Siri rival Google Assistant received a major update today across the Google Home speaker ecosystem with a feature Google revealed at I/O in May, called "Continued Conversation." Now, when you speak to Google Assistant and wake it up with a "Hey Google" or "OK Google" phrase, you don't need to repeat the phrase again for a follow-up request.

For example, you can ask "Hey Google, what's the weather today?", and then follow up with "And what about tomorrow?" or "Can you remind me to bring an umbrella tomorrow morning?" When your thread of requests is finished, Google explains that you can say "thank you" or "stop" to end the conversation, but Google Assistant will also do this automatically if it detects you're no longer talking to it.

google continued conversation
Continued Conversations will need to be turned on in the Google Assistant app's Settings > Preferences > Continued Conversation. When starting up a new conversation you'll still need to say "OK Google" or activate a physical trigger every time, but the company hopes that reducing the instances you need to speak a wake-up phrase will result in more fluid and natural interactions with Google Assistant.

In comparison, Apple's Siri still requires you to say "Hey Siri" every time a command is given, or by activating the AI assistant manually on iPhone or HomePod. Later this year, Apple will debut improvements to Siri in iOS 12 in the form of a new "Siri Shortcuts" feature, allowing iPhone owners to build customizable workflows and connect a variety of third-party apps and services under one voice command.

Siri remains one of the downsides for Apple's products for some users, with a recent survey finding that iPhone X early adopters were very satisfied with all features of the smartphone except Siri. Around the time of that survey, The Information reported that Siri has become a "major problem" within Apple and that the assistant remains "limited compared to the competition," including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Top Rated Comments

wwchris Avatar
83 months ago
"The Information reported ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/03/14/siri-has-turned-sour-report/') that Siri has become a "major problem" within Apple and that the assistant remains "limited compared to the competition," including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant."

More internet myth spreading. Siri, and all of them have a ways to go. And with the most powerful processor of any, I am looking forward to updates that Apple will roll out for my HomePod, but any "lead" is so blown out of proportion regarding home speakers. Every survey shows Siri can already do quite well at the things 99% of users of smart speakers want. Number one is to listen to music, then set a timer, check weather, sports, traffic, etc. Please tell us the key things that the HomePod can't do that any significant number of smart speaker users want to use their smart speaker for?
It can't recognize different wake words. (meaning my iPad, Homepod and iPhone are all fighting to figure out who should respond).
It can't recognize multiple users on Homepod which means I can't use text, calling or calendar features in my home without give all my family and guests access to hearing my text messages.
It can't answers simple questions like, "How can I tell if an egg is bad?" or any number of other voice assistant "normal day to day questions" queries I do on my Google Home.
It is the worst of the three at accurately recognizing my words and translating them correctly to text.
It is much slower than the other Amazon or Google.
It can't order products like Alexa.
When I ask it for information about issues related to apple products, it automatically directs me to the Apple site instead of giving me the relevant information I want.
It can't set multiple timers. (Which I use when cooking all the time).
Oh , yeah, what the guy above said too, drop in/intercom I use all the time.

Lots of other things too, but those are some of the more "normal daily issues".
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
itsmilo Avatar
83 months ago
Meanwhile Apple is like „lol we have no idea so do it yourself“
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleMad98004 Avatar
83 months ago
Siri is toast. This is an institutional liability for Apple, and could threaten them as a viable platform in the future. It amazes me they don’t see it.
This is true. As assistants get integrated into everything (even builders are adding Alexa into new homes under construction) if Siri falls farther behind it will discourage new users to the platform and risks loosing me and my Apple ecosystem in the future.

Apple seems to be spending more time courting Hollywood than building great tech.

*edit - It's been quite a while since Apple introduced something that literally made me say WOW. And that is sad.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
83 months ago
But there's new animoji's in iOS12, yet Siri is still dumber than a doorknob!

WTG Timmy!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arkitect Avatar
83 months ago
"The Information reported ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/03/14/siri-has-turned-sour-report/') that Siri has become a "major problem" within Apple and that the assistant remains "limited compared to the competition," including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant."

More internet myth spreading. Siri, and all of them have a ways to go. And with the most powerful processor of any, I am looking forward to updates that Apple will roll out for my HomePod, but any "lead" is so blown out of proportion regarding home speakers. Every survey shows Siri can already do quite well at the things 99% of users of smart speakers want. Number one is to listen to music, then set a timer, check weather, sports, traffic, etc. Please tell us the key things that the HomePod can't do that any significant number of smart speaker users want to use their smart speaker for?
The application for voice commands is far wider than just the HomePod.

