Developer(s) | |
---|---|
Initial release | May 18, 2016 |
Written in | C++ |
Operating system | Android, ChromeOS, iOS, iPadOS, KaiOS, Linux, Android TV, Wear OS |
Platform | |
Predecessor | Google Now |
Successor | Google Gemini |
Available in | English, Arabic, Bengali, Chilean Spanish, Colombian Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Malayalam, Marathi, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese |
Type | Virtual assistant |
Website | assistant |
Google Assistant is a virtual assistant software application developed by Google that is primarily available on home automation and mobile devices. Based on artificial intelligence, Google Assistant can engage in two-way conversations,[1] unlike the company's previous virtual assistant, Google Now.
Google Assistant debuted in May 2016 as part of Google's messaging app Allo, and its voice-activated speaker Google Nest. After a period of exclusivity on the Google Pixel smartphones, it was deployed on other Android devices starting in February 2017, including third-party smartphones and Android Wear (now Wear OS), and was released as a standalone app on the iOS operating system in May 2017. Alongside the announcement of a software development kit in April 2017, Assistant has been further extended to support a large variety of devices, including cars and third-party smart home appliances. The functionality of Assistant can also be enhanced by third-party developers. At CES 2018, the first Assistant-powered smart displays (Smart speakers with video screens) were announced, with the first one being released in July 2018.[2] In 2020, Google Assistant is already available on more than 1 billion devices.[3]
Users primarily interact with Google Assistant through natural voice, though keyboard input is also supported. Assistant is able to answer questions, schedule events and alarms, adjust hardware settings on the user's device, show information from the user's Google account, play games, and more. Google has also announced that Assistant will be able to identify objects and gather visual information through the device's camera, and support purchasing products as well as sending money. Google Assistant is available in more than 90 countries and over 30 languages,[4] and is used by more than 500 million users monthly.[5]
In October 2023, a mobile version of the Gemini chatbot, originally titled Assistant with Bard and simply just Bard, was unveiled during the Pixel 8 event. It is set to replace Assistant as the main assistant on Android devices, although the original Assistant will remain optional. The chatbot was released on February 8, 2024, in the United States.[6][7][8][9]