Google Assistant is losing John Legend's voice on March 23

What you need to know

• Google Assistant is removing the option for John Legend's voice on March 23, 2020.
• Google first announced the voice cameo back at Google I/O 2018 and launched it in April of 2019.
• Fans of celebrity voices on Assistant will still be able to enable Issa Rae's voice.

If you're a fan of the docile tones of John Legend, you better enjoy his voice on Google Assistant while you can. According to a tweet from Google, the Assistant celebrity voice will come to an end on March 23, nearly a year after it was first launched.

Google didn't provide a reason why the voice is being pulled, and if you've never tried it before, like myself, now's your last chance. All you have to do is say, "Hey Google, talk like a Legend." Afterward, Assistant will use a simulation of John Legend's voice to respond to a limited amount of commands. For example, you can hear John give you the weather and facts about his music, or find out more about his wife, Chrissy Teigen.

There are also some Easter eggs that can be triggered by saying, "Hey Google, serenade me" or "Hey Google, are we just ordinary people?" Some other custom questions include "Are you John Legend?" and "What's your favorite type of music?"

John Legend's voice cameo on Assistant was first announced back at Google I/O 2018 and made its debut in April of 2019. Google used new AI technology known as WaveNet and recorded samples of Legend's voice to create a voice pattern used.

If you're still itching for a celebrity voice for Google Assistant after March 23, you can always enable Issa Rae's voice, star of HBO's TV series Insecure. Simply give the command, "Hey Google, talk like Issa." Similar to Legend, Issa's voice will be used for specific commands and Easter eggs, but will default to Assistant's normal voice for all other queries.

How to change the Google Assistant voice on your phone and Google Home