Google Gemini App Replacing Assistant by Default: What You Need to Know

TL;DR

• Google has released the Gemini Android app, allowing users to switch from Google Assistant to Gemini as their default AI helper on Android devices.
• Upon downloading the Google Assistant app from the Play Store, users will now have Gemini as the default AI assistant, even as the app icon displays “Gemini” instead of “Google Assistant”.
• Users have the option to switch back to Google Assistant manually, which will change the app icon to display “Assistant” instead of “Gemini”.

Google has recently unveiled the Gemini Android app, which provides Android users with the ability to switch from Google Assistant to Gemini, making it their default AI assistant on their smartphones. Interestingly, Google seems to be planning to phase out Google Assistant entirely and replace it with Gemini.

When downloading the Google Assistant app from the Play Store, users will now have the Gemini AI assistant as their default, even as the app icon displays “Gemini” instead of “Google Assistant”. It’s noteworthy that if users have previously downloaded the standalone Gemini Android app, they will now find two instances of Gemini on their app list.

Users have the option to switch back to Google Assistant by opening the Gemini app that appears after downloading Google Assistant. Within the Settings, they can select to switch to Assistant, resulting in the app icon displaying “Assistant” instead of “Gemini”.

A Reddit user brought attention to this perplexing change initiated by Google. The user noticed that after a regular app update via the Play Store, the Assistant app on their new Galaxy S24 Plus automatically switched to Gemini. The user had never opted to use Gemini instead of Assistant and didn’t have the standalone Gemini app on their device.

Google’s decision to provide Gemini by default to Assistant downloaders suggests their intentions to eventually replace Assistant altogether. As Gemini’s availability and reach expand, it is expected to adopt more Assistant features. This move serves as the first indication that we should prepare ourselves to bid farewell to the iconic Google Assistant.