As of this writing, the Gemini AI app for Android can replace Google Assistant as your phone’s smart assistant. It will do so automatically during the app’s setup process. It’s unclear if Google plans to make this app the new Assistant, or if its previous announcement that it will incorporate AI into Assistant is still in the works. What is clear is that, should you opt into using Gemini as your phone’s default assistant, you’ll be giving up some Assistant functionality and gaining some new features instead.
For example, while Gemini replicates Assistant functionality in that it can set timers, adjust smart home devices, Google basic information like the weather, or place phone calls, it can’t do other basic assistant tasks like send texts, make notes, or set reminders. Nevertheless, for those who want to see what it’s like to live with a generative AI model as your main digital assistant, Gemini is an exciting prospect. For example, it’s convenient to ask Gemini to summarize your most important emails and get back a bullet pointed list.
One frustration you may notice immediately is that, when using voice to text, Gemini doesn’t automatically send your query when you stop speaking like Google Assistant does. After speaking, you’ll need to hit the send button to generate a response. But one major feature of Gemini is that it can capture your screen to aid in searches. Whatever you’re doing on your Android device, you can simply pull up Gemini and tap the “Add to screen” button, which takes a quick screenshot and pulls it into the app. From there, you can ask questions about anything in the screenshot.
