Google Tests Voice Match as a Security System for Online Purchases

Like more or like less, the use of smart speakers continues to grow and therefore your options. This implies that it is also necessary to improve aspects such as security, especially if you are going to carry out actions that involve money transactions. So Google is testing Voice Match as a verification method for purchases.

Voice Match will secure your purchases

Google Tests Voice Match as a Security System

Using a personalized voice profile is nothing new, all current assistants offer it and allow you to recognize the user who is speaking to them. This is useful for its activation and for the improvement of being able to offer a more personalized experience, with results adapted to the history of each user and thus avoiding mixing with those of other people who, within the same household, also use that same smart speaker.

However, the main use for these voice profiles will be related to security when carrying out actions such as buying online. So Google is testing the use of Voice Match as a security method. So, when you use one of your smart speakers or another screen or device that accesses Google Assistant in the future, you can buy more safely, or not.

Because right now, hence only a test for a limited group of users, they themselves warn that other users with a similar tone of voice may also authorize purchases. Hence, those purchases are also reduced to Google Play and some orders to restaurants.

Otherwise, when will this feature reach other users? An exact launch date for such a feature is not known to any Assistant users. If you access the security options right now, you can see that they are the same that existed until now. It may be activated with the presentation of Android 11, but that is already speculating.

The voice as a new footprint

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Ever since smart assistants were launched it was clear that voice could become the new fingerprint . Seeing their progress and how they are integrated into homes, especially through the use of loudspeakers for the whole topic of home automation control or other uses, such as helping to study and even work, it is logical to think that it will end up happening.

Still, there are great challenges ahead. Because achieving such a precise and unique identification is not easy. Assistant has improved in its latest versions, but the percentage of cases in which other users with a similar voice could confuse the assistant is still high. For this reason, other proposals such as Amazon resort and recommend activating the use of a PIN if you are going to make purchases from the speaker.

We will see what happens in the coming months, if that precision increases or if some type of solution is achieved that effectively combines the fluency offered by just using your voice with the security of other methods such as PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition.