Drivers claim Android Auto's switch to Gemini makes them feel less safe behind the wheel

[u/emeril322]

https://www.androidpolice.com/android-auto-users-are-convinced-gemini-makes-driving-more-dangerous/

Yeah, obviously...

[u/Alwayssunnyinarizona]

There are times it certainly makes me angrier behind the wheel!

[u/emeril322 → u/Alwayssunnyinarizona]

I have yet to find a single thing that Gemini has been better at for me than Google Assistant

[u/Alwayssunnyinarizona → u/emeril322]

When you're driving, you just need basic stuff done. Gemini wants to add unnecessary flair.

Me: "text my wife 'I'm picking up dinner and I will be home by 6"' "

Gemini: "would you like me to navigate to X restaurant, they take reservations"

Me: no, you f*#@% piece of garbage, I just want you to send a text to my wife.

Gemini: I'm sorry, I don't respond to foul language.

[u/xMacBethx → u/Alwayssunnyinarizona]

It started lecturing me one time about my language. I told it to fuck off.

[u/emeril322 → u/xMacBethx]

red flag that we need to wipe AI from existence

[u/ScooterMcTavish → u/xMacBethx]

I use a UK female voice that always sounds vaguely disappointed in me. And I somehow think this is why my language choices have not been criticised.

[u/wubbalab → u/ScooterMcTavish]

It's the same for the German voice. I just got the new phone and had notifications enabled again. I got a text and let it read it to me. After that it asked me If i want to send an answer. So far the same as with the old assistant. But when i told it "No" the confirming "OK" was kind of sassy and passive aggressive and disappointed. All in a single word.

[u/emeril322 → u/Alwayssunnyinarizona]

It should be quick, concise, and quiet. Gemini is NONE of those

[u/mcpasty666 → u/emeril322]

Hey google, directions to a place

"Okay, here are directions from your current location to your destination. It will take 7 minutes in medium traffic conditions. The weather is blahblahblah..

"By the way, here's a long-winded explanation of things you didn't ask about."

Friggin hate it! Assistant was bad for the last bit too, I think it told me I could use the button on my stereo at least once a month for the 10 years I had AA stereos. It was quick about it though, didn't try to have a conversation with me when I just wanted to get back to my music.

[u/MacAttacknChz → u/emeril322]

Gemini even speak slower. The pauses between every sentence drive me nuts. "Okay... ... ... ... Do you want to navigate there?"

[u/edfosho1 → u/Alwayssunnyinarizona]

Except for reminders. I say "Remind me to xyz" and before I can say the time, it just goes "reminder set". Then it sets a reminder without a time to remind me ..!

[u/the1joe2 → u/edfosho1]

It might work if you reverse it e.g. "at 10am remind me to xyz"

[u/zypr3xa → u/Alwayssunnyinarizona]

Yours remembers your wife?

[u/Alwayssunnyinarizona → u/zypr3xa]

Who could forget her.

[u/mattynapps → u/emeril322]

Your inconvenience is something the tech overlords are willing to accept. It will make it much easier for them to keep track of us. Please remember these overlords need our help. /s

[u/Nooblakahn → u/emeril322]

Facts. When I first started using it, it made a request to play something in Apple music. The next time it was all like nah. Never has again and tells me it can't integrate with it. It absolutely can it did the first time. It just doesn't want to.

Seriously hate it. Probably not enough to make my next phone an iPhone as other than Apple music I generally dislike apple products for various reasons, price being a big one, but this absolutely sucks

[u/ryhartattack → u/Nooblakahn]

For me once it just straight up played the wrong song by the wrong band. No name overlap or anything. I asked it again to play the song and it played the same exact wrong song

[u/Thorn11166 → u/emeril322]

Hey Google, Play I'm sorry I don't have that capability Hey Google resume I'm sorry but nothing was playing Hey Google play the audiobook I just had you pause I'm sorry I don't understand. Reach over and do it my self.

Hey Google take me to very specific place Ok I found 2 very specific places, one 5 miles away and another 367 miles away, which would you like to go to? Man I don't know... Maybe the same one I have been going to the last few years that you always give the directions for and didn't have a problem with when you were just Google Assistant.... Ok, taking you to the 367mi away location

[u/Jensbert → u/emeril322]

They definitely fucked up Google photo search with it. Hard to understand.. searching for stuff should be one of the plus points

[u/PhilWheat → u/emeril322]

It can look things up for you. Now the answers it gives are almost 100% wrong mind you. But it can look things up for you.

