Google Assistant Now Supports iPad
Google announced yesterday that the Apple iPad is now supported by Google Assistant. iPhone users in the U.S. first received Google Assistant access in May 2017. UK, France and Germany app stores received access in August 2017. iPads have the same OS so it might be assumed the devices would receive support at the same time. That is the beauty of voice. The difference in screen size shouldn’t really matter. However, the difference no doubt matters to Apple’s app store reviewers who value visuals over other interactions, particularly voice interactions that bypass Siri. And, Google’s team likely wanted to deliver an optimized experience as well.
Google Assistant iPad Release Includes Multi-tasking and Landscape Mode
It appears that Google has replicated the Assistant features now available on iPhones and has added a landscape mode which is not currently supported on iPhones. The release also adds functionality such as multi-tasking that enables users to have Google Assistant open and operating while using another iOS app such as a game or calendar.
“The Assistant on iPad can do everything the Assistant on your iPhone can do, with the added benefit of a bigger screen that supports both portrait and landscape mode…Plus, you can stay productive by multitasking on iPad with iOS 11, letting you chat with the Assistant while you play a game, plan a trip or check your calendar.”
Google Assistant iPad apps are rolling out now and will support English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese for Brazil and Spanish. This is another example showing that Google is not satisfied simply having Assistant available on 87% of global smartphones powered by Android OS. The goal is to make Google Assistant available to everyone, even Apple users.
Google Assistant iPhone App Now Available in UK, France and Germany
