I just got Gemini for Android Auto in my car — and I can’t believe how much better it is than Google Assistant
Publish Date: 2026-07-11 00:52:00
Source Domain: www.tomsguide.com
Last year Google announced that it was getting rid of Google Assistant in cars, and would replace all voice-centric features with the newer, and more advanced, Gemini AI instead. I was thrilled about this news at the time, since my experience with Google Assistant while driving was far from great.
Over a year after that news was first announced, Google finally decided it was time to add Gemini in my car — and completely remove Google Assistant from my life. Given my absolute disdain for Assistant and what it could do, I jumped at the chance to go out and see what it was like to use Gemini out on the open road.
How Gemini works with Android Auto
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
I should mention that my car is about as dumb as you can get these days. It’s an electric Nissan Leaf with an infotainment system that supports both Android Auto and CarPlay, but there’s no interaction between infotainment and the functionality of the car itself. This isn’t a fancy car that routes everything through a touchscreen menu, and everything you do relies on physical buttons or levers.
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In my case, though, these things are all locked into my phone, and have no actual connection to the car. This means Gemini also has no access to any of that information, or control over car systems.
I should make it very clear that I am grateful about this. Sticking essential car features behind a touchscreen is one of the most bone-headed moves the car industry has ever performed, and I’m glad to see that things are starting to go back to the way they were. Still, I am not a luddite and fully expect to be able to use some hi-tech features in my car, like navigation, phone calls, streaming and so on — so long as it’s safe to do so.
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