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Kaitlyn Cimino/Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is now making Assistant Gemini by default.
- When you download the Assistant app for Android, you get Gemini, complete with a different app icon.
- You will have to manually return to the Assistant to continue using the digital assistant.
Google recently introduced the Gemini app for Android. It gives Android users the option to switch from Google Assistant to Gemini and make it the default AI assistant on their phones. However, it looks like Google is preparing to kill Assistant entirely and replace it entirely with Gemini.
If you don’t already have the Google Assistant app on Android and download it now from the Play Store, you’ll get Gemini AI by default. Even the app icon says Gemini instead of Google Assistant. The strange thing is that if you also downloaded the standalone Gemini app for Android, you will now see two instances of Gemini in your app list.
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
When you open the Gemini app that appears once you download Google Assistant, you can go to Settings and return to Assistant. This will then change the app icon and reflect the app as Assistant instead of Gemini.
TO Reddit user alerted us to this strange change Google is making when they noticed that the Assistant app on their new Galaxy S24 Plus switched to Gemini automatically after a regular update of the app via the Play Store. The user had never previously opted to use Gemini on their phone instead of Assistant. They didn’t even have the standalone Gemini app on their phone when Assistant automatically switched to Gemini.
Since Google offers Gemini Assistant downloaders by default, it’s almost clear that the company plans to kill Assistant eventually. We know that Gemini will adopt more and more Assistant features as its availability and reach grows. This seems to be the first sign that we should be ready to say goodbye to the old Google Assistant.