Google Glass’ ‘OK Glass’ Phrase Origins Explained

If you’ve been following the saga of Google Glass, you should by now the phrase to activate the wearable computer is simply “OK Glass.” But according to a report, that wasn’t the only phrase considered to be used in order to call the attention of Google Glass.

Google Glass marketing manager Amanda Rosenberg has been given permission by the Google gods to share the story behind how the device’s default attention-grabbing phrase. While Rosenberg was having dinner with Glass product manager Mat Balez, the topic of Glass’ phrase that would trigger it to become active came into the conversation as the team was stuck on what it should be. A number of phrases had been considered, which Rosenberg shared in a Google+ post some of the most interesting ones.

• Listen up Glass
• Hear me now
• Let me use Glass to
• Go Go Glass
• Clap on
• Device, please
• 3, 2, 1…
• Glassicus
• Glass alive
• Pew pew pew

Rosenberg was the one who came up with the phrase OK Glass and explained why it would be ideal in an email to Balez. She said “OK” is “the most frequently used word on the planet.” So she came up with “Ok, Android,” “Ok, Google,” and “Ok, Glass.” We don’t know about you, but we definitely would have loved to have been able to say “pew pew pew” into your Google Glass in order to call its attention.

Daniel Perez
Categories: Gadgets
Tags: Google, Google Glass