Siri is something that is popular and I myself enjoy using it a lot when I need to search for something, text a friend or set an alarm. In newer versions of iOS, you can also wake up Siri with just a voice command. Saying “Hey Siri!” will wake up your phone at the lock screen to ask, “What good can I do for you master?” Isn’t it a great innovation to try? But how you’ll feel if Siri for android becomes a real thing too; well after reading this guide, you will find the best alternatives for Siri application workable on the Android platform.
Can you actually use Siri on Android?
The answer is no, you can’t use Siri on Android because that is made for iOS platform. However, luckily there are many alternatives available for the Android OS which work just like Siri on an iPhone.
Functionally, you can get “Siri for Android” and it is a possibility, just like what we did to get iCloud for Android we’ll use the same method. Functionally you’ll not notice any difference, however, in actual you can’t use Siri on an Android device, as mentioned earlier.
10 Best Android Assistant Apps to make Siri For Android Possible
Android assistant apps or you may call Siri for Android can be found as many amazing developers are present in the Android ecosystem. In today world, due to the extra saturation of apps, the developers tend to come up with new ideas and making Siri like application for Android is one of those ideas.
1 – Google Now – Android Assistant Application From Google:
Google applications are the undisputed king when it comes to the Android. Google Now is a very awesome android personal assistant with google siri alternative features. You can call it an actual contender of “Siri for Android“; let’s summarize Google Now.
Saying “Ok Google” with this personal android assistant installed on your smartphone, and asking any question is the best thing you can do, which is a great example of how AI can work on a smartphone.
Additionally, you can set a reminder for buying grocery items, you can ask the weather. Similarly, you can personalise your feed and get the news/sports update and other things of your own liking. There are certain offline voice actions present too, like turning on flashlight, turning on wifi though these options are limited to US only, we are hopeful these will roll out for the rest of the world, sooner. You can turn on your location services to ask Google Now “What are some cool dance bars nearby?” or “Wake me up at 9am“
If you also start using Google’s launcher along with Google Now, then that will be a plus.
Download Google Now on PlayStore
You can learn more about Google Assistance commands: OK Google: Learn the Best Commands for Android
2- AIVC (Alice) – Your Siri For Android:
I installed Alice from Playstore on my Note 2 and it was able to do Call, SMS, Email, Navigation and Alarm. Obviously other features like weather updates. You can add your own commands in Alice and do personalised tasks. Furthermore, you can also ask detailed questions like the “Director of Breaking Bad“, “Show me my pictures” etc. You can perform navigation using Alice.
The free version contains ads. It took me sometime to download the application because of its 12MB size. You can call it a siri for Android. The pro version contains the wake-up control of the smartphone.
Usage Analysis: I used Alice on my note 2 and though the voice recognition was not perfect in some cases but still it is a must-try. The commands had to be spoken clearly in a clear American accent. Overall it is a good pick if it works perfectly with your accent. It’s fast but sometimes it was dropping my connection, maybe some problem with my 4G connection.
3- Cortana – The name comes with Microsoft:
Cortana is definitely a good product as it comes from Microsoft. Having faith on the past footprints of Microsoft we know that Cortana has a long way to travel in terms of the development. The good thing with Cortana for android is that it lets you set up reminders on your Windows 10 running PC and once you reach the destination where you need to be reminded, your smartphone will do the job. Fascinating, due to limitations of my Note 2 smartphone I wasn’t able to run Cortana, so I may not be able to give you a detailed review, but still I can pull some major highlights of how to make siri for android possible with Cortana.
If you missed a call on the phone then Cortana will let you know on the PC, also it will send an automated reply for the missed call. Cortana also features self-learning, it will personalise itself based on your habits and search histories.
You can also use Cortana on a Laptop, in future it may provide you cross device functionality.
