Mobile users are usually short on time, and very easily distracted. The limited real-estate of their screen, as well as the smaller user interface (compared to computers), can sometimes be very unrewarding. That’s why mobile app developers tend to focus on user experience (UX) and user interface (UI), making their apps fast, intuitive, and seamlessly integrated with the rest of the mobile ecosystem. And that’s why everyone wants to get Siri online.
Siri, as well as voice-based AI personal assistants in general, was created as the epitome of that endeavor. Its voice-based interface is very humanlike and natural. The app itself is fast, integrates seamlessly with a large number of other apps and gets the job done in a matter of seconds.
But as mobile devices become more powerful, the line between them and computers blurs even further. We have seen many mobile apps ported to computers, and vice-versa. So where does Siri stand on that front? Can you use Siri online or on other platforms, and if so, which ones, to what extent, and with how much success?
Other platforms supporting Siri online
Siri’s been around for six years now, and has evolved quite severely during that time. What started as a third-party app for three platforms (Android, Blackberry and iOS), became an iOS-exclusive after Apple acquired Siri Inc. back in 2010. Fast forward six years, and the virtual assistant is available on Apple’s mobile platform (iOS), its smartwatch platform (watchOS), its smart TV platform (tvOS), its automotive platform (CarPlay) and its desktop platform (MacOS). There are even rumors and myths of Siri on other platforms like Internet, Android or Windows. We’ll take a look at those myths (and debunk a few) further down below.
First and foremost, Mac OS. This is where Siri is perhaps the most useful. You can think of it as another person using your computer at the same time, helping you complete your tasks faster. Unlike iPhones, multitasking is available here, and very useful. For example, you can bring up Siri online while working on a document, and have it search for additional information or an image for it, without ever having to leave the file or bring up the browser. It can also be used to look for files on the hard drive or iCloud. Apart from that, Siri can be used for any other activity you’re used to seeing on your iPhone.
On watchOS, Siri can be activated via voice (by saying Hey Siri), or by holding down the Digital Crown. Among its core features is the ability to write down and send dictated texts, make calls, set up location-based reminders, get directions and set up alarms and timers. Even though it’s limited by the watch’s tiny screen, it can still do quite a lot.
Apple’s tvOS is particularly interesting. Generally speaking, one of the biggest issues with modern-day television is the overwhelming number of choices. It makes it very hard to categorize and search movies and TV shows with so many genres and sub-genres, with so many clips on YouTube and similar platforms, and ultimately – so many live TV channels. Siri has fit in so well with tvOS that it seems as if it was originally designed for this platform. After you bring it up (and you can do that by the standard voice command or through a dedicated button on the remote controller), you can tell it, for example, to look for horror movies from the 90s, or comedies starring Seth Rogen (although it’s hard to classify Rogen’s movies as comedies, but I digress). Through a simple voice command, it can bring up and search on apps like YouTube, but most importantly – you can tell it which live TV channel you want to watch and it will find it and bring it up. Knowing that my parents still keep a piece of paper on the table with the numbers of their favorite TV channels, this is huge.
Another great platform where Siri is about to become essential is Apple’s CarPlay, its smart automotive platform. We all know how important it is, for the safety of everyone involved in traffic, that the drivers keep their eyes on the road, and their hands on the steering wheel at all times. Distractions like making phone calls, reading text messages, or changing songs all pose risks to the safety of everyone involved. With your iPhone plugged into the vehicle, Siri integrates well with the car’s built in system and is able to work its magic. Currently, Siri can be used in a car to call people, read text messages, play music from the iPhone, play podcasts and audio books, and replace existing navigation solutions. It is necessary, however, to have an iPhone with Siri supported in order for this system to work.
Jailbreaking Siri
Ever since its inception, rumors have been circulating through the web that Siri can be jailbroken and installed on Android and Windows-powered devices, or you could even get siri online. Be warned – this is not true and will probably never happen, so whoever tries to sell you a story of Siri on anything other than Apple platforms is probably trying to scam you or set you up with malware. Siri is not available on the Web, it’s not available on Android, and it’s not available on Windows.
Android has a number of different virtual AI assistants, like the Google Assistant or Bixby. Windows has its Cortana. Siri is, and will remain, Apple-only. Aside from the limitations of different mobile processor architecture, Siri requires a valid iPhone identification string in order to authenticate the user. It is thus highly unlikely anyone will bother jailbreaking Siri to bring it to other platforms, especially with the likes of Bixby and Cortana already being viable choices.
Wrap-up
What started off as a mobile-only virtual assistant designed to solve the aching pain of mobile UX and UI, quickly transformed into an all-encompassing Apple-based virtual assistant. The interesting thing is, on every different platform (iOS, Mac OS, watchOS, CarPlay and tvOS), Siri can be used for completely different things and still be extremely useful. Unfortunately, we will probably never see it on anything other than Apple-based products.