OK Google arrives almost natively on iOS through Siri Shortcuts

Google's latest Assistant update on iOS is packing quite the integration.

The app now supports Siri Shortcuts, which means, with that in tow, you can now say "Hey Siri, OK Google" to beckon Google's assistant. Users who have the Google Assistant installed will find an update waiting in the App Store, and new users can download it here.

It's not quite as easy as using the Google Assistant on an Android device like the Pixel 3. On that phone, all you need to do is say "OK Google," followed by any command you'd like. On iOS, you still need to go through Siri to use the Google Assistant.

The "OK Google" command is used to open the Google Assistant app and get it listening. Saying "Hey Siri, OK Google" while your phone is locked will result in Siri telling you to unlock your iPhone to do that. It will then open the app, and the Google Assistant will be listening for a command.

It's a neat integration, but it can be a bit clunky. On an iPhone or any iOS device, I don't think we"ll ever see the day where a third-party assistant is as user-friendly as Siri. The "OK Google" command is made possible thanks to Siri Shortcuts. It's a simple and easy way to program steps and tasks on an iOS device that launched in iOS 12.

Thanks to this integration, you can also use Siri Shortcuts and the Google Assistant for specific commands. Also, for all those smart home devices that don't work with Apple HomeKit, but do work with Google's ecosystem, this is an easy way to control those.

With the holidays approaching and smart home products being top gifts, this should make life a little easier across ecosystems. But for those wondering, these shortcuts don't work with Apple's HomePod.