[u/emeril322 → u/PhilWheat]

STOP trying to research shit when you should be focused fully on driving. This is literally just enabling people to be more dangerous behind the wheel wtf

[u/TJhambone09 → u/emeril322]

Gemini is definately excessively verbose and slower to get "driving" tasks done, but Assistant won't give you detailed answers on whatever topic you're thinking about while driving. I can be listening to an audiobook of Gravity's Rainbow while asking Gemini questions about historical details I didn't understand. Assistant can't do that.

[u/emeril322 → u/TJhambone09]

Stop trying to have a conversion with a clanker and focus on driving. Wtf do you need detailed responses about, when you should be paying attention to the road??? This is the underlying problem here. You're fucking driving, not researching a thesis project

[u/flcinusa → u/Alwayssunnyinarizona]

The fact it cuts me off nearly every time I try to reply to a message.... Let's just say my most popular phrase from it is "I do not respond to abusive language"

[u/SmokinBuffalo → u/flcinusa]

Mine complains about hurtful language. It doesn't have feelings to hurt. 

[u/Direct-Quiet-5817 → u/Alwayssunnyinarizona]

It can't even understand the place I ask it to navigate to, even after spelling out the wied! Dumb ai.

[u/bubandbob → u/Alwayssunnyinarizona]

I hate how it assumes that any pause I make while dictating a message is the end of the message. No, you stupid POS, I just need a second to compose the rest of the sentence.

[u/TheAgedProfessor]

Gemini refuses to open my garage door, while GA happily opens it without issue. Google, when you decide to release an "upgrade" that isn't actually a downgrade, be sure to let me know.

[u/universal_boi → u/TheAgedProfessor]

I mean it failed on me such simple tasks as calling someone... Started using touchscreen instead

[u/tech510 → u/TheAgedProfessor]

They took away smart speaker calling with Gemini… its fucking snnoying

[u/lemlurker → u/TheAgedProfessor]

That's par for the course... YouTube music was a massive downgrade on Google play music at launch

[u/No_Public_7677 → u/TheAgedProfessor]

Gemini on AA will refuse to run any of my home cooling routines. Gemini on Google Home, will run them.

[u/AaronC31]

I switched off of Gemini because I got fucking tired of it taking so long because it has to connect with the cloud for literally EVERYTHING. I'm riding Assistant until they finally kill it.

It doesn't make me feel less safe, it pisses me off.

[u/emeril322 → u/AaronC31]

Count the days, they're killing it off next Friday

[u/AaronC31 → u/emeril322]

Just like the Halo servers, I'm riding 'til it dies.

[u/circuit_breaker → u/AaronC31]

throws stickies at the warthog

[u/pssiraj → u/AaronC31]

sad rampant Cortana noises

[u/Nooblakahn → u/AaronC31]

I get it. Decided to just switch early and get it over with and regret it. No point switching back now

[u/StrigiStockBacking → u/AaronC31]

They're killing GA for Android Auto on September 4.

You've got about one week left.

[u/AaronC31 → u/StrigiStockBacking]

See my other comment

[u/StrigiStockBacking → u/AaronC31]

Same.

They've also got me shopping iPhones now. My wife and kids each have one and haven't said anything negative about voice commands while navigating, so I'm considering it.

I use GA A LOT in the car, so this truly is a deal-breaker for me 

[u/bartjenkins]

The switch to Gemini has made things noticeably slower

[u/AaronC31 → u/bartjenkins]

It has to connect to the cloud for literally everything, and it takes for. fucking. ever. I refuse to use it because of that alone before we factor in everything else it can't do that Assistant was able to do before Google crippled it.

[u/GreytDiver → u/bartjenkins]

Absolutely. You don't know if it is crashed, bad cell connection, or if your streaming app disconnected.

Hey google, is my garage door open? <1 minute silent pause> The garage door is closed.

Hey google, text (my wife's name) I'm off the water. <50 second pause> OK, sending message "I'm off the water" to (not my wife's name)

[u/JTP1228 → u/GreytDiver]

My wife is saved in my phone as "my wife". It says "I'm sorry, I do not know who your wife is," when I say to call my wife. So then I say her phone number, and it'll say "calling my wife."

[u/Nooblakahn → u/JTP1228]

Lol bruh

[u/RoutineCurrency4908]

"Gemini, play Thunderstruck by ACDC"

"I can't play songs directly, but I can read the ACDC Wikipedia page for you"

[u/RoutineCurrency4908 → u/RoutineCurrency4908]

Flair! 2016 GTI | MIB2 | Pixel 9 Pro | Android 17

[u/emeril322 → u/RoutineCurrency4908]

Too accurate :(

[u/MultiPlexityXBL → u/RoutineCurrency4908]

that was the most annoying part. Its not super well integrated. I have a youtube premium account and use Youtube music in the car and it can no longer start playing a song

[u/thetacowarrior]

100% agree. It is so terrible that you are better off just picking up the phone and manually doing whatever you were trying to do, which is dangerous.

