Companies - for some reason - think we will use their voice assistants if they are buried within a competing voice assistant.

Case in point: The recent Alexa-Cortana deal. In that setup, you can invoke one assistant, then access the other assistant through it, and get it to do things for you. It is convoluted, to say the least. Still, Google must've thought it was genius, because it's begun using a similar approach in order to make Google Assistant more useful on iOS devices (which are mostly limited to Siri).

How does Google Assistant work with Siri Shortcuts?

Siri is entrenched in Apple’s platform - so much so that other assistants just aren't nearly as convenient. But Google is hoping to change that. You could already add a Google Assistant widget to the left of your home screen, and now, the Google Assistant iOS app has added support for Siri Shortcuts. So, when you record and say a phrase like “OK Google” to Siri, the Assistant app will open and listen.

This implementation works hands-free if your iPhone is unlocked. Just say “Hey Siri,” followed by “OK Google” (or whatever Siri Shortcuts phrase you chose). You can also configure Siri Shortcuts for phrases you usually use. Imagine setting a voice command for a Google Assistant smart home routine - like “Good morning, Google”. You'd be able to trigger that routine through Siri on your iPhone.

So, by saying “Good morning, Google” to Siri, you would automatically turn on all your lights and start the coffee pot, for instance.

That's sort of cool, right?

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How to create a Siri Shortcut for Google Assistant

To use the Siri Shortcuts integration, download or update to the latest version of Google Assistant app for iOS. A recent update to the app brought support for Siri Shortcuts. So, upon opening the app, you'll be greeted by an option to add "Ok Google" to Siri. Selecting the Add to Siri button will take you to a screen to record a trigger phrase that wakes Google Assistant (it suggests "OK Google").

You can also set up more complex commands within Siri Shortcuts in order to trigger a pre-arranged Google Assistant routine.

How to summon Google Assistant through Siri

Once you set up the Siri Shortcut in the Google Assistant app, you will be able to summon Google Assistant by manually opening Siri on your iPhone and then stating your recorded trigger phrase. If you'd prefer to go hands-free, say "Hey Siri" followed by "OK Google".