Google Assistant is being discontinued on Android devices.
On Sept. 3, Google began removing access to Google Assistant on Android mobile devices, according to a Google Assistant Help post. To replace the
AI-powered virtual assistant, Google will be implementing its more advanced AI assistant, Gemini.
The update applies only to Android mobile devices and accessories that pair to phones, like smartwatches, headphones and car systems, according to Google's post. Google Assistant will remain available on other Google devices.
USA TODAY contacted Google multiple times for more information about the discontinuation of Google Assistant on mobile devices, but has not received a response.
When will Google Assistant be removed from Androids?
Google began removing access to Google Assistant on Android mobile devices on Sept. 3, according to the Google Assistant Help post. The tech giant said it expects the update to take a few weeks to reach all users.
What is the difference between Google Assistant and Gemini?
Google Assistant and Gemini are both AI-powered virtual assistants, but Gemini can handle more complex tasks. Both assistants have access to a user's suite of Google apps, including Gmail, Maps, YouTube and Calendar.
Introduced in 2016, Google Assistant is a traditional voice command tool that can complete basic functions, like setting a timer, calling someone in a contact list, pulling up the weather forecast, reading a newly received email and adding items to a digital shopping list.
Google introduced Gemini (originally called Bard), its generative AI assistant, in 2023. Gemini can complete the same simple functions as Google Assistant, but it can also write code, brainstorm more complex ideas and summarize lengthier documents. In recent years, Google has also introduced image, video and music generation capabilities through Gemini.
Another difference between the two assistants is cost. Google Assistant is completely free. Gemini is available for free but can also be upgraded.
Android users share feedback
Android users have taken to social media to share their feedback on the Google Assistant-to-Gemini change. And most of it, across various subreddits, including Android, Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy and Google Home, is not positive.
Several shared negative experiences in the Android subreddit involve Gemini not correctly playing requested songs from a third-party streaming service like Spotify.
"Does Gemini still play the 'wrong' version of the song you request it to? When you say, 'Hey Google, play ,Bohemian Rhapsody, by Queen,' then (it) gives you the version of the song from 'The Muppets'? Or struggle to play anything but a remix of popular EDM songs?" one user asked in the subreddit.
Another user commented back: "I asked for Linkin Park, 'In The end,' and Gemini started singing the lyric instead of playing the actual song in a subscription service..."
Others complained in the Android subreddit that Gemini takes longer to complete Google Home tasks, like turning off lights, than Google Assistant did.
Content creator Ant Davis said in a recent TikTok video that perhaps one of the upsides to the change is that Gboard, Google Keyboard, has scam detection built into the platform. Google announced this update in February.
"As you're typing a reply to a suspicious message, it flags likely scams before you actually hit send and this bit runs on your devices," Davis said in his video.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Google switches from Google Assistant to Gemini. Android users react
