Assistant application for Android. Voice assistant for Android: what they are, what they can do and where to download

Apple is still a trendsetter in the market mobile gadgets. Owners of smartphones based on iOS appreciated it the latest news– voice assistant Siri (from the English “Siri” - Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface). Similar assistants are also beginning to appear for the Android OS, making it easier to use the gadget. Let's look at the TOP 10 Siri applications.

Assistant is one of the best programs, which can handle both navigation and sending messages. User-friendly interface and friendly jokes add charm to the Assistant in use.
Talking Blonde 3D. Available in paid and free versions. The assistant looks somewhat cartoonish, but does its job well. Free version the program will not answer you by voice and will ask you to download a voice module for an additional fee.
Skyvi is a small and functional Siri application that is also free and very easy to use. Unfortunately, there is no support for the Russian language.
Dragon Mobile Assistant – “Dragon in a smartphone” is distinguished by the best user interface and excellent command execution.
EVA Voice Assistant is a great Siri app with a simple interface. Sometimes Eva "talks" very quickly and is difficult to understand for those who do not know English.
ANDY with him simple interface I can recommend it to students: the program does an excellent job of finding information on all basic subjects, albeit in English.
Top Assistant is an application with a wide range of functions. The main feature is the floating call button, located on top of all other applications.
Robin is a Russian-speaking assistant, lightweight and compact. One of his special features is his ability to tell jokes on various topics.
Indigo has the most better interface among all Siri apps for Android. Excellent handling music player, navigation and even translation.
Jeannie is a great assistant for Android, it will do a great job with basic tasks. In our review, it comes in last place due to significant limitations of the free version.

There are many Siri applications written for the Android OS. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Well, it’s up to you to decide which one to keep on your smartphone.

Technological progress is inexorable and rapid. We can continue to search for a smartphone, we can change and, but very soon no one will need it. The logic of technology development steadily leads us to direct, natural communication between a person and his pocket assistant.

Very soon, to perform any action, it will be enough for us to say what we want, and our device will instantly understand and carry it out. And if you still have some doubts about this, then after getting acquainted with the application Robin for Android they will definitely disappear.

Robin is a voice assistant for smartphone owners under Android control. Its main task is to help control your smartphone using voice commands. This is especially true in cases where the owner’s hands are busy with something, for example while driving a car. In such situations, the application is simply irreplaceable. You can get answers to your questions, listen to the news, check Facebook and Twitter, answer calls and SMS, get the weather forecast, adjust your schedule and task list without touching your phone.

Looks almost like footage from science fiction films of the recent past, doesn't it? But today it already works, and it works well.

After installing the program, you will be asked to download a special Russian speech synthesizer, with the help of which the program will communicate with you. This is done completely automatically. After launching Robin, you will see a floating program icon, which is always located on top open windows. Activating the voice assistant is done by touching this icon or using gestures, as shown in the video above.

For new users, a detailed illustrated tutorial is provided that introduces all the main functions of the application. In addition, you can always refer to the built-in directory of commands and skills of the voice assistant. And, as you can see in the screenshot, there are quite a few of them. Here is the weather, and launching programs, sending SMS and calls, posting to social services, and even tips, quotes and fresh jokes if you want.

The Robin app is one of the few apps that turns exploring its capabilities into a fun game, and its use can completely change the way you control your gadget. Unlike Siri or Google Now who have not been very successful in learning the Russian language, Robin is fully adapted to use in our realities, which can be explained quite simply - several employees of Yandex Labs and Google Moscow were at the origins of the project. The developers - Robin Labs - are going to expand the functionality of Robin in the near future, so stay tuned for updates.

More recently, smartphones had modest display, hardware keyboard and minimal power characteristics. And now these devices offer a lot of possibilities. It got to the point where they learned to speak. Exactly about voice functions will be discussed in this article. More precisely, we will try to talk about what the main features of the currently existing voice assistants are.

The easiest way to use a smartphone is to use it touch display. This way you can use absolutely any function of the device. But sometimes we don't want to touch the screen. For example, an assistant on Android may be needed if your hands are busy with something. It also makes the task much easier if search query involves entering a large amount of text. After all, it’s much easier to ask the question “Where is the nearest gas station” than to open a browser and enter the corresponding request? Voice assistant may be useful in other cases, which we will talk about later. We will also try to find out which voice assistant is the best.

Voice assistant on Android - background

Engineers have been flirting with voice technology since the dawn of time. computer systems. Surely you can easily remember old films in which commands were given to the computer by voice, and it responded in the same way. For example, an intelligent voice assistant is present in the famous “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Voice commands were also given by the captain of a spaceship in the Star Trek series. But these were all the fantasies of the authors of films and TV series. In fact computing power the first computers were barely capable of processing the simplest voice commands. And there was no talk of answering by voice.

