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These new Google products work with your iPhone, too

Here are Google's new apps and products that will work with iPhone -- and which ones won't.

Sharon Profis Vice President of Content, CNET Studios
As the Vice President of CNET Studios, Sharon leads the video, social, editorial design, and branded content teams. Before this role, Sharon led content development and launched new verticals for CNET, including Wellness, Money, and How To. A tech expert herself, she's reviewed and covered countless products, hosted hundreds of videos, and appeared on shows like Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, and the Today Show. An industry expert, Sharon is a recurring Best of Beauty Awards judge for Allure. Sharon is an avid chef and hosts the cooking segment 'Farm to Fork' on PBS nationwide. She's developed and published hundreds of recipes.
Credentials
  • Webby Award ("How To, Explainer, and DIY Video"); Folio Changemaker Award, 2020
Sharon Profis
3 min read

It's hard to care about Google I/O when you own an iPhone.

But it turns out that more than one new product announced at the conference supports iOS. A handful of Google's new apps and products will work with your iPhone when they come out later this year.

Here's the rundown of what new Google apps and products will -- and won't -- work with your iPhone.

What will work?

Duo

You're an iPhone owner, so you know what Facetime is -- and that's basically Duo. Duo is a standalone video-chatting app that you'll be able to download for iOS later this year.

Why would you want it if you have Facetime? For one, you'll be able to video-chat with anyone who has the app (not just iOS users). Google also promised that, even if your connection is spotty, the call won't drop. (I'm looking at you, Skype.)

But the biggest difference is a creepy little feature called Knock Knock. When someone calls you with Duo, you'll be able to see their video feed even before you answer the call. If Knock Knock is designed to make me less likely to ignore my parents' calls, it'll work. You win, Google.

Allo

If Snapchat, Facebook Messenger and OK Google had a baby, Allo would be it. The messaging app will be available for iOS, so you can send disappearing messages while booking dinner reservations with your friends, no matter what device they're on.

The app does a lot, so if I end up downloading it, it's likely something I'd use instead of -- not in addition to -- Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Now all I have to do is get my friends on board.

Android Wear

Android Wear -- Google's operating system for smartwatches -- got a huge upgrade. Watches running the new software will be able to function without being connected to a phone. And it'll work for Android watches paired with an iPhone, too.

That means you can do things like play music, make calls, track your fitness, and send messages when you leave your phone behind. It works by having the watch connect to Wi-Fi independently and downloading apps to the watch itself, instead of relying on your phone's connection.

The Apple Watch has seen some success, but there are a few things that are hard to get past -- the lack of design options (where's my round Apple Watch?), the cluttered interface, and its lagginess. Android Wear's better support for iOS is very much welcome.

Google Home

If you've ever used OK, Google, you know how fast and helpful the personal assistant is. Today Google announced it's building that assistant into a hub called Google Home, and if you have an iPhone, you'll likely be able to enjoy most of its features, too.

Since Google's voice assistant -- Google Now -- already works with iPhone, commands like playing music and controlling smart-home devices should work no matter what device you have.

Google hasn't yet detailed its iPhone compatibility plans, but it's likely that phone-dependent commands -- like sending text messages and making calls -- will work only with Android. That is, unless you're using Allo or Duo.

What won't work?

Daydream, Google's VR platform

If you want to use Google's new VR experience, Daydream, you'll need an Android phone. And not just any Android phone -- you'll need a device specifically designed to work with Daydream, since Google requires hardware manufacturers to build their phones around certain specifications.

Until Daydream supports iPhone (or the other way around), Cardboard will still be your BFF.

Google Assistant

Add Google to the growing list of chatbot makers. Google Assistant is a tool that lets you have a back-and-forth conversation with a virtual assistant, so you can do more than just ask questions. But according to a Google spokesperson, Google hasn't yet detailed its plans for how it'll work on iOS.

In the meantime, Google Now and OK, Google voice search will still work on iOS (in the Google Search app) and aren't going to be replaced by Google Assistant just yet.


This article also appears in Spanish. Read: Estos nuevos productos de Google funcionarán con tu iPhone