Apple may be preparing to launch a new feature for iPhones designed to automatically show you relevant information before you even ask for it.

According to 9to5Mac, the new feature is called Proactive, and it’s basically the iPhone equivalent of Google Now.

iphone 6 and plus

Proactive is said to pull together features from Siri, Contacts, Calendar, Passbook, and third party apps. This lets your iPhone take the information it knows about you and use it to provide reminders, weather forecasts, directions, and other information when it thinks you might want to see it.

Don’t like the idea of letting Apple snoop through your inbox or track your location just so it can show you automatic traffic updates during your commute or package tracking details based on your Amazon receipts? Apple will let you adjust your privacy settings so that some info might be off limits.

9to5Mac reports Proactive will replace the Spotlight feature in iOS, allowing you to slide to the left of your primary home screen to view a new screen with a search bar and pre-populated content from apps, contacts, and maps. That could feature details about upcoming appointments, flight info, relevant maps, and more. Proactive will also be able to send push notifications so that you can be reminded about these things even if you don’t swipe to the left.

So far it all sounds an awful lot like Google Now… but Proactive is also said to be able to pull in data from third-party apps. Oh yeah, Google Now can do that too these days. OK, I guess it is a lot like Google Now.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing: while Google Now is baked into the free Google Search app for iOS, it’s not integrated into the operating system for iPhones the way it is for Android devices. For example, Google Now for iPhone isn’t available from the home screen and you need to fire up the Google app before you can issue “OK Google” questions or commands.

Proactive could be unveiled during Apple’s WWDC event starting June 8th.

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6 replies on “Report: Proactive is Apple’s answer to Google Now”

  1. But that’s what “siri” supposedly was? If it wasn’t, why have we been hearing it counted as a “digital assistant” like Google now and cortana, when it has even caught up to the earlier Google now…

  2. With the kerfuffle over LocationGate, years ago, I highly doubt anyone will trust Apple with all this data. Never minding the fact that they have all that data anyways, as soon as people find out they’re going to use it, there will be uproar.

  3. Haven’t used an iOS device in a couple years now, but doesn’t the Today view do most of this stuff anyway? Admittedly it’s not automated like Now is, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

  4. Why wouldn’t they integrate this with Siri? Cortana seems to blend this all together better IMO.

      1. And with Cortana soon to be on Apple devices, it will be even better. Though the rate of heart attack victims who own an apple product may rise!

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