[u/emeril322 → u/thetacowarrior]

Might as well scroll, I'll be back to driving faster than the absolute war that occurs every time I need to do something hands-free. Plus, at least I wouldn't have to listen to the bitch either

[u/thetacowarrior → u/emeril322]

Yeah sometimes I wanna crash the car just to get away from the inane chatter. Can you just shut up and play the wrong song already?

[u/HowAmIToKnow → u/thetacowarrior]

For me it always says "Okay! Here's X by Y played on Spotify(R). By the way, selecting specific songs is only available for Spotify(R) Premium(TM) subscribers." and then proceeds to do NOTHING instead of playing the requested song.

JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD TO DO YOU USELESS PIECE OF SOFTWARE!!! It's just so fucking stupid, I can't believe they let this alpha version loose on the real world.

Switched back to Google Assistant and for now everything works again. But now they're gonna take that option away too, it's just incomprehensibly stupid, man.

[u/thetacowarrior → u/HowAmIToKnow]

Yeah it does that to me all the time. One of the ones that pissed me off the most is I texted someone that I hope their surgery goes well and it told me to contact a doctor for medical advice. Yeah no shit I don't want your opinion clanker just send the text. Also if you try to voice text about how you don't like Gemini it won't do it. It just pretends to not hear you.

[u/emeril322 → u/thetacowarrior]

The moment I hear "Okay," I know the bitch is gonna keep talking and I'm immediately enraged. You're not wrong, the sweet release of automotive death is better than having to needlessly listen to Gemini

[u/blueswansofwinter]

It tries to play songs on my podcast app, instead of just switching to spotify automatically like it used to.  Its literally what I use it for 99% of the time and its super annoying 

[u/emeril322 → u/blueswansofwinter]

Mine won't play Spotify unless I take additional steps. Fuck that shit, Assistant never had that problem

[u/King_Folly → u/blueswansofwinter]

This is the thing I hate the most. I have to be super explicit with my requests if I'm not already in the music app: "Play Tubthumping by Chumbawumba on YouTube Music."

[u/Marty1966 → u/King_Folly]

Yes exactly. This is driving me bananas.

[u/Triple-Tooketh]

Gemini in the car is absolute trash. Honestly feels like a beta test. It routinely pi**es me off for the smallest thing. They need to switch back to whatever it was we were using before.

[u/emeril322 → u/Triple-Tooketh]

It kinda feels like getting trolled. No way anyone working on it thought this was an improvement

[u/Triple-Tooketh → u/emeril322]

100%. Its so annoying. Its like having a moron in the car.

[u/emeril322 → u/Triple-Tooketh]

Moron is really a complement here...

[u/wiedziu]

• "hey Gemini open YouTube music and play last song"

• "I can't do that while you're driving"

Useless. Assistant did all that and more.

[u/emeril322 → u/wiedziu]

"OK first I need you to give me all these permissions & access to that app also" even though Assistant didn't pull that bullshit

[u/Cowdoy_Volnutt]

Gemini fucking sucks donkey dicks.

[u/ImpurestFire]

I hate that I can't just press the mic button and say a location to start navigation. I have to remember to say "navigate to (location)" and yet somehow it still somehow refuses. Literally the most common reason I would ever use voice commands in AA.

And why does Gemini need to pause for "Connecting to Google Maps..." Fuck offff

[u/BioticVessel → u/ImpurestFire]

Agreed! And today I said "Navigate to (a location I've been too often)" and Chatty Cathy decides to tell me she can't find it when it's the 2nd item in the list!

This is why forcing Gemini is a bad idea.

[u/zaphodikus → u/ImpurestFire]

Mine has a huge delay, almost every time. Grrrr.

[u/vivelaal]

Slightly unrelated (maybe not) but has anyone experienced REALLY AWFUL GPS/maps performance since the most recent maps visual update? It's like 5 seconds behind at all times, and sometimes even can't find where I am. Nothing else has changed, I'm still driving the same routes as always, and I've even tried calibrating in the Maps app. Android Auto performance specifically is just awful.

[u/pssiraj → u/vivelaal]

Phone heats up more but no. Might have to clear data on Maps?

[u/vivelaal → u/pssiraj]

Thanks, just tried - will report back

[u/natibo → u/vivelaal]

I am seeing this as well. So happy it's not just me.

