A vague message posted to Google’s Android Auto support forum warned that Google Assistant would only be “available for use until March 2026,” sparking reports about the voice assistant’s untimely demise. However, those reports might be a tad premature.
Google’s official Android Auto support forum reads as follows:
“Gemini is replacing Google Assistant on most mobile devices. Learn more about what you can do with Gemini, privacy, protection of minors and availability for supported devices, languages and territories. Gemini will understand the same commands as Google Assistant and also give you the option to speak naturally. Google Assistant is still available for use until March 2026.”
That last sentence about Google Assistant remaining “available for use until March 2026” certainly sounds like the end of Assistant, but it’s important to note that this message only appeared on the Android Auto support page. That suggests this change only applies to Android Auto, and Google confirmed as much to us when we asked about the change — those sticking with Assistant on their phones can breathe easy, for now.
Another line of note is the claim that “Gemini will understand the same commands as Google Assistant,” something that hasn’t really held up in other areas. For example, many users are having issues with Gemini not working as well as Google Assistant on Google Home speakers. The Verge reported earlier this month about issues people had with Gemini on Google Home speakers, with frequent issues including Gemini not understanding queries and not controlling home devices properly — two things voice assistants should do very well at this point. Hopefully, Android Auto users won’t have similar problems.
While the time has come for Assistant on Android Auto, Google will likely retire Assistant from other places soon. Earlier this year, Google announced that it would convert Google Assistant to Gemini on more mobile phones. However, Gemini’s minimum system requirements are Android 10 and at least 2GB of RAM, which means some devices will be able to avoid the change.
Source: Google Support Forum Via: 9to5Google
