Wondering how to get the Siri app for free? Is there even a Siri app for free? As you might already know – Siri is a built-in intelligent personal assistant that is an integral part of any mobile Apple device. The keyword here is “mobile” as the voice-powered agent supports older models that come with Siri by default, but just fairly recently expanded to Mac via macOS, a rebranded version of OS X that is more in line with Apple’s other operating systems (at least, name-wise – iOS, tvOS, and watchOS).
So, who gets the distinct pleasure to enjoy Siri? Anyone who has iPhone 4s or later, iPad Pro, iPad Air or later, iPad (3rd generation) or later, iPad mini or later, and iPod touch (5th generation or later). And, naturally, internet access (a no brainer, but we just had to mention it). There are some quirks, though. The assistant may not be available in all languages or in all areas. The same goes for the list of features that may vary from location to location. Still, Siri is there one way or another and that’s all that matters. What about the rest of the mobile world? Well, that’s a whole other story we’ll tell you about later on. First, let’s see how you get the Siri app in the first place.
Siri App
Siri is a built-in feature so it’s not quite an app in terms of finding it on App Store and downloading it separately. On iOS, the device of your choosing will typically ask you if you want to enable the assistant upon booting up for the first time. If it isn’t already enabled, you can always turn it on in Settings or disable it, if you want to take a break from Siri. On paired Apple Watch devices, users need to tap Settings > General > Siri and make sure that Hey Siri is on. Fourth generation Apple TV (the one that supports Siri) follows the same procedure.
The only somewhat real app download relates to bringing Siri to Macs. However, users need to download the entire macOS Sierra because Siri is not available as a standalone app. macOS Sierra requires certain Mac models and versions of OS X in order for it to work. Supported devices are iMac (late 2009 or newer), MacBook (late 2009 or newer), MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer), MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer), Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer), and Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer). OS X version include OS X El Capitan v10.11, OS X Yosemite v10.10, OS X Mavericks v10.9, OS X Mountain Lion v10.8, and OS X Lion v10.7.
Users with eligible devices and OS version can download macOS Sierra via App Store. Either Search the App Store for macOS Sierra or go straight to the macOS Sierra page. Once the download is complete, the file opens automatically and all you have to do is follow the prompts. Users with OS X El Capitan v10.11.5 or later can get Sierra as an automatic download.
Siri App For Android
This is where Apple’s closed ecosystem comes to full light. Siri for Android is more of a myth than a real, tangible notion. For Apple, having a player in the largest mobile arena (in terms of OS coverage) is out of the question. While that might seem absurd at first, there is solid ground beneath it. You see, Apple is a hardware company, first and foremost. In Siri, the company has a key competitive differentiator that’s a big part of its sales. Being solely an Apple device feature makes Siri special and exclusive, thus ramping up the need to buy an Apple device in order to use the voice-powered assistant. Simply put, Apple doesn’t need Siri on Android as it would only play into their competition. Having a Siri on a Samsung smartphone, for instance, benefits the South Korean company more as it’s their hardware that would be selling. So you can’t get the Siri app for free on other devices.
Apart from affecting the sales of iPhones, iPads and others, Apple has another good reason on why Siri is Apple-only.
Hardware differences
Want Siri on your non-supported Siri device? Unless you want to jailbreak your device (which we strongly advise against) or install a third-party app that mimics Siri, there’s not much you can do. Siri is bound to exist in the Apple universe only with no crossovers whatsoever. Part of that is likely due to something we already mentioned – Apple being a closed ecosystem. However, an equally likely explanation would be the infrastructure of Apple’s devices.
The reveal here is that Apple uses its own processors. The company addressed them as “closed platforms” (shocking!) until the fourth iteration of iPhone. With iPhone 4, there was a mention of Apple’s own A4 processor. The series of processors progressed with each new model. While we’re only a month or so away from the big reveal of iPhone 8, currently the A10 Fusion chip is the latest offering. Now, here’s where things go their separate ways. As Apple is deep into vertical integration, it uses own CPU design. This, in turn, allows specific performances out of the chip. The company’s focus is on getting more work done per clock cycle rather than adding hardware and features for the sake of it.
For instance, having the 8-core processor in the Android smartphone isn’t a requirement. It’s more of an as-needed basis and a strong sale argument. However, apart from running multiple apps simultaneously, it doesn’t give much of an advantage to a typical user. Add in the fact that the software side is crucial in determining what hardware specifications are useful to the smartphone, as well as how that hardware is used and managed, you get Apple’s specialty – hardware integration. With Apple in charge of every conceivable aspect of its supply and production chain, it’s not an easy task to translate it to other non-Apple devices. If anything, Apple will do the opposite. If there’s a real chance, it will get rid of reliance on other companies (khm, Intel, khm) and take matters into own hands.
When you look at it that way, along with Siri being a key cog in a sale’s machine, it’s fairly reasonable why there is no Siri app for free or on another non-Apple platform.
What’s next for Siri?
The official iOS 11 beta is available for more than a month now and there’s lots of feedback. The majority of conclusions is that Siri seems to be smarter. This starts from the very beginning. There will be a new, more natural-sounding voice in both male and female version that ultimately enhances immersion. Sounding more human is a small step forward, but the bigger questions still remain. Will it be able to answer more contextual questions and generally provide a better understanding? That will be seen in the final iOS 11 version out this fall.
WIth the upcoming iPhone 8 and Apple’s standalone Siri speaker, Siri will once again be in the spotlight. These products will certainly have some advantages that will appeal to the masses. And once again, as Siri, they will be exclusive to Apple. That means no Siri app for other devices, which advances Apple’s established mindset. With the competition expanding their personal assistants outside their native areas, maybe the growing pressure to level the playing field will force the Cupertino company to change its tune. Then again, for all we’ve seen so far, it probably won’t. We can dream.