Google will soon be removing support for the Google Assistant through headphones in conjunction with an iPhone or iPad. The date for the end of support is December 7th. The whole thing has caused a lot of trouble for Google.
Nevertheless, the group is continuing with its plan to only offer the full usability of the voice assistant via Android smartphones and tablets. Google had already announced in August of this year that users who use Google Assistant-enabled headphones to give voice commands will no longer be able to do this from an iPhone or iPad in the future. There was no explanation – it was only confirmed that Google Assistant support for iOS will end in December.
Shortly after the end of support was announced, it was announced that the EU’s competition watchdogs were taking a closer look at Google’s requirements for their assistant. The European Commission had launched an investigation into Google’s behavior in relation to the Google Assistant. As early as June, the competition authorities announced that they had received complaints from market participants that there were problems with the exclusivity of certain voice assistant products on some platforms. Now it will be even more exclusive, because Google will block additional users from December 7th.
Changes
Important: The Google Assistant functions available through headphones will change on December 7, 2021, for iPhone and iPad users. As of December 7th, you will no longer be able to use the following Assistant functions on iPhones and iPads with headphones:
- Hear audio announcements about incoming notifications on your smartphone
- Talk to Assistant when you press and hold the Assistant button on your headphones
- Other features that don’t need the Assistant, including Siri, will still be available through your headphones.
- Google Assistant functionality through headphones will still be available when your headphones are connected to a supported Android smartphone or tablet.
