Google Rumored to Launch Standalone 'Google Assistant' App on iOS With Chat and Voice Controls

Monday May 15, 2017 8:09 AM PDT by Mitchel Broussard
Google is planning to launch its smart AI helper Google Assistant on iOS sometime "soon" as its own standalone app, according to sources speaking to Android Police. The rumor is swirling ahead of Google's annual I/O Conference, which will run this week from May 17 to May 19 in California.

According to the sources, the specifics of Google's plans for Assistant on iOS remain unclear as of now, but the app is predicted to combine the chatbot-like features of Google Allo with voice controls found on Android smartphones.


More solid details about the Google Assistant iOS app point towards a United States-only launch, and an official announcement coming "in fairly short order."
According to a trusted source, Google plans to announce that the Google Assistant will be launching on iOS soon as a standalone app. The announcement could come as soon as Google's I/O conference this week, but it's unclear exactly what Google's plans are at this time. The app would likely feature a blend of the "chat" style functionality in the Google Allo version of Assistant and the voice-controlled version found on Android, but again, details are scant.

We do know that the Assistant for iOS will only be available in the US at launch, and that Google plans to make the announcement in fairly short order. I/O would be a pretty ideal venue for such a launch, as Assistant's SDK was just made available to developers late last month. Bringing the Assistant to the world's second-largest mobile OS would likely encourage more developers to integrate with the app's functionality.
Microsoft has launched its own smart assistant Cortana on iOS in the past, allowing more users to gain access to the assistant than if it remained exclusive to the company's own devices. If Google Assistant does come to iPhone and iPad, it'll mark a continued expansion of the AI, after Google first launched Assistant on Pixel devices, Google Home, the Google Allo app, and then expanded to Android smartphones.

Tags: Google, Google Assistant
19 comments


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yanksfan114
24 months ago
I don't really see the appeal for other companies to make an app with their AI assistant. Part of the reason voice assistants are supposed to help is by being convenient. Siri can be summoned with just a button or your voice. If I have to unlock my phone and go to the app then it loses all the appeal no matter how much more advanced it is. At that point I might as well just go to safari and google whatever I need to know or look up.
Rating: 8 Votes
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avanpelt
24 months ago

I don't really see the appeal for other companies to make an app with their AI assistant. Part of the reason voice assistants are supposed to help is by being convenient. Siri can be summoned with just a button or your voice. If I have to unlock my phone and go to the app then it loses all the appeal no matter how much more advanced it is. At that point I might as well just go to safari and google whatever I need to know or look up.


Yep, Apple has a lock on convenience but they're make us trade useful functionality in exchange for convenience. Case and point: Siri, Apple Maps, and just about anything else that Apple has a default app for that cannot be changed by the user.

I really hope iOS 11 is the OS that finally gives users choice when it comes to setting default applications for certain things. However, I doubt that Apple will allow third-party voice assistants to be used in place of Siri.
Rating: 4 Votes
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Tapiture
24 months ago
Cool. Google Assistant is better than Siri I think.
Rating: 4 Votes
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Relentless Power
24 months ago

Cool. Google Assistant is better than Siri I think.


Google assistant has its advantages. I do like how user-friendly it is and most times it's fairly accurate. In comparison to Siri, we all know how the results vary based on that. I would say Siri is more inconsistent then Google assistant is.
Rating: 2 Votes
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avanpelt
24 months ago
Unless Apple relaxes the restrictions on third-party voice-activated assistants in iOS 11, I don't see this being useful. I've had the "Google Search" app on my phone for a year or more. I vastly prefer Google's assistant over Siri.

However, I just deleted the app within the last week. Despite its novelty for the first few weeks I had it installed, I find that I seldom used it because it was not easily accessible (i.e. voice activated without being in the app or activated by holding down the home button). Siri is too stupid to answer my questions most of the time so I don't even try to use her for the most part. More often than not, I simply do a Google search the "old fashioned" way -- typing it in.
Rating: 2 Votes
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nabeel24
24 months ago
If only "Ok Google" worked like the "Hey Siri" functionality
Rating: 2 Votes
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Zirel
24 months ago
Awesome!

Now maybe the fanboys can stop talking about it on Android like it's the second coming of Christ or that it cures cancer or something...
Rating: 1 Votes
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rudychidiac
24 months ago
I would use this over Siri cause Google understands my accent better.
Rating: 1 Votes
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edgonzalez32
24 months ago
Would be amazing to see the Jailbreak community take this and integrate it into the OS. But I can't even begin to imagine what that would entail. I honestly want to give Android a try. And their AI is big reason why.
Rating: 1 Votes
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