{"id":511814,"date":"2022-11-17T18:24:18","date_gmt":"2022-11-17T15:24:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek\/"},"modified":"2022-11-17T18:24:18","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T15:24:18","slug":"is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek\/","title":{"rendered":"#Is One Virtual Assistant Better? \u2013 Review Geek"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a32f1af131c6\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a32f1af131c6\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek\/#%E2%80%9CIs_One_Virtual_Assistant_Better_%E2%80%93_Review_Geek%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Is One Virtual Assistant Better? \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek\/#Privacy\" >Privacy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek\/#Languages_and_Accents\" >Languages and Accents<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek\/#Smart_Device_Compatibility\" >Smart Device Compatibility<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek\/#Questions_and_Commands\" >Questions and Commands<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek\/#Navigation\" >Navigation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek\/#Kitchen_Assistance\" >Kitchen Assistance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek\/#Contacting_People_Calls_Video_Chats_Texts\" >Contacting People: Calls, Video Chats, Texts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek\/#Music_Podcasts_and_Other_Entertainment\" >Music, Podcasts, and Other Entertainment<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-one-virtual-assistant-better-review-geek\/#Routines_Alexa_vs_Google_Assistant\" >Routines: Alexa vs Google Assistant<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CIs_One_Virtual_Assistant_Better_%E2%80%93_Review_Geek%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Is One Virtual Assistant Better? \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div id=\"article-content-area\">\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-136685\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/11\/d4fd9735.jpg?width=1200\" alt=\"A man holding an Amazon Echo Dot and Google Nest Mini in one hand.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">Yasin Hasan\/Shutterstock.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A virtual assistant can call and text people, turn off the lights, play music or TV shows, start your coffee maker in the morning, and so so so much more. In short, a virtual assistant makes your life easier. If you\u2019ve already written off <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">App<\/a>le\u2019s Siri, your top two options are Alexa and Google Assistant. But which is better?<\/p>\n<p>As with any comparison, some features are objectively better, while others are more subjective based on a specific user\u2019s needs. Both Alexa and Google Assistant have areas where they shine and areas where they could clearly use some work.<\/p>\n<p>Alexa is the better pick if you want to create a dynamic smart home ecosystem, but it\u2019s pretty difficult to take Alexa\u2019s assistant capabilities when you leave your home. You can specifically buy a smartphone with Alexa built-in for a full experience, but otherwise, you have to download the Alexa mobile app (<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.amazon.dee.app&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US&amp;tag=lsmedia-13018-20\">Android<\/a>\/<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/amazon-alexa\/id944011620?at=1010l392g&amp;ct=rg136193&amp;tag=lsmedia-13018-20\">iOS<\/a>) and open it anytime you want to give a command through your smartphone.<\/p>\n<p>If your main uses for a virtual assistant need to be carried out on your smartphone\u2014and you have a newer Android smartphone\u2014Google Assistant is your best bet. On smartphones\u00a0running Android 5.0 and above, Google Assistant is integrated, allowing you to say \u201cHey, Google\u201d and give a command or ask a question without opening an app first.<\/p>\n<p>But that\u2019s just the TL;DR for this comparison. If you want all the nitty-gritty details, we compared Alexa and Google Assistant in a variety of different ways to see which one came out on top in specific categories.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Privacy\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_0\">Privacy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136687\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/11\/0b71907f.jpg\" alt=\"Listening Google assistant app on smartphone screen image\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/nangloi-delhi-india-14-june-2022-2202641049\">fireFX\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>No matter which voice assistant you opt to use, they\u2019re almost equal in terms of privacy. They\u2019re always listening for their wake word or phrase in order to be at your beck and call\u2014which means they\u2019re listening at all times just in case.\u00a0Virtual assistants are generally more helpful than they are invasive, but it can still be a bit strange to have a device that\u2019s constantly monitoring its environment for its wake word.<\/p>\n<p>Amazon has stated that nothing is recorded <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/b\/?node=23608618011&amp;tag=lsmedia-13018-20\">unless the Alexa\u2019s wake word is detected<\/a> first. Even then, the voice recordings are only kept to improve future requests and overall functionality.