There is no Siri for Android, and there probably never will be. But that doesn’t mean that Android users can’t have virtual assistants a lot like, and sometimes even than, Siri.
Why Siri Only Runs on Apple Devices
Siri will probably always only work on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS because Siri is a major competitive difference for Apple. If you want all the cool things Siri does, you have to buy an iPhone or other Apple device. Apple makes the largest part of its money on hardware sales, so allowing such a compelling feature to run on its competitor’s hardware would hurt its bottom line. And that’s not something Apple, or any smart business, usually does.
Even though there’s no Siri for Android, Android has its own built-in, voice-activated intelligent assistants. In fact, there are actually multiple options for you to choose from.
Alternatives to Siri for Android
Android has a ton of options for voice assistants like Siri. Here’s are some of the most popular ones:
•Alexa: Amazon’s Alexa, which is the voice of its Echo series of products, comes with Amazon’s Fire tablets and other products. Alexa can also be downloaded and run on Android phones. View at Google Play
•Bixby: Bixby is Samsung’s virtual assistant, built to challenge Android’s built-in Google Assistant. It is built into many Samsung phones, and can also be installed on other Android devices via an app. View at Google Play
•Cortana: Originally developed by Microsoft for its Windows Phone operating system, Cortana is now available on many platforms, including Android and iOS. View at Google Play
•Google Assistant: Unlike Siri, which basically does what you ask it, Google Assistant tries to learn your habits and adapt to them. For instance, once Google Assistant gets to know your commuting patterns, it can provide traffic details or subway schedules before you leave the house. Pretty handy. It comes built into most Android phones. Google Assistant is also available for iOS devices.
•Hound: If all you want is a voice-activated search tool, you can’t do much better than Hound. Able to understand very complex questions, and multi-part questions, better than almost anything else, it’s tough to stump. View at Google Play
•Robin: Robin is one of the voice-activated assistants created by companies that don’t also build smartphone OSes. Robin is designed specifically to help perform tasks on a smartphone while you drive, such as getting directions, finding restaurants and stores, and sending texts. View at Google Play
Beware: There Are Lots of Fake Siri Apps
If you search the Google Play store for “Siri,” you’ll find a bunch of apps with Siri in their names. But watch out: those aren’t Siri.
Those are apps with voice features that are comparing themselves to Siri (for a short time, one even claimed to be the official Siri for Android) to piggyback on its popularity and name recognition and to entice Android users looking for Siri-type features. No matter what they say, they’re definitely not Siri and they’re not made by Apple. Apple has not released Siri for Android.
Alternatives to Siri on iPhone
Siri was the first major voice assistant to hit the market, so in some ways, it hasn’t been able to take advantage of technological advances that are available to its competitors. Because of that, many people say that Google Now and Cortana are superior to Siri.
Owners of iPhones are in luck, though: both Google Assistant (download at the App Store) and Cortana (download at the App Store) are available for iPhone. You can also get Alexa, the intelligent assistant built into Amazon’s line of Echo devices (among many other devices), as a standalone iPhone app. Download these apps and compare the smart assistants for yourself.