Google Assistant has an official end-of-life date – September 4. While many have already made the jump to Gemini, a number of Android users are still holding on to Google Assistant. Why are you?
As Google has been hinting at for months, Assistant is shutting down on Android and Wear OS in just about a month. Users were notified via email.
This would mark the end of a long transition from Assistant to Gemini, but also the first time in a decade that users wouldn’t be able to access Google Assistant via their Android smartphones.
As it stands, the vast majority of users have transitioned from Assistant to Gemini, whether through the purchase of a new device pre-loaded with Gemini or simply upgrading through the constant prompts Assistant has been putting up about Gemini for some time now. Yet, some have stuck with Assistant.
Why?
Top comment by BroJac5246
Gemini is missing key Assistant features, like Spotify, if you don't enable training Gemini off of your chats. Plus, turning on history means you need to delete those conversations, too. That's unacceptable when using it as a chatbot and using it as an assistant are completely unrelated jobs.
Despite Assistant having crumbled in the wake of Gemini’s onset, the consensus among those who have yet to switch over is simply that Assistant still works better for certain functions that Gemini has yet to address. A few points from Assistant users in a discussion around this week’s new include:
- Confusion over contact names
- Garage door/lock codes aren’t supported by Gemini yet
- Problems with music services
- Slow or inconsistent smart home controls
- Using commands as a web search/AI Overview
… and that’s really just scratching the surface of the complaints floating around.
So how about you? If you’ve not made the switch to Gemini yet, let us know in the poll and comments below why you’re still using Google Assistant on Android.
More on Gemini:
- Gemini will create mobile & desktop apps in the future as AI Studio for Android, iOS is canceled
- Gemini app simplifies thinking level picker, rolling out settings for ‘Notifications’
- Gemini Intelligence and Gemini Nano 4 launch with Galaxy Z Fold 8, Flip 8
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