Google released the first developer preview of Android 16 earlier this week, and keen observers have already uncovered some interesting details, including some that hint at a more useful future for Google’s AI assistant. At Android Authority, Mishaal Rahman writes about a mysterious new API in Android 16 called “App Functions” that supposedly gives Gemini Assistant agent-like abilities to operate within apps. This sounds very similar to the improved “App Intents” that Apple supports in iOS 18. This is exactly what could make AI assistants much more useful than they are today.
A page on Google’s developer site describes app capabilities as “specific functionality that an app provides to the system. These functions can be integrated into various system features, which makes it very neat.” But Rahman gives a specific example in the documentary that sheds more light. Here, he details how app developers can use features in their apps to allow the system to perform a specific action, in this case ordering food.
Apple is also working on a similar approach with the aim of a smarter assistant. One of the promises of a smarter Siri that is said to be coming in iOS 18 is the ability to activate Siri within apps. By updating the App Intents framework, Apple has created a way for developers to provide Siri with features such as Order Food. Rumor has it that this update probably won’t appear until the spring of 2025.
“Doing things for you” has been the promise of the intelligent assistant since the beginning, but that has only recently been realized. Gemini can access information from certain apps with user permission, but for now this is mainly limited to searches such as Gmail and Google Maps. And Siri’s biggest update to date in iOS 18 added the ChatGPT extension, which lets you ask more complex questions, but still lacks the ability to “take actions.” Now, it seems like both platforms are laying the groundwork for better assistants, and 2025 could be a very interesting year for AI on smartphones.
