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Hell froze over: Google Assistant is on the iPhone

Google brings Assistant over to iOS with all its powerful features. Sorry, Siri.

Patrick Holland Managing Editor
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
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  • Patrick's play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
Patrick Holland
2 min read

It's official, you can now use Google Assistant on the iPhone . And it looks and works pretty much just as it does on Android.

At Google I/O , the company's annual developer conference, it was announced that there is now an iOS version of Google Assistant available for the iPhone.

Famously the iPhone comes with Siri , Apple 's own digital assistant which may make you wonder why you'd want Google Assistant. Though Siri is built into iOS 10, Google Assistant can handle more complicated tasks and questions than Siri and do so in a very conversational style. The Google Assistant app even comes with a nifty iOS widget for quick access.

Here are some things Assistant can do on your iPhone:

    • Make quick phone calls
    • Type or ask Google Assistant queries
    • Use Google Maps instead of Apple Maps
    • Send emails, SMS and iMessages
    • Set reminders and calendar events
    • Play music
    • Ask it pretty much anything you'd search on Google
    • Interact with it like you're having a conversation: "Will I need an umbrella today?"

    And here are some things Assistant can't do on the iPhone:

      • Can't be accessed from the home button
      • Saying, "OK, Google" won't work
      • Assistant can't set alarms

      All the cool stuff Google announced at I/O

      See all photos


      This is a win-win for iPhone users. You can now choose between using Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa (through the Amazon app). The iOS Google Assistant app is available now for download from the App Store. Just a heads up, the app takes up 256 megabytes and works only on iOS 9.1 and higher.

      Check out the rest of CNET's Google I/O coverage.

      CNET Magazine: Check out a sampling of the stories you'll find in CNET's newsstand edition.