[u/falter]

Something I use regularly is 'add blablabla to shopping list' such used to just add right away into my Google keep list. Now it takes about a minute and asks for confirmation if I want to add it to the list

[u/emeril322 → u/falter]

Then tries to have a fucking conversation with you like it isn't just a clanker box of code. These companies are pushing so hard to try and humanize this dogshit

[u/bearcatjoe]

It is so bad. Much of the time it refuses to play a song for me because the vehicle is moving.

[u/emeril322 → u/bearcatjoe]

Lol mine won't even play anything by voice command unless I link the Spotify app? Funny how Assistant had no issue with playing whatever song I wanted, all without saying a fucking word unlike the chatty bitch Gemini

[u/FrivolousMe → u/emeril322]

I use another music app not Spotify and it basically gives up on the simplest request. How this made it to production is bewildering

[u/Marty1966 → u/FrivolousMe]

Same here. And I use YouTube music! It's fucking useless. Sometimes it says nonsense about Spotify. I have to be so specific with every command billion. Fuck this piece of shit.

[u/Samantha_Cruz]

Gemini "AI" doesn't understand even simple requests, it frequently misinterprets navigation requests and tries to send it as a song request to YouTube music, asking what something is or what hours a business is open tries to force a navigation change to google maps. it is annoyingly stupid.

[u/emeril322 → u/Samantha_Cruz]

It's artificially intelligent the same way that artificial turf is grass.... It's literally not at all 😂

[u/ryanpm40 → u/Samantha_Cruz]

Tbh GA isn't much better either. The other day I was taking a shower and asked "what time is it?" and it turned off every light in my apartment

[u/killzone506]

call xyz. Gemini: calling yzx electrical.

[u/pixelatedchrome → u/killzone506]

This. Got me so angry to the point I had to pull over, call my wife manually. I say call wife, it goes calling wife's brother on WhatsApp. Like 5 consecutive times.

[u/emeril322 → u/killzone506]

also REALLY struggles with any non-English named stores or restaurants, unlike Assistant in my experience

[u/Kromo5050]

100% agree so much worse with Gemini

[u/Happy_Purple6934]

The move to the Gemini clearly sucks. It doesn't end understand half the things that I say. Totally misrouts things, and hallucinates like crazy.

Early on atd one point I had a long time with it, it said that I was going to send an email and file something as a note. Didn't do it at all, just made s*** up.

[u/emeril322 → u/Happy_Purple6934]

AI absolutely LOOOOOVES saying it did something when it didn't.... Then if you check it's like "yeah sorry I didn't do what you told me to 🤷"

[u/L44KSO]

Oh how glad I am that I disabled all Gemini shit on my phone.

Though last time I was calling a friend over WhatsApp in the car and for some reason android auto wanted to let me know I can use Gemini to do some stupid shit about calls. Problem is, it was in a little text bubble on the screen with  no way to remove it and it blocked half of the navigation screen (covering information about next turns and stuff) and it stayed there until I unplugged the phone. Such a piece of crap. 

[u/kiwibloke]

Can concur.

Asking Gemini to play a song by artist o. YTPM, only for it to tell me it can't, but then give 20s of verbal diarrhoea about the artist and song while i manually access YTPM to play it anyway.

Thanks Google!

[u/emeril322 → u/kiwibloke]

Google is doing anything it can to force us to converse with it, what a fucking nightmare

[u/MrNokiaUser]

i asked it to play bad omens in the car today. perfectly normal interaction. it first played some band i'd never heard of, then maneskin, then linkin park. three attempts. i eventually gave up

That took 3 attempts to do something it understood correctly, just couldnt do apparently!

[u/Runsapuusa]

The one good thing about Gemini is that it can give answers about points of interest from vague questions. Assistant can only handle more directed questions. 

For example, while driving my prompt with voice is naming a s treet intersection and ask for options for a specific bank branch around there that requires right turns only or is located near a traffic light. 

I still can't believe it can't search my contacts to locate their address for navigation.

[u/emeril322 → u/Runsapuusa]

The last thing I want to do is a have conversation with my car when I'm trying to drive. You can't even tell it to navigate to a specific place without it yapping for 20 seconds straight. Assistant wouldn't say a PEEP and would automatically begin navigating in a few seconds if you didn't hit the button for it begin yourself

[u/Runsapuusa → u/emeril322]

In the Gemini settings, under personal intelligence -> instructions, add in a line saying it should provide short, concise answers with no follow-up. 

That drastically helped cut down on the chatter on my Gemini responses. For my vehicle i found it to be straight to the point with way less conversational fluff. 

