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Google's dedicated Assistant app hits 500 million installs on the Play Store
It's still just a shortcut, but a very popular one
If you've ever had to send a text while driving or set a timer while cooking, you know how helpful Google Assistant can be. It's as essential a tool as anything else you'll find on your phone, and since it's built right into the standard Google app, you can be confident it's on every Android device. Of course, Google offers a dedicated Assistant shortcut app in the Play Store, and while it's not necessary, it sure is popular. Less than a year after its last milestone, Assistant has hit 500 million installs on the Play Store.
Facebook's Messenger has grown from being a simple texting solution to an independent messaging and video chatting software. Because of its numerous features, the company separated Messenger into a dedicated app, which ended up being quite heavy. However, Facebook released Messenger Lite in 2016 to offer a less resource-hungry alternative for more limited devices. The lighter app has become so successful that it just passed 500 million downloads on the Play Store.