But gradually computer technology developed more and more. Voice assistants have begun to appear on PCs running on Windows Help XP. But those programs could only tell you the time, date or something like that. Manage all functions operating system it was still impossible, let alone searching for anything on the internet.

Voice dialing is the first step towards full-fledged assistants

If we talk about smartphones, then at one time they appeared voice dialing. It could be implemented in different ways, and the performance of such dialing was also not always ideal. There were attempts to create full-fledged voice assistants on Symbian, but they were not successful. The problem was that it was impossible to implement full-fledged assistant training based on communication only with a selected user. It was necessary to create an extensive database that would be accessible. But do we need to remind you that in those days access to the global web was carried out through WAP? In short, it was expensive and slow.

It is only now possible to download the assistant on Android. Previously, things were much more complicated. Who do we have to thank for the advent of normal voice assistants? Creators of network equipment. Without 4G and fast imagine full-time job voice assistant is not possible. Development of artificial intelligence. Yes, voice assistants are really capable of “thinking” and developing - these are not ordinary computer programs, as one might think. And finally, you need to thank Apple, Google and some smartphone manufacturers - they are the ones who put the greatest effort into the development of voice assistants.

Siri

Made the greatest progress in its time Apple company. She created a voice assistant called Siri. Unlike many competitors that existed at that time, this assistant could talk to the user normally. That is, he did not need to give strict commands. You could ask a simple question. Including one that is assigned to a person, not a robot. For example, you could ask Siri about your musical preferences - the assistant would definitely answer something.

However, in our selection today we are talking about voice assistants intended for the operating room Android systems. Therefore, we will not talk in detail about Siri, which can only be used by owners of an iPad.

Google Now

The most inhumane voice assistant. In the sense that you can’t talk to him normally when you’re bored. This service can only be given some command. For example, ask him to set a timer for 5 minutes. Or get directions to specified address. Or enter a search query. Possible with Google help Now and quickly convert one unit to another. Or even find out the score in some football match. But you can’t talk about abstract topics with this service - it’s simply not designed for that. Google has focused on helping rather than talking.

Unfortunately, in lately The search giant has stopped working on service updates. It seems that he is now working on a completely new voice assistant - already complete analogue of Siri. In this regard, the service has ceased to be integrated into third party applications. The lack of progress is somewhat disappointing. But it would be very convenient to order the voice assistant to send remittance to another person. Or ask him to open such and such a browser and go to some site.

How to install: The service is preinstalled on many smartphones by default. But somewhere a proprietary shell is used instead. In this case, you can, for example, download and install the Google Start launcher, which already has a voice assistant built into it.

Where used: In addition to Android devices, the service can also be installed on iOS. It is also built into Google browser Chrome, but in a somewhat stripped down form.

Bixby

The latest creation of the South Korean company. According to the developers, this voice assistant on Android will become more and more intelligent over time. In the meantime, only residents of the manufacturer’s homeland can appreciate it in all its splendor, since it has still not been possible to sell an English-language version. Not to mention the Russian-language one, which definitely shouldn’t be expected until the fall of 2018. Interestingly, to call Bixby you can use not only the corresponding voice command, but also pressing a separate key located on the side of the smartphone.

How to install: no way. If Bixby is not present on your smartphone, then install it as separate application you can't. At least for now.

Where used: as of September 2017, Bixby is only available on Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. In the future, the voice assistant will appear on more phones. The South Koreans said that Bixby will gradually appear even on devices running Tizen. Therefore, it is worth waiting for an assistant even on smart refrigerators. But so far the development of the service is proceeding with great difficulty.

Microsoft Cortana

With its Cortana service, Microsoft sought to strengthen the position of smartphones based on Windows Phone. But that didn't help them. However, the voice assistant remained to exist on other platforms, such as Android. It differs in that the service can predict the user’s questions. The assistant manages alarms, calendar, reminders and other basic functions of the operating system. It also actively interacts with Bing and tracks packages. Recently, the service can also communicate with bots.

How to install: you need to download an application called Microsoft Cortana. It's easy to find in Google Play. It is distributed free of charge.

Where used: Cortana feels best on Windows 10. The voice assistant is also available for download on Android and iOS, but here it has significantly fewer features.

Ozlo

The simplest voice assistant for Android. Its purpose is only to help the user find a suitable restaurant or other public food outlet. The service mainly uses searches in Foursquare and Yelp. The search result is displayed in the form of convenient cards. If the assistant does not understand something, he will ask you again or ask a clarifying question. Unfortunately, Ozlo's skills rely heavily on users downloading the app and running it on a regular basis. But the popularity of Ozlo cannot be called very high. So far, this service is no smarter than chatbots, and it is possible that everything will remain that way.

