Google has activated support for third-party apps in its Google Assistant product in India.
Before this, it was not possible for third-party apps to be launched or accessed via Google Assistant in India. Google Assistant is the company’s artificial intelligence-based mobile phone search and assistance app similar to Siri from Apple.
To enable the new feature, app developers have to sign up on the company’s development platform and add support for their app.
“Once an app works with the Assistant, you can just tell your Assistant to connect you with the app of your choice with a simple voice command – whether it’s on eligible Android phones or iPhones,” it said.
Users won’t need to install anything extra, it added. “We’ll connect you straight with the app you’d like to interact with. For example, just say “Ok Google, talk to….” to fire up an app,” it said.
With this, Google hopes to bridge the divide between its search service on the mobile phone and the apps that reside on the device.
This was never a problem on the desktop, as destinations were usually websites that could be opened in a new window and could also be indexed using the web.
But on mobile phones, the destinations can often be an app that cannot be simply opened by clicking a button on Google Assistant.