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Summary
- Google Gemini is a revamped version of Bard AI, now available as an app for Android users, but it comes at the cost of replacing Google Assistant.
- By opting for Gemini, your phone’s digital assistant automatically switches from Google Assistant to Gemini, and there’s no way to use the Gemini app without it taking over.
- Gemini is not yet ready to completely replace Google Assistant, as it is slower and still relies on Assistant for specific tasks. Users satisfied with their current Assistant experience don’t need to replace it for now.
Are you ready to completely replace Google Assistant with Google Gemini? That is the question many Android users ask themselves. Google made the semi-surprising announcement yesterday that Bard AI has been rebranded and, frankly, revamped to Gemini, and a number of changes have occurred as a result. One of the biggest buzz surrounds the new Gemini app for Android, which is a big step up from having to access your smartphone’s browser to access AI. However, using this app comes at a cost: the Google Assistant.
As we reported yesterday, there are still a number of things that Gemini can’t do that Google Assistant can do on Android smartphones and tablets. However, as he discovered android authority, There is another drawback: you have to choose between Google Assistant or Gemini. When you agree to the terms of service and opt-in to Gemini, your phone’s digital assistant automatically switches from Google Assistant. The next time you activate the assistant by long-pressing, swiping, or using a Hey Google keyword, Gemini will greet you.
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The same thing happens if you install the Gemini app and then activate your Assistant with one of the shortcuts mentioned above. By doing it this way, you will be asked if you want to switch from Assistant to Gemini. If you say yes, it’s obvious what will happen: Gemini becomes the assistant. If you say no, the same Gemini subscription page will appear the next time you open the Gemini app. Even if you opt for the Gemini experience as your default assistant and then drill down into the app settings to switch back, you’ll see the same subscription page again the next time you open the Gemini app. In other words, there is no way to use the Gemini app without it taking over Google Assistant.
This is another death nudge, not a death blow, indicating that the end of Google Assistant is closer than we might expect. Recently, the report became official that Google Assistant’s driving mode would be shutting down in February, so we’re not surprised that Gemini is the cuckoo bird in the Google Assistant nest right now. The Assistant first debuted in 2016, so the fact that it hasn’t yet appeared on our annual What Google Killed list is still pretty notable.
The use of advanced large language models (LLM) in everyday life certainly means that new assistants are on the way to one day completely replacing the older and “dumber” assistants. Gemini is great as he is, but he’s not ready to fully take on what the Wizard already does. While yes, it’s much better at handling complex, sometimes tedious questions that Google Assistant obsesses over, the Gemini seems to take longer to register those questions. Interactions are a bit slower, and for some tasks, the Gemini is just the top tier of a Russian doll when it comes to assistant. She still has to go through the Wizard for specific tasks.
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For users satisfied with their current experience with Assistant, there is no need to replace it for now. In fact, you can get access to all the features that Gemini promotes by going to Gemini Website on your mobile phone or laptop. All of that leads us to ask, “Why should we bother downloading the app?” One day you will gain many good things by accepting Gemini as your only assistant, but that day is not today. Maybe Google should start clarifying its product branding process before that day comes.