It’s time to choose how you’ll control your smart home. Will it be Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa? What if you don’t have to choose? In fact, some people are opting to use two smart home voice assistants to get the best of both worlds. While it might seem like an overly complex setup, there are some benefits to using both of the major voice assistant players.
Increased Compatibility
While many smart home devices are trying to increase compatibility by allowing voice control via Alexa and Assistant, some are still just one or the other. This means you’re limited to only buying devices that work with one particular assistant.
The downside is you will have to remember which devices work with which assistant so you can say the right wake word. However, if you really like certain devices that only work with Google Assistant but already have several that only with Amazon Alexa, you won’t have to choose anymore.
Easy to Switch
Perhaps you started with Amazon Alexa because you own an Echo device since it first came out. But now that Google Assistant is growing in popularity, you want to try out a Google Home device or even just Assistant on your phone. By incorporating both smart home voice assistants into your home and routine, you’ll already know how to use both.
If you suddenly decide you want to switch, it’s an easy process. This is especially true if all your devices are compatible with both voice assistants.
Dedicated Devices
Trying to choose between Echo and Home devices isn’t always easy. However, you can have both. Perhaps you prefer your Echo Dot because it’s small and easy to use throughout various rooms in your home. However, you might prefer the sound of the Google Home Mini or Google Home Max, making it ideal for dedicated audio.
In using both assistants, you might find you prefer the way one works over another for specific tasks. If this is the case, use both smart home voice assistants but give them specific tasks in controlling your home.
Different Users
While you can set up different voice profiles, you might live in a home where users are divided on which assistant to use. So, do both. Let each person choose which assistant they’d prefer to use. Everyone can still control the smart home but can use their assistant of choice.
You can also divide your home. For instance, if you’re renting a room or a floor, you could provide your guests with one assistant while you use the other. This avoids accidentally controlling your renter’s devices and vice versa.
Get Access to Different Features
For standard tasks, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa aren’t that different. However, the more you use each of them, you’ll discover each has unique features. For instance, Google Assistant tends to offer a wider variety of Easter eggs, though Alexa has plenty, too.
Each is always adding new features and skills as well. If something’s not available with one, it’s probably available with the other.
Ease of Use
Depending on the room you’re using the assistant in, it may be easier for one to understand you over the other. For instance, Google Assistant tends to understand queries correctly more often than Alexa, with 92.9 percent vs. 79.8 percent respectively.
If you perform a lot of search queries, you may want to use Assistant for those but use Alexa to send messages throughout your home.
Overall, both smart home voice assistants are great at controlling your smart home. You have nothing to lose by using both. Having access to both offers more convenience and features than just one.
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