Google Assistant's ambient mode is coming to OnePlus phones

If you own a OnePlus phone, you may soon be able to control your smart lights or control music playback through an interface that appears when you plug it in. That's because Android's Google Assistant-powered ambient mode has started rolling out to the brand's devices, particularly all OnePlus 3 and newer models. Ambient mode, which takes over the screen while the phone is charging, makes it easy to accomplish several tasks without having to unlock your phone and fire up apps.

In addition to showing controls for smart devices and music playback, it also lets you set the alarm, as we as well as see your schedule and the weather. The ambient mode screen can also display a slideshow from Google Photos, essentially turning your phone into a digital photo frame.

A OnePlus staff member has announced the feature's launch on the company's forum, telling users to plug their devices in, click the notification that pops up and follow the guidance to set it up. You can also go to Google App Settings > Assistant > Devices (Phone) to enable it. Take note that it may take a week for all OnePlus users to get access to the feature, so just keep checking if it's not enabled for you yet.