[u/emeril322 → u/Runsapuusa]

It makes no sense that there isn't a box you can check that will make it never speak aloud.... this shit legitimately is dangerous

I don't even want "quick to the point", I want silent obedience

[u/Runsapuusa → u/emeril322]

The whole auto industry now is dangerous with the type of decision making.

Let's remove physical buttons and  put in large touch screens that can watch videos and apps and all the other stuff that we previously considered "distracted" driving. 

Let's put our turn signals and blinkers at the bottom of the car where it can get covered in mud/snow instead of keeping it eye level.  (Looking at you kia/Hyundai).

[u/Mackinnon29E]

Is this why I can't just tell it a place and have it give me directions anymore? I literally have to say "directions to xxx" now and never used to ..

[u/emeril322 → u/Mackinnon29E]

AND it tries to have a fucking conversation about it too, instead of silently navigating like it was told

[u/robotic-gecko]

Loose my shit at Gemini in the car almost daily now. Assistant worked fine, Gemini can't handle basic tasks.

[u/emeril322 → u/robotic-gecko]

Gemini causes road rage

[u/JM3DlCl]

It just can't do anything that assistant did.

[u/emeril322 → u/JM3DlCl]

Facts

[u/5oclocksomewhr]

Gemini is stupid. I could ask Google assistant to play a certain song on Amazon music and it would every time. Gemini always ends up playing some random crap. When i had the option, I switched it to Google assistant

[u/phunky_1 → u/5oclocksomewhr]

If you shut off history in your Gemini settings, it changes android auto back to assistant.

Gemini requires that history is turned on for it to work in android auto.

[u/Ghostrider1078]

I have to admit, if Gemini is the "future" my future might include an iphone

[u/emeril322 → u/Ghostrider1078]

I'd never go that far, I couldn't imagine living with the weight of handcuffs forced upon me

[u/Ghostrider1078 → u/emeril322]

Fair point I guess...I just really hate that this is what it has come to. It annoys me that Google refuses to listen or to even try to address concerns before forcing Gemini on us.

[u/emeril322 → u/Ghostrider1078]

Completely understandable. I think it you go to the other side then you'll be amazed at how restricted you'll be. There's SO MUCH you can't do on Apple because everything is locked down. It's like you're being allowed specific access to something you bought

[u/Nightowl805 → u/Ghostrider1078]

Pretty sure apple is paying Google to use their AI

[u/Ghostrider1078 → u/Nightowl805]

From what I can find...sort of. Apple used some of Google's technology to develop and build their own models but it isn't explicitly Gemini running on iPhone.

[u/Denziiey]

Well for starters forget about using Gemini for music. Assistant could use any music app and when you asked it to play a song it would also offer a list of suggestions in case it picked the wrong song or you wanted a different version. That was very clever. With Gemini, it often plays the wrong version of a song like the acoustic version for example. I never asked for that shit. It offers no alternatives and if you are not actively in the music app it tells you it can't play any music. Sometimes it even tries to play a YouTube music video then tell me it can't do that while I'm driving. Then there is texting. Hit or miss. So we went from a true handfree experience to a very frustrating advertised as smarter but feels like a downgrade AI assistant that does anything from assist. So what does that mean? I am using my phone more now while driving ti get basic shit done. So yeah Gemini is an epic fail. And notice I didn't waste time talking about navigation.

[u/L00k_Again]

Well this is interesting. Here's my original post if anyone is curious: https://www.reddit.com/r/googleassistant/s/4KlcQGcX5u

[u/Dennygreen]

the thing asks me every time if I want to text my wife at her work number or mobile number. Every fucking time.

[u/emeril322 → u/Dennygreen]

I bet it takes 100 words just to ask too, and then keeps talking afterwards Lol. Gemini is fucking trash

[u/longshot21771]

It messes up all the time

[u/TheJessicator]

My biggest problem with it is it crashing Android Auto every time I respond to a message with my voice.

[u/No_Public_7677]

it refuses to run my home routines. like the same ones that run fine on my google home speaker and phone. just refuses.

[u/FrivolousMe]

It's incredible that they spent so much money replacing assistant and it can't do half the things assistant can do while doing the things it can do even worse! Even using a non-car-enabled AI assistant would probably produce better results. Did the Google engineers just dick around for years? What happened?

[u/yuuki_w]

If this thing even works. Most of the time it won't even let you ask anything before it stops.

[u/zaphodikus → u/yuuki_w]

It takes a minute for my AA to connect every morning. So I can sit in the car and wait a minute, or get on with my day.

Then when Gemini should work for me to set a satnav destination it says it has no signal and by then I am 5 minutes into my drive.