How to install: you just need to download the Ozlo AI program from Google Play.

Dusya

A rare phenomenon - an assistant for Android in Russian, created by Russian programmers, and even having Russian name. This service understands spoken language quite well. It is impossible to seriously communicate with “Dusya”, like with Siri. But she can be ordered to do many different actions. This assistant will create a note, find out the weather, build a route, and talk about traffic jams... In a word, “Dusya” is a jack of all trades. She even copes with translating phrases - and not only into English.

This service can be integrated into some third-party applications - for example, into "". At the same time, the program itself does not have any interface - in fact, it consists only of a small icon in the notification panel. But main feature The voice assistant is supported by third-party scripts. Downloading them expands the functionality of the application. For example, with the help of one of the scripts “Dusya” can learn to start playing playlists on VKontakte!

How to install: the user just needs to download from Google Play app"Dusya" and install it. It is distributed free of charge, but after some time a symbolic payment of approximately 100 rubles will be required.

No matter what anyone says, for now control using the touch screen seems to be the most convenient. All sorts of Siri and Google Now are still useful only in moments of acute haste. But we must not forget that not everyone electronic devices are supplied big screen. On some of them it is really easier to control certain functions with your voice. In particular, this applies to smart watches. Not without reason, at Apple Watch Series 3, Siri technology now has the ability to respond not only with text, but also with voice. Quite a long time ago smart watch Google Now is also present.

For now, voice assistants face one major problem. We all speak a little differently. And some of us even speak with an accent. But you can also remember the huge number of languages spoken by people all over the world. to the globe. In short, it is still very difficult for such services to understand every person and in absolutely all situations. Large corporations solve this problem with huge servers that process a lot of information coming from voice assistants. But independent developers do not have such opportunities. In this regard, we can assume that only voice assistants created by Google, Apple and Microsoft have a future. They also have another noticeable advantage, which is large advertising budgets.

Now voice assistants are present in smart watches, smartphones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops. But their future is not in these platforms. Voice assistants should someday completely replace real people in support services. Remember mobile operators. Tens and even hundreds of millions of people are connected to them. In this regard, operators need to maintain numerous services technical support. And if people were replaced by voice assistants, operators could save a lot of money. The future of voice assistants in the “” area seems about as bright. Operate doors household appliances and security using a smartphone or tablet. But it would be much easier to give commands by voice. AND Google, Apple and Amazon are already working in this direction.

Summing up

Now you know which are the best voice assistants for Android. And you understand on which platforms they will become even more popular. Do you already use voice assistants? Or are you completely satisfied touch control with application icons and a virtual keyboard?

The assistant in Russian combines a range of functions voice control to perform everyday tasks. The voice assistant is capable of performing voice commands given in natural speech. The user is not required to raise his voice or pronounce words abruptly for adequate recognition by the device. The application has a shareware distribution model with a free period of use of 7 days. For inexperienced users There is built-in training. The program requires the presence of the Google voice search module.

Application features

The interactive assistant allows you to combine access to multimedia and search functions of a smartphone or tablet. The assistant is responsible for the following:

Voice launch of programs on the device.
Search for a contact in the phone book.
Organizer functions.
Widget 1X1.
Search functions with results displayed in the browser (integrated voice search Google).

The main advantage of an assistant is the presence of a city guide. The program is capable of providing information about city posters, detailed weather forecasts, etc. The “Places” service will be able to find entertainment establishments at the address specified by the user, down to the street. The function will be able to display bars, restaurants, cinemas, leisure centers, billiards and bowling clubs located in the search area.

The film poster will be able to show current screenings in cinemas of the desired locality. The poster is currently available for Moscow and St. Petersburg. The assistant can provide up-to-date reports from the most popular sports competitions. The application has a built-in small encyclopedia containing information about historical milestones, people and various phenomena.

The program is integrated with satellite maps from Yandex and Google and can generate routes to a specified point. Another advantage: the application is able to learn new commands, for example, perform delayed launch of applications. The developers managed to build in a translator that can translate phrases spoken by voice into several European languages.

Last time artificial intelligence people are becoming smarter and more skillful, all industries are developing, and what once seemed like a miracle is now commonplace. Remember how they used to talk about robots that would soon replace people? Yes, this period is not far off.

But this review we will dedicate software which will turn mobile device V virtual assistant, still peaceful.

Traditionally, we have three applications under consideration, each of which is unique in its own way.

