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It’s been a wild ride with Google’s total pivot toward infusing AI into every bit of its products, and I need a break. The company released Gemini for the Pixel phones a few months ago, and it’s already wreaking havoc on my life and the lives of others on Reddit. Gemini doesn’t do everything the Google Assistant does, so I’m reverting to how things were until Gemini feels whole again—even with the recent sunsetting of some Assistant features that I relied on.
What can you do with Gemini? You can get help writing, brainstorming, and handling emotional labor. It can also generate an image from a description, or you can ask for more context on what you’re reading about. But you can do all that from the web without shoving aside the tried-and-true Google Assistant on your smartphone.
I strongly suggest turning off Gemini if you rely on translation features or live in a Google-led smart home. Gemini treats Routines differently, and it gets confused if you have other devices that also respond to “Hey Google.” Here’s how to go back to the Assistant until Google gets it right. Switching back on a Pixel device does not disable the Circle to Search ability, so you’ll still have that available on tap.
How to Switch Back to the Google Assistant
Thankfully, Google knows what its users want, and there’s an official support page for all this. If you’re ready to return to Google Assistant, open the Gemini mobile app. At the top right corner, tap on your account photo and select Settings. Scroll down to the Digital assistants from Google option, then tap to switch to Google Assistant.
If you miss Gemini, you can leave it installed on your smartphone and switch back to it as needed. But you won’t be able to access features like generative text and images unless you have it in the place of the Assistant.
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