How do you not see that? o_O

By all means cheerlead for Apple, but at least keep some rational perspective on the issue.

Apple are far behind their competition and Google (and Amazon) are moving ahead at a heck of a pace.
Apple have been caught napping.

On topic:
This is excellent news for us, the users. It makes the whole interaction far more natural. Things flowing from one command or query to the next.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThatGuyInLa Avatar
83 months ago
I have two reasons why I continue to use Apple products. iCloud (for photos mostly) and Messages. The iCloud part is easily replaceable with Google’s offerings. Messages not so much. If Google ever gets a compelling alternative, no reason to allow myself to be let down and tortured by lack of features in Apple’s software.

Safari? It can’t play 4K YouTube. ATV? Same thing. That is such a tiny thing yet so huge. A little big thing. And they’re more little big things like this all throughout iOS, macOS, and tvOS. I’m really, nearly, done with all of it. Google gets a widely adopted Messages alternative and poof, I’m gone from this slowly rotting Apple.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

mac mini thermal architecture feature

New Mac Mini Has Modular Storage, 256GB Model Will Have Faster SSD

Friday November 8, 2024 7:06 am PST by
Apple has returned to using two 128GB storage chips in the new Mac mini with 256GB of storage, according to a partial teardown video shared on social media today. This means the base-model Mac mini with the M4 chip will not have significantly slower SSD speeds compared to higher-end configurations of the computer with 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage, as multiple NAND chips allows for faster SSD...
best buy holiday

Best Buy Reveals Black Friday Plans With Sitewide Sales Available Now

Friday November 8, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Black Friday sales are continuing today with Best Buy kicking off early Black Friday deals that will last for the next few days. Similar to other retailers, Best Buy's early Black Friday event includes sitewide savings on Apple products, headphones, TVs, monitors, video games, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may...
iphone passcode green

Cops Suspect iOS 18 iPhones Are Communicating to Force Reboots, Making Unlocking Harder

Thursday November 7, 2024 2:20 pm PST by
Law enforcement officials in Detroit, Michigan are warning other police officers about an alleged iPhone change that causes Apple devices stored for forensic examination to spontaneously restart, reports 404 Media. iPhones that are undergoing examination have apparently been rebooting, which makes them harder to unlock with brute force methods, and Michigan police think that it's due to a...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 2

Monday November 4, 2024 12:34 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates to developers, and Apple is continuing to refine the Apple Intelligence capabilities. There are also a handful of smaller features that are worth knowing about. Find My Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced....
M4 MacBook Pros Thumb

M4 MacBook Pro Reviews: Processor Benchmarks Impress, New Nano-Texture Option Worth the Extra $150

Thursday November 7, 2024 6:14 am PST by
The first wave of reviews of Apple's new M4-powered MacBook Pro models were published this morning. We've collected some of the latest impressions from YouTube channels and select media outlets below. Apple last month announced the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding next-generation M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, with Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display and camera ...
High Power Mode Feature 2

Apple Expands High Power Mode to MacBook Pro and Mac Mini Models With M4 Pro Chip

Thursday November 7, 2024 12:15 pm PST by
High Power Mode is available on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with the M4 Pro chip, according to Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham. The feature was previously limited to Macs with Apple's highest-end "Max" chip, so this is the first time it is available on Macs with a "Pro" chip. This is the second time that Apple has expanded availability of High Power...
early apple watch black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Watch Deals

Wednesday November 6, 2024 6:33 am PST by
Black Friday is just around the corner, and Apple Watch deals have begun appearing ahead of the shopping holiday on November 29. In this article, we'll take a look at all of the best early Black Friday Apple Watch deals, including the new Series 10 models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...
iOS 18 Notes Feature

How to Fix iPhone Notes Disappearing After Accepting New iCloud Terms

Thursday November 7, 2024 7:57 am PST by
Apple in September updated its iCloud terms and conditions with some minor changes, and this week it has been notifying iPhone users that they must accept the revised terms in order to continue using iCloud. Unfortunately, after accepting the new terms, some iPhone users have seen all of their notes disappear in the Notes app. While some users have turned to social media to justifiably panic ...