who you want to reach. Google allows you to set up a Family group for up to six of your relatives, and the expansion being announced today will let you reach these members on their phones too. Just as they already could from a Nest speaker or display, your contact can now reply to your message from their Android or iPhone.