\u00a0Google, on the other hand, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/safety.google\/assistant\/\">does not save your audio recordings<\/a> on Google servers by default. If you turn this feature on and allow recording, Google Assistant works just like Alexa, only recording your voice and your requests once its wake word is detected.<\/p>\n<p>And even then,\u00a0both companies allow you to delete any and all voice recordings through a companion app or by making a verbal request to the virtual assistant\u2014ironic, right? That said, Google seemingly has a slight edge over Amazon here because the company makes it easy to turn off voice recording at any point and set up your data to auto-delete after a specified time limit. While Amazon lets you view and delete any recorded data from Alexa, there\u2019s no way to stop it from recording after its wake word is detected\u2014unless you manually turn the mic off.<\/p>\n<p>Many smart devices with a built-in assistant now come with microphone-off buttons, letting you physically turn it off and not worry about whether it\u2019s still listening. If you have a smart display with a camera, there\u2019s typically a privacy shutter, so you can make it impossible to see anything even if the camera is turned on. There are also usually light or sound indicators that indicate when a virtual assistant detects its wake word.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Languages_and_Accents\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_1\">Languages and Accents<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136691\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/11\/dc612106.jpg\" alt=\"Installation of new Amazon Echo on a touchscreen display.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Hadrian\/Shutterstock.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to Google\u2019s developer site, Google Assistant can currently recognize speech and actually respond back to you in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/assistant\/sdk\/reference\/rpc\/languages\">nine different languages<\/a>, though some of these languages have dialect variations. For example, there\u2019s English for the United States, but also dialects for Australia, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom. However, within Google Assistant\u2019s settings on a smartphone, over 20 languages pop up, and you can add up to two languages in your settings if you regularly swap between them when giving commands.<\/p>\n<p>The languages available through Google Assistant vary based on which country you\u2019re in, though Google still offers more variety than Alexa does at this time. Keep in mind that Google has its Translate program, which has been around for years.\u00a0Using all that data, Google is able to offer more and can even translate verbal commands that are pretty accurate.<\/p>\n<p>Neither Google Assistant nor Alexa are great at handling strong accents, but they\u2019re getting better. It could be argued that Google Assistant is slightly further along in recognizing accents simply because of its experience with the Translate app, but the difference is minimal.<\/p>\n<p>Amazon\u2019s developer website also lists <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/developer.amazon.com\/en-US\/docs\/alexa\/custom-skills\/develop-skills-in-multiple-languages.html?tag=lsmedia-13018-20\">nine different supported languages<\/a> for Skills, with various dialects as well. The company says that customers who interact with Alexa in one of its supported languages can use Skills that support that language. For example, if a customer sets their Alexa device to use German, they can use any published Skills that support the German language. In some areas, Alexa also offers customers the option to add a second language, just like Google Assistant.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Smart_Device_Compatibility\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_2\">Smart Device Compatibility<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136695\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/11\/d4f51d1d.jpg\" alt=\"Amazon Echo Alexa Smart Speakers. 1st generation echo in the middle and 2nd generation speakers either side.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">James Copeland\/Shutterstock.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Alexa is quite obviously compatible with devices designed by Amazon, like the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Echo-Dot\/dp\/B07FZ8S74R?tag=lsmedia-13018-20\">Echo Dot<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Echo-Show-5-2nd-Gen-2021-release\/dp\/B08J8FFJ8H?tag=lsmedia-13018-20\">Echo Show 5<\/a>, and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Echo-Studio-best-sounding-smart-speaker\/dp\/B09M67KSSF?tag=lsmedia-13018-20\">Echo Studio<\/a>. Some combination of these devices is pretty necessary if you want to create a smart home ecosystem and run it with Alexa. But Amazon doesn\u2019t make a smart air fryer or coffee maker\u2014at least, not yet\u2014and those devices aren\u2019t always compatible with Alexa. However, you can usually find more Alexa-compatible devices than you can find devices compatible with Google Assistant.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136719\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/11\/c617f022.jpg\" alt=\"Google Home, Hub, Nest devices together on show in group.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Vantage_DS\/Shutterstock.