Google Assistant Now Works On iPhone

While Apple’s iPhone apps don’t cross over onto Google’s Android devices, an array of Google apps have long been available for iOS, and today Google confirmed that its virtual Assistant service will soon be sharing space on your iPhone next to Siri.

As part of the Google I/O conference that launched this morning, the tech giant announced a number of updates to Assistant: scheduling appointments, a bunch of new third-party partners, hands-free calling, and more Chromecast integration… and oh yeah, the ability to use Assistant on iOS products.

Google says that Assistant should work on iPhones once users have updated their device’s Google app to version 9.1 or later. It’s not yet known if the iOS version of Assistant is as fully functional as the Android one. As Ars Technica’s Ron Amadeo notes, it’s likely that iPhone users will need to have the Google app open to use Assistant, as opposed to the always-on nature of Siri (on iOS) or Assistant on Android devices.

The addition of iPhone makes good sense for Google’s intention of expanding the utility of its Home hub. Last month, the Home was updated to allow for multiple users; adding iPhone to the mix means you can have a household or small office where everyone can access the hub and its features without the need of an iOS device.

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