Google uses Apple’s tools against it, makes Siri launch Google Assistant

One of the features Apple was most proud to present, when introducing iOS 12, was Siri Shortcuts. Shortcuts allow third-party apps to make use of Apple’s voice assistant by tying trigger phrases to certain functions within the app. Siri’s new capabilities were well accepted by developers and users alike, plenty of apps already have Shortcuts within them.

One Siri Shortcut Apple won’t be happy to see being used is the one that activates Google Assistant. The Shortcut became available with Google’s latest version of the Assistant app for iOS and it allows users to basically tell Siri to let Google’s counterpart do her job, The Verge noticed.

To do that, you have to record a phrase that will be used to launch Assistant, for example “Google, please!”. Then, you can say “Hey Siri, Google, please!” and continue with whatever questions or orders you have, all taken care of by Google Assistant. The situation is reminiscent of the way Internet Explorer is often used only so Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox can be downloaded on a computer.

We’re sure Google’s engineers worked tirelessly to add that functionality, after realizing it’s possible, but their efforts might be in vain. Knowing Apple, such blatant disregard of its own service in favor of a competitor’s one is not going to be accepted well. Soon we might see a change that somehow disables the feature, without Apple having to explain itself too much.

In many aspects Google Assistant is a lot more capable than Siri, for example, it’s better at speech recognition, making both understanding commands and writing text messages hands free easier. The quick way to activate the Assistant will be a welcomed addition for many users, so hopefully the feature will stick around.