Summary
- Google plans to phase out Google Assistant across all surfaces, including in cars, with a complete deprecation expected by the end of 2025.
- Evidence within the Google Assistant app for Android Automotive OS (AAOS) indicates that Gemini, Google’s new AI assistant, is being integrated into the operating system.
- Clues suggest Gemini will soon reign supreme on Android Auto and Android Automotive OS.
It’s been less than a year since Google Assistant’s new and improved UI made its way to Android Automotive OS (AAOS), and Google already seems to be phasing out the old trusty for the new and shiny Gemini.
For reference, Google Assistant is poised to be deprecated by the end of 2025 — not just on phones and smart home devices, but on essentially all surfaces.
Gemini will fill in the void, with specific TVs and Fitbit wearables expected to lose Google Assistant functionality in the coming weeks.
The deprecation will also hit in-vehicle systems that have long been powered by Google Assistant. We’ve known for a while now that Gemini will reign supreme on Android Auto, and new clues point at a similar fate for the Android Automotive operating system (AAOS), as highlighted by Android Authority.
For those unaware, while Android Auto essentially allows you to project your smartphone onto your vehicle’s display, AAOS is a full-fledged operating system that is built into specific vehicles’ displays — and it does not rely on external smartphone connectivity to operate.
Google will likely ease users into Gemini
Related
Google is ready to open the app floodgates for Android Automotive
Car-ready apps launch February 2025
Strings found within Google Assistant – in the car (Android Automotive) version 13.1.244 (I know, the irony) suggest that Google has already started working on porting Gemini over, with it laying down prompts to help users transition.
<string name="gia_greeting_text">Ask Gemini</string>
<string name=”gia_onboarding_gemini_logo_content_description”>Gemini logo</string>
<string name=”gia_onboarding_landing_page_description”>Speak more naturally and get more done with your new assistant, reimagined with Google AI</string>
<string name=”gia_onboarding_landing_page_subtitle”>Your AI assistant for the car</string>
<string name=”gia_onboarding_landing_page_title”>Meet Gemini</string>
<string name=”gia_onboarding_start_now_button”>Start now</string>
<string name=”gia_onboarding_try_later_button”>Try later</string>
These strings strongly suggest that users will soon be greeted by a Gemini alert on their in-vehicle display, prompting them to switch over to the AI-powered assistant. The ‘Try later‘ string suggests that Gemini will be available on AAOS before Google Assistant is completely phased out, giving users time to adjust to the new experience.
