# Siri vs Alexa vs Google for Reminders: Which Voice Assistant Fits? > Siri, Alexa and Google compared for reminders: where each one works, where reminders end up, and what to do when you're away from the device that set them. Source: https://www.getmindie.app/blog/siri-alexa-google-reminders (published 2026-10-29) Saying "remind me to..." out loud is the fastest way to set a reminder. Your hands are full, you speak, it's done. The trouble comes later. The reminder goes off in the kitchen while you're at the shops. Or it lands in an app you didn't know it was using. Siri, Alexa and Google each handle reminders differently. The best one for you depends mostly on where you'll be when the reminder fires. ## Siri: best on Apple devices, and for places [Siri](/alternatives/siri) is hands-free, built in and free on Apple devices. Reminders you set with Siri save to Apple Reminders, which syncs across your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. ### What it does well - **Speed.** "Hey Siri, remind me to call Mum at 7" takes a few seconds. - **Location reminders.** Siri can remind you when you arrive somewhere, which is one of the most useful reminder types there is. "Remind me to take the recycling out when I get home" fires at exactly the right moment. - **It follows you across Apple devices,** because the reminder lives in Apple Reminders. ### Where it falls short - **Apple only.** If you use an Android phone or a Windows laptop, Siri reminders don't reach them. - **Mishearing.** Voice input can mishear names and times. Check the reminder it shows you before moving on. ### Tip Use location reminders for errands and time reminders for appointments. Errands tied to a place get done more often when the reminder fires as you arrive. ## Alexa: best for reminders at home [Alexa](/alternatives/alexa) lives on Echo devices, Fire TV, the Alexa app and the web. You speak to it, or chat in the app. ### What it does well - **Home routines.** Alexa controls smart home devices and plays music, and with Alexa+ you can set up routines just by asking. - **Calendar events.** It can add events to your calendar, and pull events from a photo of a schedule or a forwarded email. - **Continuity.** A conversation can carry over from your Echo to your phone or computer. ### Where it falls short - **Built around the home.** The common complaint is a reminder going off in the kitchen while you're out. If most of your reminders are for things outside the house, that's a mismatch. ### Price Alexa+ is $19.99 a month, and included with Prime. ### Tip Give Alexa the reminders that belong at home: "remind me at 6pm to take the chicken out of the freezer", "remind me at 8pm to start the dishwasher". Those fire where you'll be. ## Google: best on Android, with some changes to know about Reminders on Google have changed more than once. [Google Assistant](/alternatives/google-assistant) reminders were moved into Google Tasks, and Google has been replacing Assistant with Gemini on phones. ### What it does well - **Free, hands-free and built into Android.** - **Reminders land in Google Tasks,** which shows them next to your Google Calendar. ### Where it falls short - **Things keep moving.** If you set reminders with Assistant a while ago and can't find them, check Google Tasks or Google Calendar. ### Tip If your phone now uses Gemini, reminders you set by voice still go to Google Tasks. Our post on [whether ChatGPT and Gemini can set reminders](/blog/can-chatgpt-set-reminders) covers how Gemini handles them. ## The deciding factor: where you are when it fires Each assistant is good at one setting: - **Siri** follows you across Apple devices and knows where you are. - **Alexa** is strongest at home. - **Google** is built into Android and ties into Google Calendar. So ask yourself where most of your reminders need to find you: 1. **At home, near a speaker?** Alexa works. 2. **Out and about, on an iPhone?** Siri. 3. **Out and about, on Android?** Google's tools. 4. **Across different devices, or a mix of phones in the house?** None of the three covers this neatly. That last group is bigger than you'd think: an iPhone for personal use and an Android for work, a Windows laptop, or a family where everyone has something different. ## Reminders that follow you on any device Mindie lives in WhatsApp, so reminders arrive as messages on whatever device runs WhatsApp: iPhone, Android, or WhatsApp on a laptop. It isn't hands-free. There's no wake word. Instead, you open WhatsApp and record a voice note: "Remind me tomorrow at 9 to call the bank about the new card" It replies in text with what it understood, including the time. If it misheard, you can see that straight away and fix it with a quick reply. At 9am the reminder arrives in the chat, and you reply "done" or "snooze 1 hour". For the ones you keep putting off, nag mode keeps nudging until you mark it done. Voice notes work in English, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese, which helps if you switch languages at home. There are no location reminders and no smart home control. If those matter, keep Siri or Alexa for them. A common setup: - **Alexa** for home jobs: the freezer, the dishwasher, bin night. - **Siri** for place-based errands on an iPhone. - **Mindie** for the reminders that need to find you anywhere, like appointments, bills and calls. They don't sync, so give each kind of reminder one home. If you like setting reminders by voice in general, [voice notes for busy people](/blog/voice-notes-for-busy-people) has more ideas. ## Make voice reminders more reliable Whichever assistant you use, a few habits help. - **Say the time clearly and fully.** "Tuesday at 3pm" beats "Tuesday afternoon". - **Put the action first.** "Call the dentist to move my appointment" is clearer than "dentist thing". - **Check the confirmation.** Every assistant shows or reads back what it saved. Glance at it before moving on. - **Use a place when the place is the point.** Errands near home or a shop suit location reminders. - **Review once a week.** Delete stale reminders so the important ones stand out. ## Reminders worth setting - [Bin day reminder](/reminders/trash-day): A weekly evening nudge so the bins go out before collection. - [Meeting reminder](/reminders/meeting): A heads-up before each meeting, with time to get there or log in. - [Haircut reminder](/reminders/haircut): A repeating reminder every few weeks to book the next appointment. ## FAQ ### Why did my Google Assistant reminders disappear? Google moved Assistant reminders into Google Tasks. Look in Google Tasks or Google Calendar, where they should still be. ### Which voice assistant can remind me when I arrive somewhere? Siri can remind you when you arrive at a place, and saves those reminders to Apple Reminders. It's one of Siri's strengths on Apple devices. ### Are voice assistant reminders free? Siri and Google's assistant are free and built in. Alexa+ is $19.99 a month, and included with Prime.