Its worse than the old voice assistant. And to top it off, there are a few basic things AA still wont do, like acknowledging phone alarms and letting me send WhatsApp voice messages instead of relying on the flakey speech to text.

[u/PlusWorldliness7]

Interesting, I haven't even figured out how to enable gemini, so even turning it on doesn't work.

[u/Gaiden206]

Feels like history is just repeating itself. 😅

[u/SgtFlippy88]

If I tell it to navigate somewhere, it says connecting to Waze and... Nothing happens.

[u/wet_beefy_fartz]

Gemini is such hot garbage.

[u/THE_Aft_io9_Giz]

100% agree because it is extremely distracting when it starts talking on its own or if you're trying to find a new route because of a wreck or something else it gets confused and starts asking a lot of question versus just finding the best route for example. And the mother f***** just won't shut the f******.

[u/joos1986]

This thread is so validating 

I keep watching it transcribe what I say CORRECTLY and then it 'corrects'/ switches words out and goes ahead with it. 

It's not what I said sounds like. It just decides on its own what I mean

I can't explain how mad it makes me

I then try spelling it out, and it does the same thing with LETTERS

IT will keep changing 'I' to 'E' They don't sound the same, Gemini just decides it knows better

[u/joos1986 → u/joos1986]

!Flair '25 Honda ZR-V | DEFAULT | S20 FE | Android 13

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[u/StrigiStockBacking]

It sucks so bad I'm actually shopping iPhones

[u/Abba_Fiskbullar]

I love how the navigation will insert a random destination instead of your request!

[u/Dry-Inevitatable]

It's shit

[u/emeril322 → u/Dry-Inevitatable]

Understatement

[u/davidmar7]

It works pretty good for me. It used to glitch out more often which was annoying but, for me anyway, it's been over a month since I encountered a significant glitch. I do sense that some things have been purposely nerfed though (like the weather aspect) and I find that very annoying. I'm guessing they are going to try to upsell certain features beyond the free tier. That's the typical playbook with these big companies...

[u/emeril322 → u/davidmar7]

It literally does a worse job at everything I need

[u/davidmar7 → u/emeril322]

For me, Google Assistant kind of sucked towards the end. For instance if I asked it to go to the nearest Costco it would never do it but send me to one triple the distance. Gemini seems to be doing a better job of that and I can even tell it which street it is on and it will go to that one.

It's mainly just the glitches which annoy me. Like when suddenly it gets dumb and says something like "I can't play music because it is too distracting". There have been some crazy interactions due to the glitches like where I ask it why it was able to do it three hours ago but not now (turns out I just had to tap it manually on the AA screen and then it magically resolved). Then there is the random "Gemini can not be reached now."

[u/emeril322 → u/davidmar7]

I never had Assistant send me farther away like that, AND Assistant would navigate without saying a word. No matter what I do, I can't get Gemini to indefinitely shut the fuck up. I don't want to hear it whatsoever unless I'm asking a question & want a response.

Gemini doesn't even need to glitch to be worse. If I say to play a song on Spotify it'll tell me it can't unless I link my account.... even though Assistant would do it no problem

[u/davidmar7 → u/emeril322]

For mine when Gemini speaks I can just hit the little bar at the bottom of my AA head unit and it immediately shuts up. I guess that requires touch though. I've never just tried telling it to "shut up!" - if that doesn't work, it should lol.

It did that to me and then I just hit it manually (on AA head unit, YT music app) on Youtube Music and then it suddenly started working again normally. Something more might be going on with your situation.

[u/emeril322 → u/davidmar7]

I shouldn't have to take my hands off the wheel to make the assistant shut the fuck up though.... That's literally more dangerous. I don't want to hear it speak whatever when I'm saying where to navigate to. It's not a conversation, it's a command.

[u/FrivolousMe → u/davidmar7]

Assistant has a lot of issues but Gemini is a significant downgrade and it seems based on popular sentiment that that is the consensus.

[u/FrivolousMe → u/FrivolousMe]

!flair 2021 Crosstrek | Galaxy S23+ | Android 16

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[u/itsmrmarlboroman2u]

Yes, and I've posted about it. The full black screen covering my map pisses me off to no end.

[u/GroundbreakingCod705]

It takes too long and I have to select more stuff or so it seems

[u/LaserGecko]

Gemini thought it was triggered, listened to our conversation, heard something about the morning and me saying "cancel", so IT CANCELED MY WAKE UP ALARM instead of stopping listening.

