Google Now Jumps to Apple Devices

When Google first presented their idea for the Google Now service, many compared it to Apple’s Siri. While the two services provide some similar benefits, Siri is basically just a virtual assistant with an attitude. Google Now actually gathers data on you and answers your questions before you knew you had them. Why ask Siri what concerts are going on in the area, when Google Now can figure out what kind of music you like and alert you the second something you’ll want to see gets scheduled?

Of course, Siri only gives you information you want, while Google Now pushes everything it anticipates you may ever want onto you. But just in case that is what you are looking for, Apple users can now enjoy Google Now! While iOS already had a Google Search app, the latest update now allows you to add Google Now, which gathers data and gives you “cards” with (hopefully) useful information on them.

But will Google now operate the same on iOS as it does on Android devices? Not exactly – on an Android device, Google Now is always running in the background gathering data and providing you with useful information based on your location and other details. Apple doesn’t want the program to have that kind of access in iOS, so it’s just an extension of Google Search, observing your searches and basing your cards off of that data. Google Now for iOS therefore doesn’t have quite as much data to work with.

Other than that it should be a similar experience. You’ll still get cards that feature weather from your home town, travel and traffic information, scores for your favorite teams and more. The only difference is the way the data is gathered – the more you use Google services on your phone, the more accurate Google Now cards will be.

Google Now also uses voice recognition. Quick response times outweigh the necessity for clearer speech. You get your answer directly or in the form of search results. It happens almost instantly and is very accurate.