TECHNOLOGY
Google Assistant is now on the iPhone to take on Apple’s Siri.
At the Google I/O conference, Google announced that the Google Assistant is coming to iOS. The app will be available for free in the US at the time of launch. It will be available in other countries soon. The app is about 256MB in size and works on iOS 9.1 and higher.
Starting today, we're bringing the #GoogleAssistant to iPhones. Whether at home or on the go, your Assistant is here to help. #io17 pic.twitter.com/a6T20HwnU9
— Google (@Google) May 17, 2017
However, In terms of functionality, it will not be able to perform all the same things as it would on Android. This is because of the API restrictions. That’s why, the Assistant app on iOS will be able to perform basic stuff such as send iMessages and play a song on the app, make quick phone calls, ask queries to Google Assistant, use Google Maps instead of Apple Maps and set reminders and calendar events. The standalone app won’t be able to perform actions such as “OK, Google” or set alarms and it cannot be accessed from the Home button.
Google initially launched the Google Assistant on the Pixel phone and was later made available for other Android smartphones.