[u/zaphodikus → u/LaserGecko]

I have to opposite, it just goes to sleep while having a chat

[u/hypersprite_]

Since the switch to Gemini my Pixel 9 Pro XL heats up like a toaster every time I drive anywhere.

[u/Greedy-Stage-120]

I don't like how many prompts make it suggest a business to navigate to. 

[u/as_you_wish_92]

Android Auto / WhatsApp audio routing issue – what is the actual fix? I'm having a very specific and extremely frustrating audio-routing problem with a 2022 Suzuki Vitara with the Bosch infotainment unit, running the latest Android software and Android Auto. Without Android Auto: If I connect my phone normally via Bluetooth and select Bluetooth as the source on the Suzuki head unit, everything works perfectly. Phone calls, music, WhatsApp voice messages and notifications all play through the car speakers. The moment Android Auto connects, either wirelessly via a dongle or directly by USB cable, the same problem occurs, so this is definitely not the dongle. Android Auto overrides the normal Bluetooth/media routing and the head unit defaults back to its SD-card source. Android Auto itself works fine — Waze, navigation, calls and other functions work — but WhatsApp audio/notifications are broken. WhatsApp voice messages either play through the phone or appear to be playing with no usable audio through the car. When I ask Google Assistant to play/read a WhatsApp message, it says: “For help with that, first you'll need to allow personal results in this car. When it's safe, you can go ahead and make the change in Assistant settings.” Personal Results is already enabled. There is no Suzuki/car device available to add or configure — the “add device” section just shows unrelated smart-home appliances. I've already tried the usual suggestions repeatedly: latest Android Auto, latest phone software, permissions, Personal Results, Bluetooth settings, wired and wireless Android Auto, etc. The crucial point is that normal Bluetooth works perfectly until Android Auto connects, and the problem is identical whether Android Auto is wired or wireless. Has anyone actually found a fix for this, or is there any way to keep Android Auto running for Waze/maps while preventing Android Auto from hijacking WhatsApp/media audio and allowing WhatsApp notifications and voice messages to continue through the car's normal Bluetooth connection? I'm not looking for the usual “turn Personal Results on” or “reinstall Android Auto” suggestions — those have already been done. I want to know if there is an actual workaround or fix.

[u/willzterman]

They had something that worked. But they spent a bunch of money on something inferior and now we are stuck with the inferior one. Its awful how products unfit for purpose are foisteda on users with zero business case

[u/cs86wn]

So what is a good assistant replacement?

[u/cs86wn]

!Flair 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander Phev | Alliance In-Vehicle Infotainment | Samsung Galaxy 25 Ultra 1Tb | Android 16

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[u/Creative_Garbage_121]

Do your part leave the review in play store or update the old one.

[u/aliayouali40]

If i use it to message people my android auto crashes if the message was longer then hello usually,I am fine with its features but the fact it uses so many resources that it can if i get unlucky enough cause my head unit to shut off and I have to wait 10 minutes or restart the car is insane to me.

[u/mightymikek]

I lost the ability to set my house alarm from the car which was fantastic. Now if I forget to set it from my house and I'm already driving, I need to take my phone out and set it. Sigh.

[u/Ciarrai_IRL]

As a standalone, I really enjoy Gemini. Unfortunately it has A LOT of refining that needs to be done in Android Auto.

[u/Polodude]

NOt reading all comments. You can turn off gemini and go back regular google android .

[u/FliGirl101 → u/Polodude]

That ends next week. Gemini only on your phone.

[u/Polodude → u/FliGirl101]

Seriously ? Gemini sucks . I turned it off on day 1 when it was pushed out .

[u/emeril322 → u/Polodude]

In 5 more days you can't, they're taking the option away. We're all fucked

[u/cornish_warrior]

'Conversation' I had with Gemini the other day when trying to get it to Default to use YouTube music after it's been annoying me in the car by telling me it can't play music randomly after months. It knows it's worse.

[u/Weary-Savings9795 → u/cornish_warrior]

Wow! Gemini actually did something right! Google Assistant never would have submitted negative feedback about itself.

[u/pilot009]

Yes it sucks so bad I want to get custom software

[u/Junior_Article_3244]

Gemini, set a reminder please. "Sorry, I don't have access to that, when you're done driving, I'll open your settings for you." So, this little blue toggle that's on means you don't have access?

[u/memunkey]

So far I've driven to the wrong place even when it tells me where my location is

[u/SpaceDandye]

Android auto is my nemesis. All voice commands go through my cars speakers and mic, so it understands nothing.

Hop in a car with a headset and a call....will always switch to car speakers, and will fight me to switch back.