For example, Google Now is the most widely used application that focuses on Internet services. Assistant Dusya will become our unquestioning assistant; she will complete any assigned task without any questions asked. And “Assistant” (api.ai) allows you to create your own virtual assistant and communicate with him as in reality, asking him interesting facts and even telling stories.

Google Now

The phrase “Okay, Google” is perceived by most users, if not with laughter, then certainly with a smile on their face. It’s comical to watch an adult “play” with a voice assistant, it’s hard to say otherwise. If before Google Now was the most common search engine with voice input, then now the application has become much more functional, and it can rightfully be called a voice assistant.

But can Google Now compete with other apps and what are its advantages?

Application Review

It is noteworthy that Google Now is already installed on all Android devices whose version starts from 4.1 Jelly Bean. Of course, in newer Android versions The voice assistant can do much more, but let’s ignore this fact and talk about the assistant as a whole. Do not forget about app updates, as its development does not stand still. For Google activation Now you need to find and launch the appropriate application or hold down the “home” key. Depending on the firmware, the assistant launch key may change, for example, to Miui firmware it must be assigned manually. Well, the third launch option is the notorious phrase “Okay Google,” although you need to configure it first.

Let's say we launched Google Now. Now he is waiting for our command, just like that - right away. You can ask a lot, but there is little that is particularly interesting. The assistant can tell and show the weather forecast, display our location, get directions, call, write an SMS message, create a note and reminder, set an alarm, open an application, perform a mathematical operation, search for information and much more.

It’s just that when we ask “create a note,” a dialog box opens where we need to enter our note. Of course, you can enter it by voice, using voice input on the keyboard... But why not ask us about it, as assistant Dusya does. The situation is the same with messages. Google Now asks who to send it to, but you need to enter the text of the message yourself. The “send” key also needs to be pressed manually; you cannot use your voice. If we say: “turn off Wi-Fi,” then they will simply open the network settings for us. Complete disappointment...

Now let's look at more interesting features. Google Now is, in part, an analogue of the Shazam and SoundHound applications. If the request is melodic, then a window with a note appears in the lower right corner, clicking on which launches the music search engine. Listening takes place for up to 15 seconds, and then the music, its author and album are displayed, naturally, if the composition has been recognized. We can go to the Google Play Store and take a closer look at the track. The music database is not extensive enough, but this can be fixed, but there are problems with recognition. The program may not “recognize” the same track the second time; it was tested on several mobile devices.

Don’t forget about other services from Google, for example, the same translator. You can say the command “cat in English” and Google Now will tell us the treasured word in a foreign language. Accordingly, in this way you can translate even entire phrases into almost any language.

Actually, there are many similar functions and query options. The most popular of them, such as weather, routes, events, bookmarks and others, will be displayed on the main screen of the search engine assistant. Panels with such data are called cards, there are quite a lot of them and they are created by the search giant.

Now let's move on to the search functions. If we need something, we say “OK Google” and say what we need to find. Then a search panel with queries opens to us. If we want to narrow the range of answers, then we add words such as “picture”, “video” and so on. This can be done manually; there is a special panel at the bottom of the screen.

By the way, for quick view There is a widget for those same cards.

Settings

IN Google settings Now there is nothing unusual, but it’s worth a look.

In parameters voice search engine we can adjust the recognition of the phrase “Ok Google”. To create a voice sample, you need to say the treasured phrase 3 times. After this, the assistant will be launched in response to the phrase “OK Google”. We will also be able to enable recognition of voice commands from all applications, not just from the menu.

You can also download language pack to our smartphone so that it can recognize speech in offline mode. But in offline Google Now will not start working... By the way, the Russian language is voiced very pleasant in a female voice, and its size is about 15 MB.

We can also turn off safe search and censorship. This is in case we are looking for something of an erotic and obscene nature. If the option is enabled, then all relevant Google words Now will be ignored.

In addition, there are various settings regarding the operation of the headset and search in general.

Testing

Google Now works quite well, but there are problems and glitches. The program may freeze, crash, and slow down; in addition, the gadget itself may slow down because of it. This is all due to the excessive gluttony of the application - consumption of about 200 MB of RAM. That's a lot! For those who don't know, at least this system application, but it can be forcibly disabled. This is done in the settings.

Conclusions

Google Now is still bigger search program, which has assistant functions. Yes, she can make calls, write SMS messages, open applications, search for information on the Internet and much more. But other assistants are much smarter and more perfect.

For example, we need to write an SMS message or a note, we say this, but we must fill in its content manually. This is not innovation! After all, the same Dusya asks us the contents of the note...

Google Now is indeed a search engine with advanced functionality and voice input. Not only is it free, but it's already on your device (if you have Gapps installed), so you can try it out.