Google adds spellbinding new phone feature for Harry Potter fans

If you're one of the millions of Harry Potter fans that has wished they could cast spells like JK Rowling's boy wizard then you're in luck - sort of.
Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find ThemEddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

As part of a tie-up between technology giant Google and Potter movie studio Warner Bros you can now cast “magic spells” with your phone.

To celebrate the impending release of the Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Google has added a few new commands to its “Ok Google” voice command.

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Now anyone with an Android device can try their own hand at conjouring, using the ‘Lumos’ spell to activate their device’s flashlight function and ‘Nox’ to extinguish the light again. Intoning “Silencio” will activate your phone’s silent mode.

Sadly there’s no Accio spell to summon your phone from the other side of the room a la Harry’s broomstick.

The spells are one of a number of ways the studio and and tech firm have teamed up to mark the film’s release.

Using Google Street View and the VR-enabled Daydream View fans can explore 1926 New York where the film is set.

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They are able to visit key locations from the film, including the Blind Pig speakeasy, the Magical Congress of the USA, the apartment of key characters Tina and Queenie Goldstein and the Steen National Bank.