Is Gemini a complete Google Assistant replacement?

Even before Generative AI , it was clear that Google Assistant was on the back foot. Now that Google is in the “Gemini era,” what’s next for Assistant?

At its peak, Assistant was a connector between Google products. For example, “Google Assistant” was listed on the Pixel 3 spec page under “Operating System.” Assistant Driving Mode later replaced Android Auto on the phone’s home screen, but it ultimately flopped.

Around 2021 and certainly into 2022, it became clear that Assistant was no longer a big priority for Google. Google was specifically pulling back on Assistant experiences outside of its core voice capabilities. This included the Driving Mode Dashboard and Snapshot feed, as well as “Memory,” which was intended to enhance reminders and content storage on Android.

What is Google Assistant like today?

On Android phones, Gemini is emerging, and it's clear the company is focusing on this product. It's interesting how Google describes the difference:

• Gemini, Google's experimental AI-powered assistant, can help you get creative and be more productive
• Google Assistant is a voice-forward conversational assistant you can use to get things done.

That said, there are still a number of Assistant-branded experiences. Google's list includes:

• When you receive information and updates from At a Glance.
• When you use the microphone in the Google Maps app search bar, and when you activate the Google Assistant while navigating, such as by tapping the on-screen microphone or saying “Ok Google,” and when you're using the Google Assistant driving mode.
• When you access Google Assistant from Android Auto by connecting your phone to your car's display.
• When you use the microphone in the Waze app search bar and when you activate Google Assistant with the Waze app in the foreground.
• On Gboard, when you use Assistant's voice typing feature.
• When you receive an Android notification from a device with Google Assistant.

Looking at other form factors, this is still the primary way you interact with Google Assistant-enabled headphones, although we've seen signs that Gemini is coming. There's also Assistant on Wear OS, Android Auto and Automotive, Smart Displays, and speakers.

Does Google Assistant still work?

When “Assistant with Bard” was announced alongside the Pixel 8 in October, Google Assistant would act as the audio and visual interface that people actually interact with. The phrase “with Bard” implies that Google sees Generative AI as an added capability to Assistant rather than a complete replacement for it.

Once everything was fully integrated, the move should have been to drop the “with Bard” distinction and just offer “Google Assistant,” a timeless name. This approach would preserve the areas where Assistant excels.

Assistant can be compared to a car and Bard is a new engine to overhaul the main use case.

After the Gemini rebrand, it seems like Google is building a completely new tool from scratch, which leads to missing features, unwanted changes, and user frustration.

If Google were to replace Assistant with Gemini, we'd be in for a long transition, where Assistant would have to be meticulously replicated while maintaining feature parity. Even moving the option entirely on the phone would be quite difficult, and that's not a promising start.