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Google Assistant is built into almost all Android phones and is compatible with any smart device that you can find on Google\u2019s website. This includes Nest <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/store.google.com\/category\/nest_speakers?hl=en-US\">Smart Speakers<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/store.google.com\/category\/nest_hubs_displays?hl=en-US\">Smart Displays<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/store.google.com\/product\/chromecast_google_tv?hl=en-US\">Streaming devices<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/store.google.com\/product\/google_wifi?hl=en-US\">Wi-Fi devices<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/store.google.com\/product\/nest_x_yale_lock?hl=en-US\">Door locks<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/store.google.com\/category\/nest_thermostats?hl=en-US\">Thermostats<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/store.google.com\/product\/nest_doorbell?hl=en-US\">Doorbells<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/store.google.com\/category\/nest_cams?hl=en-US\">Cameras<\/a>, and more. While Google has developed its Nest products to include a wide array of helpful smart devices, Amazon has acquired existing companies to fulfill similar needs, like Ring, Blink, and iRobot.<\/p>\n<p>According to reports from Statista, there are over <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/912893\/amazon-alexa-smart-home-compatible\/?tag=lsmedia-13018-20\">100,000 devices<\/a> that are compatible with Alexa and over <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/933532\/worldwide-google-assistant-device-support\/\">50,000 devices<\/a> that are compatible with Google Assistant. While 100,000 is a huge number, so is 50,000. That might seem like a silly statement, but it\u2019s worth saying because Google Assistant is still compatible with a huge collection of devices. And in more ways than one, Google Assistant is currently smarter than Alexa and built into more Android phones at the moment.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Questions_and_Commands\"><\/span>Questions and Commands<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136697\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/11\/f75f5d64.jpg\" alt=\"Google Assistant on a smartphone.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">nikkimeel\/Shutterstock.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Most virtual assistants have no trouble answering basic questions\u2014\u201cWhat\u2019s 2 + 2?\u201d :Why do dogs pant?\u201d \u201cWhat year did man first go to space?\u201d\u2014or following simple commands\u2014like \u201cturn on the bedroom lights,\u201d \u201cplay my study playlist on Spotify,\u201d or \u201ccall Mom.\u201d But what about more complex questions and commands? To test the limits of each virtual assistant, it\u2019s wise to ask two questions wrapped up into one or simultaneously give two separate but related commands.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, we made Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri battle it out in a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/6995\/alexa-vs-google-assistant-vs-siri-a-curious-question-face-off\/\">simple question face-off, and their answers to every question were practically the same. Four years later, these answers are probably even more similar. It\u2019d be impossible to dive into every question you could possibly ask Google Assistant or Alexa, but we\u2019ll definitely check out a few general knowledge areas where virtual assistants have proven themselves most helpful.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Navigation\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_4\">Navigation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136704\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/11\/b75e6688.jpg\" alt=\"Google Maps open on a smartphone attached to a dashboard in a car.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/bangi-malaysia-july-28-2019-using-1463212646\">Aiman Khair\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A good virtual assistant can get you anywhere you need to go, whether it\u2019s a car repair shop or the nearest Starbucks. Google Assistant and Alexa are both well-equipped to give you traffic info on your regular commute or act as your navigator in a new area. That said, Google Assistant seems to do a better job at accurately estimating traffic conditions and route times\u2014there\u2019s a reason Google Maps has <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps\">over 10 billion downloads<\/a>, just on the Play Store\u2014as well as offering better assistance for public transit.<\/p>\n<p>Even though Google Maps is the popular navigation choice for many Android users, you don\u2019t have to set it as your default in order for Google Assistant to give reliable guide info. As an example, if Waze was your preferred navigation app, Google Assistant would send route info to that app and not its proprietary Maps app. Plus, while you can bring Alexa along in the car with you, it\u2019s admittedly more difficult than bringing Google Assistant.<\/p>\n<p>Taking inspiration from our question face-off in 2018, we asked Google Assistant and Alexa a few navigational questions and recorded their answers:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow far of a drive is it from Los Angeles to New York City?\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Google Assistant:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s 2,788 miles to get to New York from Los Angeles by car.\u201d Then, a map overview pops up, along with the main highway you\u2019ll need to take and how many total hours the drive will be.