Personal assistant apps have been around for a while. However, it's not until Siri that they really become important. We now have tons of options in the space, including offerings from Google, Microsoft, and SoundHound, among others. It's an interesting space to be in right now. You can also enjoy it with the best personal assistant apps for Android! Let's start. Also, if you're into hardware, check out Google Home and Amazon Alexa, as they combine the concept of a personal assistant app with a hardware device to control. We will be perfectly honest here. Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Microsoft Cortan are probably your top three results right now. We've listed the rest just to show you what else is there.
The most useful personal assistants on Android
Amazon Alexa
Amazon Alexa is actually a great personal assistant. Unfortunately, it is difficult to obtain. It requires an Amazon Fire device or an Amazon Echo device. The app on Android is primarily a controller for devices. Alexa can search the web, integrate with the smart home, and even order pizza! Its device restrictions are by far the worst of it. Otherwise, Google Assistant is the best of the best. We recommend it for sure.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAYBixby (Samsung devices only)
Bixby is Samsung's personal assistant app. It is only available on Samsung devices. Otherwise, it's surprisingly correct. It searches the web, downloads applications from Google Play, and directly supports a large number of available applications. It also supports smart home technologies as long as you have Samsung's exclusive hub. Its only about a year old. However, it's still better than most other options. Those who have a Samsung device should try this one for sure. We do not know if Samsung plans to open this possibility to other devices. It might be nice if they did.
Cortana
It's true that Cortana still needs some work, but she has too much potential to make it out of a list like this. Microsoft's answer to Siri offers a wealth of possibilities and is built into Windows 10 for near-seamless cross-platform support. Some of its many features include the ability to call people, send text messages and emails, track packages, tell jokes, take notes, add items to your calendar, and more. Again, it's a little rough around the edges right now. It's still better than most. Moreover, its active development should make it better over time.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAYDataBot
DataBot is a slightly above average personal assistant app. It offers cross-platform support. You also get personal assistant basics, customization features, and even a chatbot. It doesn't come close to the functionality of Google Assistant, Siri, or even Cortana or Bixby. However, it is a simpler and fun solution for those who like it. He can even tell jokes, riddles and other goofy things like that. The app isn't bad, but it doesn't bother either. The app is free with some optional in-app purchases.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAYGoogle Assistant
Google Assistant is pretty much the undisputed champ of personal assistant apps on Android. It comes with a ton of features that include the basics, more advanced stuff like anticipating your needs, activating from anywhere, and much more. It even integrates with some smart home objects such as Philips Hue lights. It's also been updated almost constantly by Google, which seems to only add to its stability and array of features. If your device has Google Play Services, you probably already have it installed, which means you just need to activate it. You can also get Google Now Launcher, which puts Google Now at the forefront of your device's interactions.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Hound
Hound is another of the personal assistant apps coming alongside Cortana. SoundHound made this one a few years ago. Things are going well. All the basics are covered here and include advanced features like a mortgage calculator, built-in Expedia support for hotel bookings, and the SoundHound Now, which opens up sung/hum music search. You can even play interactive games like Hangman. At the moment it is only for US residents, but it is no longer in beta and is ready for public consumption. It's still a bit buggy though, so beware of that.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAYLyra Virtual Assistant
Lyra Virtual Assistant is one of the simplest personal assistant apps. It can do a lot of basic things. Some features include searching YouTube videos, telling jokes, finding directions, managing a calendar, setting alarms, and more. It uses Material Design. It means it looks good. He obviously can't compete with big dogs. However, it's a good alternative for those who don't want all those extra features. This one is completely free, with no in-app purchases or ads wherever possible.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAYRobin
Robin was one of the "first challengers to Siri" and as such has been around for quite a long time. Despite this, the developer continues to proclaim Robin as a beta app, which means they absolutely want everything to be done well before release. It supports basic commands like calling and texting and can also respond to gestures, get information about parking and traffic alerts, gas prices, and more. There's still some work to be done, but it's a pretty decent option and should improve a lot in the long run if the devs keep working on it.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
If we missed any great personal assistant apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments
