Google to Retire Google Assistant on Mobile Devices Starting September 4
2 sources across 2 countries · Brazil · United States
Who reported this
- Tecnoblog
- Ars Technica
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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Google will begin shutting down Google Assistant on mobile devices starting September 4. According to emails sent to users, the transition to Gemini, the company's artificial intelligence technology, will occur gradually over several weeks. Once the process is complete, users will no longer be able to revert to Google Assistant on phones, tablets, or paired devices.
The change extends to various gadgets that connect to phones, including smartwatches with Wear OS, headphones, and cars using Android Auto. While the transition affects mobile ecosystems, reports indicate that home devices such as Google Home and Google TV are not part of this initial implementation phase. Users will still be able to use the "Ok Google" command, the power button, and other gestures to trigger the AI.
Google originally planned to retire the service earlier, but the company extended support while refining Gemini. Early versions of Gemini faced criticism for failing to perform basic tasks like setting alarms, though current versions have added these capabilities. Additionally, Google has licensed its AI model to Apple to enhance the conversational abilities of Siri.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- Both center-leaning outlets focused on the technical timeline and the functional transition from a legacy assistant to an AI-driven model.
Sources
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.