The best voice assistant options are what every user would want, no? Ease of use, flexibility, accessibility, importance, and many other usability and reliability options. All the above have made developers go in for certain voice assistant options.
Voice assistants help us access information/data easily, more like a shortcut (just speak and let the device do what you want). We are going to look at some of the best voice assistant options on your devices.
There are majorly 3 if not 4 voice assistants and they include;
- Google Assistant was developed by Google.
- Siri was developed by the Apple company
- Alexa developed by Amazon (mostly used in speakers)
- Cortana was created by Microsoft for windows
Voice has always been the best means of communication. This is now evident in not only our usual life but also the devices we use. Our smart homes and handheld devices are voice-activated, and now we are talking about these personal assistants behind the voice. I can now tell my smartphone to play for me music, set an alarm, and order a meal, though not cook for me.
All these virtual assistants have their unique features and are widely used all over the world. However, let’s talk about the ones you constantly use on your handset or even don’t know how to fully use them yet (no offense).
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Google Voice Assistant
It was designed to give you conversational interactions. It offers voice commands, voice searching, and voice-activated device control. “OK, Google” or “Hey, Google” is its wake (activation) words. Just say hey google or Ok google, then go ahead and ask it what you want. Here are some things it will help you do;
What does the Google Assistant voice command do?
- Control your devices and your smart home
- Access information from your calendars and other personal information
- Find information online, from restaurant bookings to directions, weather and news.
- Control your music. That means saying; Hey Google, play for me Kulya Kunywa, and it will if you have it your downloaded music playlist.
- Run timers and reminders
- Make appointments and send messages. We tried it with my friend for WhatsApp messages and didn’t seem to agree though. It could be because of privacy concerns or probably an assistant loophole.
- Open apps on your phone and read your notifications to you.
- Real-time spoken translations
How to set up Google Assistant in 2023?
Go to the Google Play Store and download the Google Assistant app or check if your phone has Google Assistant, say “OK Google” or press and hold the home button.
The Google Assistant brings a customized feel to most features. That’s the starting point for this voice command, after which you can type or speak and have the assistant respond. Usually, during the set-up of an Android, you’ll be prompted to configure Assistant. All this needs some Airtel/MTN/Africell ka-data or Wi-Fi connection to work.
Google Assistant voice command new features in 2023
- Link Google devices to assistant in the app
- Schedule actions for later like Microwave (like Hey Google, turn off the TV at 10:30 pm)
- Leave household notes, like digital post-its (like Hey Google, leave a note, the pen is in the bag)- For this, you need a smart display.
- Create a speed dial of household contacts. The list of contacts can be added during the device setup, or from the Google Assistant app on your phone. To use it, you’ll say, “Hey, Google, call Grandma” or tap the contact name from the contact list
- Have Google Assistant read stories aloud. (like Hey Google, read this paragraph).
These all are interesting features, some of which shall be released later on in 2022 and others already in play.
Siri
It is mostly found in iPhones and Mac operating systems. This voice command is based on artificial intelligence and natural language processing. It has three main components; a conversational interface, personal context awareness, and service delegation. Don’t mind if those words are complex, all you should know is that this voice command assistant is a bit different.
How to set up the Siri voice command in 2023?
- Go to settings in your iPhone, and scroll down till you find the word, Siri.
- Tap on it and it will open prompting you to slide the on button.
- With a slide, it will ask if you want to “Enable it”.
- Continue and tap enable.
- Continue and access other functions like “Access When Locked” if you want to.
- To activate the ‘Hey Siri’ wake word, slide on and it will take you through a voice recognition process
- You can also choose it to be either a man or woman with an American/Australian or British accent.
What can the Siri voice command do?
At a glance, she/he will read your last email, text your friend to tell them you’re running late, shuffle your Masaka road trip playlist on Apple Music, let you know what films are playing today at Acacia, find a table for three in Kampala or call your ‘daddsy’ at work.
Siri can also tell you where a good restaurant is nearby, flip a coin, and find books by a specific author. I can set an alarm, give you directions, and even set a reminder that will activate only when it recognizes that you’re in or have left, etc.
That’s not all though, in fact, it probably isn’t even half. She/he’ll tell you what the weather is like tomorrow, move meetings, tell you when the next game is for your KCCA team and you can even get her to roll a dice, along with a series of other things such as teach her how to pronounce your name or tell her which of your contacts are family members. We told you this Voice Command was pretty smart.
It has access to every other built-in application on your Apple device – Mail, Contacts, Messages, Maps, Safari, and so on – and will call upon those apps to present data or search through their databases whenever she needs to. Ultimately, it is one heck of a voice assistant in itself.
Does this mean it is the best voice assistant option in 2024?
Heavens, no. No, and maybe yes. Can it wash my clothes in a smart home setting? Okay, does it close apps or delete folders? Why does it need data to be activated? Google Assistant doesn’t always need data to work.
Wait, can it show all the emails from my girlfriend? It’s sick and a bog voice command. Siri as a voice assistant still has a way to go when it comes to certain support functionalities, which its main competitor Google Assistant can do.
Conclusion;
An Android/Google person will prefer Google Assistant, for its reliability and fact exactness as it has a Google search embedded in it. I mean the fact that you will say ‘Hey Google’ what is the nearest restaurant and it will give you a list of all those restaurants, is reason enough to love it. This may not happen to the iPhone voice command assistant, Siri. Following the same example, if you asked Siri the nearest restaurant, it would just show you an overall search, not exact restaurants. And there goes the difference.
I would vote for Google Assistant as it keeps on adding new features every month. Maybe it will cook and do laundry for us someday. What do you think?
Photo credit: Google