Devices and platforms that use voice control/voice search
Voice searches are conducted using different platforms and devices. There’s Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, Cortana by Microsoft, and Google Assistant. In this section, you’ll find resources that shed light on these platforms and how they work.
Siri
Use Siri on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch – Here’s the official “how to” Siri article straight from Apple. It teaches you how to ask Siri a question, how to set up “Hey Siri,” how to change Siri’s voice or language, and more.
Our Siri guide: How to merge your life with Apple’s witty virtual assistant – Need another essential, step-by-step guide to using Siri? Digital Trends has one for you. This post gives you all the fundamentals, from setting up and using Siri to the standard voice commands and the future of the virtual assistant.
The Complete List of Siri Commands– Here’s a nifty list of all available Siri commands. If you’re looking for a cheat sheet of what to ask or tell Siri, this resource has you covered.
Siri: The ultimate guide – Now, if you want to geek out and go in-depth, iMore has the guide for you. This page tackles all the essential Siri features and commands, along with intermediate and advanced functions — including how to set up alarms, how to get directions, how to play and control music, how to search Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Wolfram|Alpha and so much more.
Google Home – Moving on to Google’s side of things, here’s the website of Google Home, the search giant’s foray into voice technology for households. Powered by Google Assistant, you can ask it all sorts of questions and tell it to do various things. Just say “Ok Google” followed by your command and you’ll be good to go.
Introducing Google Home – Need a more visual overview of Google Home? Watch Google’s short and sweet introductory video for the device.
The Total Beginner’s Guide to Using Google Home Like a Pro – Here’s a comprehensive guide to using Google Home. You’ll learn all about standard commands, adding skills, additional services, and more.
Use “OK Google” voice searches & actions – Google’s voice technology is accessible via Android phones and tablets. If you want to learn more about how to use “Ok Google” on your handheld gadgets, here’s a no-frills guide straight from the search giant.
Alexa
Meet Alexa – Alexa, as Amazon defines it, is “the brain behindEcho and Alexa devices.” Like the other voice assistants we talk about in this section, Alexa can answer various questions and fulfil different commands. This site is Amazon’s official destination for all things Alexa. Use it to wise up on Alexa’s role in home entertainment, communication, news and information, shopping, etc.
34 Alexa tips and tricks – If you want to get the most out of Alexa, CNET has put together a list of “tips and tricks” for using Amazon’s voice assistant. It covers basic how-tos such as adding profiles and also dives into more intermediate features like adding non-supported smart home devices, creating routines, settling arguments and more.
Amazon Alexa ultimate guide: How to use and get more from your Amazon Echo – Interested in Amazon Echo and need an in-depth guide? Right, this way. The Ambient covers everything from the various Echo devices and their prices to setting up the gadgets and making full use of them.
Echo & Alexa Devices – In addition to Amazon Echo, Alexa works on various other devices. Check out this page for a list of devices that support Alexa and use it to learn more and compare different gadgets side-by-side.
Cortana
Cortana – Cortana is Microsoft’s virtual assistant. It works on Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows Phone 8.1, Invoke smart speaker, Microsoft Band, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Windows Mixed Reality, and even Amazon Alexa. This page is Microsoft’s official Cortana destination so visit it if you want to get the latest about this virtual assistant.
Cortana: Your Assistant for Life – Here’s a cool YouTube video showcasing Cortana in action. It’s a good way to see what some of the commands look like in the real world.
How to use Cortana – If you need a how-to article on using Cortana, Digital Trends has come up with a post that walks you through setting up the assistant, using search, using Cortana Home, Cortana Notebook, and connected accounts.
The story of Cortana, Microsoft’s Siri killer – If you’re interested in the story behind Cortana, here’s a detailed article by The Verge. It dives into what Cortana is all about, how it came into existence, and the steps Microsoft took to create it.
Siri vs. Google Assistant vs. Alexa vs. Cortana
We put Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Cortana through a marathon of tests to see who’s winning the virtual assistant race — here’s what we found – The folks at Business Insider decided to test all these virtual assistants in various situations to see which one is the best. Spoiler alert: the author gave Google “the slight edge” because it was “the smoothest to use.” He wrote, “Even if Siri feels more in tune with the device it’s a part of, I felt more like a robot talking to it. The Assistant is also fun— it runs like something Google’s people enjoyed being creative with. And in the areas where Google was behind, the gap wasn’t huge.”
AI Faceoff: Siri vs. Cortana vs. Google Assistant vs. Alexa – Here’s another article that pits the different assistants against each other. It’s a great read, and if you’re curious about the final verdict, here it is: “Choose between Siri and Google Assistant based on convenience and what hardware you already have.”