Google Assistant just got much better and more convenient on iOS thanks to Siri Shortcuts

Google Assistant just got much better and more convenient on iOS thanks to Siri Shortcuts

Google is doing everything to make Assistant feel less like a second-class citizen on iOS. Siri is so ingrained in Apple’s platform that competing virtual assistants can’t quite match its convenience or the speed of accessing it. Google is taking advantage of every tool at its disposal to get closer.

You can add an Assistant widget to the left of your home screen (or lock screen). With  an update released today, Google Assistant is introducing support for Siri Shortcuts.

So the user can record a phrase like the usual “OK Google” or “Hey Google” . So, in future whenever you say that to Siri, the Assistant app will open immediately to  listen  the command.

If your iPhone is unlocked, you can even access it hands-free . You do that by saying “Hey Siri” and then “OK Google” (if that’s the phrase you pick). Talk about crossing streams. Indeed, it’s an improvement.

You can also set up Siri shortcuts for phrases to frequently use with Assistant. So one can fix a voice command for a single smart home action — or even to trigger your Google Assistant smart home routines inside of Siri. For example, Saying “Goodnight Google” to Siri could open Assistant , it is followed by a routine like turning off all your lights and locking the door.

To get the new shortcuts integration, one needs to update the latest version of Assistant for iOS.