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alexa:<\/strong> \u201cFrom Los Angeles, New York is 2,791.3 miles away by car.\u201d Alexa\u2019s original answer to this question in 2018 was: \u201cSorry, I couldn\u2019t find what you\u2019re looking for.\u201d In addition to Alexa\u2019s response, you\u2019ll also see the main highways you\u2019ll be traveling on and how long in hours and minutes the trip will take.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cWhere\u2019s the nearest Starbucks?\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Google Assistant:<\/strong> \u201cI found a few Starbucks locations near you.\u201d Google Assistant shows a map overview and highlights the closest three locations, showing their info card that you\u2019d typically see on Google searches\u2014with operating hours, business address, how many miles away it is, and quick access buttons to call the business or map your way there.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alexa:<\/strong> \u201cThe nearest Starbucks is 0.3 miles away on Highway 377 E.\u201d Then, Alexa also includes some visual info pulled from Yelp, including an image, star rating, full address, phone number, hours of operation, and a clickable link to take you to Yelp.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cWhere can I get my car fixed?\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Google Assistant:<\/strong> \u201cI found a few places near you.\u201d Then, Google Assistant displayed all sorts of helpful info, including a map view (from Google Maps), the top three options and all their business info, and a few possible responses to help you finish your command. For example, Google Assistant suggests you could respond with \u201cThe closest one\u201d or \u201cAuto repair shops\u201d instead of what you originally searched for. The places Google Assistant showed me were labeled as auto repair or truck repair shops.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alexa:<\/strong> \u201cI found a few options for that. There\u2019s the Car Store 211.5 miles away on [street name], Car Store 225.5 miles away on [street name], and Car Store 227.5 miles away on [street name].\u201d Although Alexa only names three places\u2014which is still way too much\u2014five are displayed on the screen along with their Yelp info. Plus, the Car Store is a used car dealership, so I guess Alexa\u2019s solution to fixing your car is to buy a new one. Okay, the Car Store does perform some car services, but only for their customers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kitchen_Assistance\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_5\">Kitchen Assistance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-136709 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/11\/39e06350.jpg\" alt=\"Amazon Echo Smart Home Alexa Voice Service in a kitchen.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/barcelona-september-2018-amazon-echo-smart-1181618926?tag=lsmedia-13018-20\" data-credittext=\"Juan Ci\/Shutterstock.com\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/barcelona-september-2018-amazon-echo-smart-1181618926?tag=lsmedia-13018-20\">Juan Ci\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Alexa and Google Assistant make it easy to go hands-free in the kitchen, which is great because your hands aren\u2019t always clean enough to touch your phone while you\u2019re cooking or baking. However, both virtual assistants are only truly helpful if you have a smart display and not just a smartphone.<\/p>\n<p>With a smart display, Google Assistant and Alexa can find a recipe for you, read the ingredients and instructions aloud, and repeat anything you need during the cooking or baking process. If you only have a smartphone, both VAs can find you a recipe but can\u2019t do much past that. After asking Google Assistant to find a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, four of the most popular results\u2014from the first page of Google search results\u2014displayed on my screen as clickable links. Alexa was a bit more helpful, but not by much.<\/p>\n<p>After Alexa found a chocolate chip recipe, she gave a few different response options: \u201cStart recipe, send to phone, add to list, or hear next recipe.\u201d Responding with \u201cstart recipe\u201d then prompted Alexa to ask if she should list the ingredients or the instructions. While all of this sounds promising for Alexa as a kitchen assistant on a smartphone, that\u2019s unfortunately not the case. Whether saying \u201cgather ingredients\u201d or \u201chear the instructions,\u201d Alexa would start off strong and then just randomly close the conversation.<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have a smart display in your kitchen\u2014like an Echo Show 5 or a Google Nest Hub\u2014you can still use Alexa or Google Assistant on your smartphone to help you out. You can ask your virtual assistant to set a timer, control a smart kitchen device that\u2019s been connected, or play music, so you\u2019re not bored while cooking.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Contacting_People_Calls_Video_Chats_Texts\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_6\">Contacting People: Calls, Video Chats, Texts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136711\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1e568672.jpg\" alt=\"Woman's hand holding iPhone 11 making a call.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">DenPhotos\/Shutterstock.