Users say 'Gemini as the Google Assistant is a disaster'

Last month, Google completed its long-running migration from Google Assistant to Gemini by removing the former from all mobile devices and accounts. The company wants Gemini to be the assistant you turn to for everyday tasks on your phone, but many users aren’t convinced the AI is ready to replace Google Assistant.

In a Reddit discussion titled “Gemini as the Google Assistant is a disaster,” users are sharing their frustrations with everything from making phone calls and setting timers to navigating with Android Auto. Many users feel they’ve lost a familiar assistant without getting a reliable replacement in Gemini.

A recurring complaint in the discussion is that Gemini struggles with basic tasks that users had come to expect from Google Assistant. While Google’s AI assistant can handle many everyday requests, commenters describe situations where it fails to recognize contacts, refuses to perform familiar actions, or requires repeated attempts to do something as simple as setting an alarm.

One user said, “I just want it to make a phone call, and most of the time it fails or says the contact doesn’t exist when it does, or decides to literally call a business near me that sounds the same.”

Timers and alarms are another sore spot with users who are now stuck with Gemini. One commenter said setting timers while cooking was the main reason they used Google Assistant, but the feature stopped working reliably enough that they now ask their partner, who uses an iPhone, to set timers instead.

Others report having to repeatedly ask Gemini to perform actions it has apparently handled successfully before.

The complaints aren’t limited to using Gemini on a phone, though. Some commenters say the change has also made their experience with Android Auto very frustrating.

One user explained that they previously could ask Google Assistant to navigate to a contact’s house by name, prompting Google Maps to open directions to the saved address. They say Gemini fails to recognize the contact much more frequently.

Another commenter described Android Auto commands freezing for a minute or two before the system makes a sound and cancels the request.

Beyond basic commands, some users say the transition has also disrupted workflows they previously relied on. One commenter complained about losing convenient ways to translate text displayed on their screen or quickly perform a reverse image search on something they couldn’t select.

Another recalled trying Gemini and finding that it wouldn’t play music through YouTube Music, with the assistant itself suggesting a return to Google Assistant as a possible solution.

Users aren’t happy about being pushed toward Gemini

While Google has been steadily packing Gemini with new features, users feel the company has made the switch from Assistant before Gemini could actually match the functionality of its predecessor.

One commenter questioned why Google had made Gemini the default without first ensuring it had near-complete feature parity with Google Assistant. Another asked why users were being forced to make the switch at all.

Some users also claim that disabling Gemini hasn’t stopped it from reappearing, while others say they can no longer find an option to return to Google Assistant. The experience appears to vary, and the Reddit discussion doesn’t establish that every device or account has the same switching options.

Another major complaint concerns Gemini’s conversational style. Some users dislike the extra explanations, apologies, and lengthy responses they receive when asking Gemini to perform a straightforward task.

“I love that half the functions it used to do easily now result in a detailed conversation about how it can’t perform that function,” one commenter wrote.

Another expressed frustration with AI assistants that try to sound human rather than simply getting the job done.

All in all, this Reddit discussion suggests that many users aren’t seeing the upgrade they expected from Gemini. It also shows how many people are still relying on Google Assistant on their devices, despite Gemini having been around for quite a long time now.

What about you? Has Gemini improved your experience with Google’s assistant, or do you wish you could switch back? Vote in our poll above and let us know in the comments.