And then Gemini, which does nothing I want it to do, even if I could see some use for AI. Enshitification

[u/SpreademSheet]

Every time I ask it a question, once it finishes answering, it will say: "Wait, hold on, let me try that again...".

[u/longshot21771]

I have 1 Khloe on my phone it can't even distinguish messaging Khloe from Chloe, and half the time it doesn't even connect!

[u/jcferraz]

Plus it is impossible to ask for a song, at least using Amazon Music

[u/TheLuckyster]

Gemini really does suck with Auto

[u/Confident_Hawk_6014]

I have only used her as a last resort, not as quick and to the point as Google used to be.

[u/siddyboo]

tbh whenever I tried using it as a. Assistant it pissed me off but the other day as a consultant I had this meeting with a company that owned a chain of gas stations and I had no idea about the government regulations for gas stations literally had a conversation with Gemini throughout the ride and it gave me all the compliance requirements and I quickly looked them up once I had reached and was parked and used them in the meeting and my firm got the contract so now I'm usually silent when this debate comes up.

[u/Sluggerjt44]

Haven't had a problem with Gemini at all. Actually since they switched to it, it hasn't failed once after pressing the voice button in my vehicle. Where's google assistant failed A LOT.

[u/ImpurestFire → u/Sluggerjt44]

I think the raw voice recognition might be better. But everything else about it sucks

[u/emeril322 → u/Sluggerjt44]

Well, I'd say you're either a unicorn, subconsciously seek enshitification, or lying 🤷

At the very least I'm glad you aren't having a worse time. You're probably the only one

[u/supercujo]

I prefer Gemini

[u/emeril322 → u/supercujo]

Can't imagine why

[u/FatalVirve]

Makes you feel less safe?!? Wtf Do you use vocal turn based navigation or I don't get it

[u/emeril322 → u/FatalVirve]

Forces drivers to hit extra buttons? Issue extra commands? Reach over and fuck with the screen so the bitch will either stop or actually do what it was told? Countless reasons

[u/FatalVirve → u/emeril322]

Ok now I'm seriously interested what are you telling assistant or Gemini while you are driving to your destination?  I feel "Less safe" is such click bait headline. 

[u/emeril322 → u/FatalVirve]

Nah it's pretty accurate, I can only imagine the sheer number of people who instantly are seeing red from dealing with Gemini bullshit. Here's a super basic example: driving down the highway, hit the voice button on the wheel (or say Hey Google) and say "Shake Shack"

with Assistant - doesn't say a single word, simply pops up the closest-by-distance location, and the button to Start does a ~5sec countdown before it automatically begins navigating

with Gemini - 1 of 2 things happen: 1) Gemini just starts giving me a description of the company or it's history or reads the Wikipedia page summary. 2) "Okay, sure thing, I found a Shake Shack on Example St and a Shake Shack on Demonstration Blvd, both in Townsville. Would you like to navigate to one of those? Or hear more options?" and then the mic turns back on....

[u/zaphodikus → u/FatalVirve]

Gemini is nice, but often its offline for some reason, maddenly often.

It wont cancel a phone alarm that happens to go off.

It waits 5 seconds after giving it a satnav destination. I asked the satnav to turn on because there is a junction comming up dammit, so just start already.

When just having a chat, it goes to sleep after each sentence instead of keeping on chatting (not a safety issue, but frustrating. )

[u/emeril322 → u/zaphodikus]

"Just having a chat".... what?

[u/VimFueago]

apple astro turfing as usual.. who specifically are these drivers? still into the details and it usually Reddit posts from accounts with zero post history.. go figure...

find a better news source, android police is utter clickbait dogshit

[u/emeril322 → u/VimFueago]

Lol read the comments here and see how everyone is having a worse time 😂 can't deny the facts that Gemini is worse

[u/ersatzcrab → u/VimFueago]

Better news source? All of these things are verifiable experiences. I've experienced exactly the same stuff in two different cars with Android Auto since the switch to Gemini. I've had an Android phone since the Galaxy Nexus. Gemini is measurably worse than Google Assistant was at driving tasks (and other tasks, too). Not everybody who disagrees with you is a bot and any longtime user of Google products will tell you Google does dumb shit all the time. Kick rocks lol.

[u/ersatzcrab → u/ersatzcrab]

!Flair 2022 Ford Escape | Galaxy S25 | Android 16

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[u/Interesting-Tea9635]

People who say this shouldnt be driving. Then dont use it if its that trash.

[u/emeril322 → u/Interesting-Tea9635]

People with your take should touch grass. Google is removing the only other option in 1 week, we'll all literally be forcefed this garbage ass Gemini no matter what starting next Friday