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Texting, calling, and even video-calling are all pretty basic functions of any smartphone nowadays, so it makes complete sense that Alexa and Google Assistant are both able to perform these commands. You can even send texts and make phone calls\u2014and video calls if it has that functionality\u2014free of charge, whether you just have an assistant\u2019s mobile app, an Amazon Echo device, or a Google Nest device.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of whether you\u2019re contacting someone from a mobile app or another smart device, virtual assistants need access to your contacts for this feature. While you don\u2019t have to provide your phone number to Google Assistant for calls, Alexa requires you to\u2014though you can hide your Caller ID. However, if you don\u2019t give your phone number or allow it to be shown, your Caller ID will show up as \u201cUnknown,\u201d \u201cPrivate,\u201d or \u201cAnonymous,\u201d and the person you\u2019re calling might not pick up.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/assistant\/answer\/9984245\">Sending text messages via Google Assistant<\/a> is as simple as saying its wake word, \u201cSend text to Mom,\u201d and then speaking your message. As long as you have Google Assistant enabled, it\u2019ll detect your default messaging app, find the correct person in your contacts list, and send a message hands-free. If you have another messaging app installed\u2014WhatsApp, for example\u2014just include the app\u2019s title in the command: \u201cSend a WhatsApp message to Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alexa handles texting a little differently. Both the sender and receiver of text messages need to have the Alexa app installed and a supported operating system on their phone\u2014iOS 10.0 or higher and Android OS 5.1 or higher. Alexa isn\u2019t integrated into Android phones like Google Assistant is, and it\u2019s not able to send a message via WhatsApp, GroupMe, or really any other messaging app unless you specifically set something up <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ifttt.com\/connect\/groupme\/amazon_alexa?tag=lsmedia-13018-20\">through IFTTT<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Music_Podcasts_and_Other_Entertainment\"><\/span>Music, Podcasts, and Other Entertainment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you have a subscription to popular music streaming services, like Spotify or Pandora, and media streaming services, like Netflix or Disney Plus, you should have no issues playing your favorites with a voice command to Google Assistant or Alexa. Though both virtual assistants can carry out these types of commands via a smartphone, your experience will be even better if you own a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/4743\/amazon-echo-vs-google-home-does-it-really-matter-which-you-choose\/\">smart speaker or a smart display.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to note that you have to integrate any services that you want to control with Google Assistant or Alexa. Yes, they are smart virtual assistants, but they\u2019re not\u00a0<em>that<\/em> smart. If you have an Android phone, Google Assistant can open a lot of apps that you\u2019re already logged into, but you\u2019ll still need to declare a preferred music app for it to always play your songs there. Or, you can specifically include the app\u2019s name in your command.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also worth noting that most virtual assistants can\u2019t connect to media streaming services on a smartphone. Google Assistant on Android phones, again, is an exception. Because all Android phones automatically come with Google Assistant support, it can open an app you\u2019ve downloaded when you request it and sometimes carry out a specific command within the app.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136713\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/11\/4f4bd51d.jpg\" alt=\"White Amazon Echo Plus on wooden table in a living room.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/muenster-january-27-2018-white-amazon-1012682011?tag=lsmedia-13018-20\">seewhatmitchsee\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cCan you show me showtimes for a nearby theater?\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Google Assistant:<\/strong> After processing the request, 10 different movies popped up with their cover art and genre(s). Tapping one of the available movies opened up a lot of options and prompted Google Assistant to spew a few details out on who starred in and directed the movie. You could tap on Showtimes to see nearby movie theaters and showtimes and on Reviews to see the movie\u2019s overall score on Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, and Letterboxd.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alexa:<\/strong> \u201cHere are a few movies playing near you today. Ticket to Paradise, Black Adam, Black Panther, Wakanda Forever, and One Piece Film: Red. If you\u2019d like to hear more, ask me to tell you more.\u201d After Alexa finishes this spiel, she doesn\u2019t wait for a response before closing the conversation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cPlay\u00a0<em>NCIS<\/em> on Netflix.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Google Assistant:<\/strong> While Google Assistant didn\u2019t actually respond to this request, it processed it in a few seconds and loaded up\u00a0<em>NCIS<\/em> on Netflix. Plus, it didn\u2019t just start the series from the beginning; it resumed an episode from Season 12 that I was in the middle of.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alexa:<\/strong> \u201cSorry, I can\u2019t handle this request yet.