The Google Assistant Android app is now Gemini by default
www.androidauthority.com
Google is now changing Assistant to Gemini by default when you download the Assistant app from the Play Store or update it.

This means:

  • Downloading or updating the Assistant app now gives you Gemini instead.
  • You can switch back to Assistant in the Gemini app settings.
  • This might be Google’s first step towards replacing Assistant completely with Gemini.
  • Some users are unaware of the switch and see two Gemini apps on their phones.

Overall, this may suggest Google is phasing out Assistant and transitioning users to the newer Gemini AI technology.

  • ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    0·
    9 months ago

    I knew they were going to end up going full gemini, but this seems too soon to pull such shenanigans, considering it’s still slow to respond, can’t do several things that assistantcan do, and is 100% useless when not on data.

    • voxel@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      0·
      9 months ago

      in fact it can only interact with your phone by generating google assistant commands and passing them on

    • psivchaz@reddthat.comEnglish
      0·
      9 months ago

      I tried it, then uninstalled pretty quickly. If I say, “Play music” then 10% of the time it would play music, and the other 90% it would tell me it can’t. Same with many other assistant commands like controlling lights.

      What even is the option here? When Google got rid of adding things to lists, I started my official transition away from them by moving to Proton, self hosting more stuff, etc. But for a voice assistant it seems like open source just isn’t there yet, it doesn’t have the hardware, and my only remaining option is to switch to Amazon (no.) Or Apple.

    • fidodo@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      9 months ago

      I’m pretty sure they fired their Google assistant team already, so that’s probably part of it.