Google Assistant Driving Mode losing App Launcher on February 7 [U]

Abner Li | Feb 1 2024 - 4:30 am PT

As we previously spotted and Google later confirmed in a series of deprecations, the Assistant Driving Mode for Google Maps is going away later this month.

Update: Only the App Launcher is going away. For more on what Google Assistant Driving Mode looks like after February, click here.

Using App Launcher in Google Assistant driving mode on Google Maps to read and send messages, make calls, and control media. You can still use voice control on Google Maps the same way.

In 2022, Google killed the Assistant Driving Mode Dashboard (seen below). This homescreen of sorts provided a map, audio controls and other media suggestions, and shortcuts for calling and texting.

That removal left a Driving Mode that has a bar at the bottom of the screen with big buttons for Assistant, quickly returning to Maps, and an app grid. That launcher was home to music, podcasts, and audiobooks. You could browse streaming services with an optimized UI, large touch targets, and now playing screen, including a docked controller below navigation.

Ahead of the depreciation on February 7, users are seeing a “This view is going away in February” message at the bottom. Google also told us that the “Commute to Work” tile on the Nest Hub (and other Smart Displays) is going away that same day, while most of the other Assistant features are being removed at the end of February.

As an alternative, the company points out how “you can still use voice control on Google Maps the same way,” which picked up a new Assistant voice experience last year.