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cPlay <em>Told Me Not To Worry<\/em> on Spotify.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Google Assistant:<\/strong> \u201cPlaying the album <em>Told Me Not To Worry<\/em> on Spotify.\u201d The song instantly started playing through Spotify.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alexa:<\/strong> \u201cPlaying\u00a0<em>Told Me Not To Worry<\/em> by Alayna Grace on Spotify.\u201d The first time Alexa tried to process this request, it added the song to the queue and resumed the current song that was playing. After clearing the queue and trying again, Alexa started playing the correct song.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cCan you find and play study music on Spotify or YouTube?\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Google Assistant:<\/strong> \u201cI can show you images if you\u2019d like.\u201d After saying this, Google Assistant then opened a playlist on YouTube titled Intense Studying Spotify\u00a0 \u2013 Deep Focus. This was a complicated request designed to test each virtual assistant\u2019s ability to either choose between two apps or ask for clarification. Google Assistant handled the request much better than Alexa.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alexa:<\/strong> \u201cSorry, I\u2019m not sure about that.\u201d When shortening the question to only include Spotify, Alexa started playing a study playlist on Spotify. Only including YouTube in the question resulted in the same answer of \u201cSorry, I\u2019m not sure about that.\u201d When asked if she could play study music on YouTube, Alexa pulled up the YouTube app and searched study music, saying, \u201cHere\u2019s what I found.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cPlay the next podcast episode of <em>The Little Dum Dum Club<\/em> on Spotify.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Google Assistant:<\/strong> \u201cHere\u2019s\u00a0<em>The Little Dum Dum Club with Tommy &amp; Karl<\/em> on Spotify.\u201d The most recent episode of the Australian comedy podcast started playing after 10 seconds or so. While this podcast has gained a substantial following over the years, it\u2019s still not a super well-known podcast around the world, so it was impressive that Google Assistant could find it and play an episode.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alexa:<\/strong> This seemed to be a confusing question for Alexa. Instead of completing the actual request, Alexa played the next song from the study playlist mentioned above. A second attempt resulted in the same thing. Alexa simply skipped to the next song in the study playlist on Spotify.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Routines_Alexa_vs_Google_Assistant\"><\/span>Routines: Alexa vs Google Assistant<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<lite-youtube videoid=\"8Wj2m8qICvY\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/8Wj2m8qICvY\/hqdefault.jpg');\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"lty-playbtn\"><br \/>\n<span class=\"lyt-visually-hidden\">Play Video<\/span><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/lite-youtube>\n<p>Creating viable routines that actually support your everyday life is an area where Alexa shines, and Google Assistant, unfortunately, doesn\u2019t.\u00a0As our editor-in-chief, Josh Hendrickson, puts it: \u201cGoogle is<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/114351\/im-dumping-alexa-but-im-letting-her-stay-as-a-roommate\/\"> frustratingly, horrifyingly bad at [supporting routines].\u201d That\u2019s not to say you can\u2019t set up a great routine with Google Assistant, but Alexa is able to create more dynamic routines that almost anticipate your desires, whereas Google Assistant excels solely at simplistic routines.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to read more about the difference between routines with Alexa versus Google Assistant and why exactly Google Assistant fails so hard at routines, we\u2019ve got you covered.<\/p>\n<lite-youtube videoid=\"DVpOy5LBd7o\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/DVpOy5LBd7o\/hqdefault.jpg');\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"lty-playbtn\"><br \/>\n<span class=\"lyt-visually-hidden\">Play Video<\/span><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/lite-youtube>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\nsetTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('init', '1137093656460433');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/136193\/amazon-alexa-vs-google-assistant-is-one-virtual-assistant-better\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Is One Virtual Assistant Better? \u2013 Review Geek&#8221; Yasin Hasan\/Shutterstock.com A virtual assistant can call and text people, turn off the lights, play music or TV shows, start your coffee maker in the morning, and so so so much more. In short, a virtual assistant makes your life easier. If you\u2019ve already written off Apple\u2019s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":511815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/11\/d4fd9735.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-511814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=511814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511814\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/511815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=511814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=511814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=511814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}