4- Iris – The Non-Playstore alternative of Siri on Android:
Iris is not listed in the Playstore, I don’t know the obvious reasons. But if you want to try Iris to get Siri features on Android, then make sure you download the APK from some trusted source and also look upon the permissions before installing. With Iris you can set an alarm, you can dial a call, you can text, search nearby and play music. You can also setup a calendar event while on the go with your voice command.
You can also fire up advanced searches like “Show me a video of girl singing” and this is something good. There is a help menu in Iris which can let you know the commands.
Best Thing: What so ever I said Iris was able to understand that clearly.
Worst Thing: Looks like they have closed Iris, I installed Iris from third party source. The commands were not yielding any results. It was able to listen to me, but every time it gave me some awkward answers, like I can’t do this, I’m on vacation.
5 – Maluuba – A good Siri Alternative for Android:
Maluuba is a good personal assistant for Android and can be termed as a Siri Alternative. Maluuba might not be available in some countries because they are too focused on their quality since in some countries the driving voice commands don’t work. You can fetch movies time, you can get directions, play music and even do social networking. If you care about email and calendar readings, then maluuba must be connected to your Google’s Account.
The speech recognition is quite good. It works well with commands and makes sure that what so ever it provides is quite near to what you are looking for and in most results quite accurate. Maluuba can be your Siri for Android and you will enjoy using and having this experience.
The UI matches that of the Windows.
Download Maluuba – Siri For Android
6- Cyman Mark 2 Free Siri like Android Application:
Cyman Mark 2 comes in both free and paid versions. You can do following things with Cyman Mark 2:
- Calling and Texting on the Go
- Twitter and Facebook Status Update, Opening Android Applications, Scheduling Commands and Latest News articles along with much more.
- Location and Language services are also a part of Cyman. Of course, National Railways service along with alarm setting is a plus point.
You can also set another nickname for Cyman, like Jarvis. With so much of features, you can choose whether to have a female assistant of a male. It connects with Google App engine to perform its functions.
Due to connection with Google, the speech recognition was fantastic. I tried speaking in a different way and it was able to understand my commands.
7- Indigo Virtual Assistant – For Android:
Indigo is your virtual assistant for Android, and this can help you setup siri like environment for your Android smartphone. With Indigo you can easily do functions like reading news, controlling music with your voice commands, search using google/yahoo/bing etc, also updating status on social media and managing calendar with weather forecasts.
Indigo can pretty much do anything which other assistants are also offering and the good thing it is available worldwide. The indigo developers say that their system might not be able to recognise your commands well, but still they are working to make it better. You need to create a new account after installing the application.
Download Indigo – A taste of Siri on Android
8- Hound – A personal assistant project of Sound Hound:
Their goal is to use hound as a conversation personal assistant. No more need to give commands to hound in order to get something done. You can talk to hound and get something done. Ask “Whats the weather like in New York this weekend?” and the natural answer will appear in front of you, the UI of the hound is as pretty as the Google Now. According to me the Hound is pretty good.
The best part comes when it goes in sync with the Sound Hound. The top playlists can be played on one distance of a voice command. You can do Uber booking, get show times, get temperature, you can perform calculations with voice. Amazing features I must say!
Download Hound For Android – A close Siri For Android
9- Dragon Mobile Assistant – Your Virtual Assistant for Smartphone:
This personal android assistant features a custom wake-up command, which will let your android smartphone wakeup. Make calls, create events, get directions, social media and more. It has a driving mode to better assist to your commands during your drive.
10- Robin – The Siri Challenger:
Concluding with the Robin which is yet in the beta stage. The developers have done much in the beta stage but I think they want to roll out a perfect product. The siri for the android dream can be fulfilled with this app for android. It can also work with gestures and features all the basic set of commands which any personal virtual android assistant should have to work properly.
Robin can also tell jokes and can help you during navigation. You can ask Robin for gas stations, weather and twitter updates. Robin after getting installed will ask for voice resources, I recommend you download them from the cloud. During drive you can send spoken text messages and also can call others.
The voice recognition was perfect.
