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Google Assistant for iPhone: 5 Things to Know

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Google Assistant is the Google Siri competitor that is better than Siri in a number of ways. You can now install Google Assistant for iPhone and get some of the Assistant features on your iPhone, adding to the voice control options on your iPhone.

Here’s a rundown of what you need to know about Google Assistant for iPhone including what it is, what it can do and why it wants your permission to access some iPhone features.

What is Google Assistant for iPhone?

This is Google Assistant for iPhone.

This is Google Assistant for iPhone.

Google Assistant for iPhone is a voice assistant, like Siri, that you can use to control your phone, smart home, listen to music, open apps and more.

You can use your voice, or you can type a message when you cannot tap on the screen. It’s a fairly simple way to control your devices and your iPhone.

Download Google Assistant for iPhone free from the App Store and connect with a Gmail account to get started.

What Can Google Assistant Do?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ9MBYfu_0A

You can use Google Assistant like Siri to do a number of tasks. There are some additional integrations and features that Google Assistant offers over Siri. Here are some of the things you can do with Google Assistant for iPhone.

  • Set a Reminder
  • Set a Reminder based on a Location
  • Play Music from Apple Music or YouTube
  • Check the local weather
  • Check the weather in a specific city
  • Place a phone call
  • Open an app on your iPhone
  • Set a timer
  • Check sports news
  • Check sports facts
  • Play a game
  • Play a trivia game
  • Flip a coin
  • Find out what sound an animal makes
  • Find out when sunrise is
  • Get answers to questions
  • Start directions to a place
  • Hear the latest news
  • Get the definition of a work
  • Check the status of a flight
  • Find out what a flight costs
  • Find places nearby
  • Check nutrition information
  • Find your next meeting
  • Find your next flight
  • Translate words and voices
  • Remind yourself where your car is parked
  • Search Google
  • Use it as a calculator
  • Check stock prices
  • Perform conversions
  • Open an App

There are many other things you can do with Google Assistant and Google is constantly adding features. We expect that you will see more options added on a regular basis.

What Can’t Google Assistant Do?

There are some things Google Assistant can't do.

There are some things Google Assistant can’t do.

Google Assistant is very powerful on Android phones and on Google Home. You can’t do all the same things with Google Assistant for iPhone.

Specifically, you cannot use Google Assistant for iPhone to play Spotify music. This doesn’t work at all, your only options are Apple Music and Youtube. This is likely due to Apple’s edict to not allow voice control of any competing music service.

There is no way to Cast a song or a video to a Chromecast, at least not that we could make work.

Why Does Google Assistant Need Access to So Much?

When you install Google Assistant to for iPhone you will see prompts to connect your Gmail account, allow access to your microphone and to your location.

Google uses your Gmail account to connect with your searches and information in your emails to show you when trips are coming up and other information.

The app uses your iPhone location to know where you are when you ask about the weather, a local restaurant or for a reminder based on a location.

Google Assistant wants access to your microphone so you ask the app to do things and search for you.

How to Use Google Assistant Without Touching Your iPhone

One of the challenges with any Siri alternative is that you cannot use a button on the phone to access it. You can’t hold the home button on your iPhone to use Google Assistant, but you can use a convoluted command to open Google Assistant for iPhone and then search and more.

  1. Say “Hey Siri open Assistant.”
  2. When Assistant opens, you can say “OK Google”, and then your command.

This allows you to use Google Assistant without manually opening the app or touching your phone.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Franks Ross

    05/22/2017 at 10:28 pm

    I have installed Google Assistant for iPhone and using some of the features. They are useful for everyday use. Google Assistant surely makes many of your everyday tasks easier and faster.

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