Google Assistant Driving Mode Now Turns into a Voice Bar

Google has announced that it will be deprecating a number of Google Assistant features. One of the features that will be removed is the “App Launcher” in Google Assistant Driving Mode, which people are assuming is the experience, but after February 7th, it will be different.

This mode will appear at the bottom of Google Maps when you are on a pre-set route. It may now have a microphone, a shortcut to return to Maps, and a 2×2 grid icon.

This will open a launcher with a list of apps and shortcuts for calling/messaging. It also includes first-party apps like Google Maps, YouTube Music, Books, and Podcasts, as well as Spotify, Pandora, Telegram, and other third-party experiences on your device.

Media apps let you browse songs and other content, and you also get a full-screen playback user interface.

Those apps, along with the launcher, will officially be discontinued on February 7. Accordingly, Google has eliminated the Driving Mode Dashboard in 2022, replacing Android Auto with the beloved Phone Display.

What remains is the black bar at the bottom, which is primarily intended to give Google Assistant Driving Mode quick access to commands. There are no options for you to change it.

Plus, you still have access to quick media apps above the black bar. Driving Mode Assistant probably won't go away technically. But Driving Mode is the Launcher, and those apps are for most people.

The ability to quickly tap large touch targets on the screen takes precedence over voice commands, which are really useful in the car. Google's decision to remove it reflects how Assistant has been pared down to focus solely on the voice command experience.