Don't want Assistant? You can still use Now on Tap instead, even on the Pixel

Google on Tap never really managed to catch on quite the way Google had originally intended, and with the Pixel it was never even an option, with the Google Assistant essentially replacing it. There’s a lot to love about Google Assistant and now it’s rolling out to a wide array of Android 6.0 and Android 7.0 devices. Not impressed, and would rather keep Now on Tap for whatever reason? At least for now, that’s totally possible with an easy ‘hack’.

Basically all you need to do is follow a few easy steps. First, go to Settings. Next, scroll to Language & Input, tap Languages and tap on Add a language. The language of choice will likely be English for many of our readers, but for the region, you’re going to want to put an area where Google Assistant currently isn’t supported. As an example, try picking US Virgin Islands.

After you do this, you’ll need to remove English (United States). Just like that, you’ll notice that Google Now on Tap will now have replaced Assistant. This even happens to work on the Pixel and Pixel XL, two phones that never offered Now on Tap out of the box.

It’s a fun trick, but honestly, most folks will probably prefer Google Assistant anyhow. It’s also hard to say how long this workaround will continue to function, and so eventually you’re probably going to have to just deal with the switch. What do you think of Google Assistant? Did you ever actively use Google Now on Tap or did you find it less than useful in that form?