Google Assistant is designed to wait in standby mode until it detects an activation, like when it hears “Hey Google.” The status indicator on your device will let you know when Google Assistant is activated. When in standby mode, it won’t send what you’re saying to Google servers or anyone else. After Google Assistant detects an activation, it exits standby mode and sends your request to Google servers. This can also happen if there is a noise that sounds like “Hey Google” or an unintended manual activation.