Alongside a handful of new <a href="https://myappsplus.com/macos-golden-gate-10-features-to-try-first/” title=”macOS Golden Gate: 10 Features to Try First”>features added to Android Auto, Google has now integrated Gemini into Android Auto. Unfortunately, the change hasn’t been received well by everyone. A group of users who have used Gemini on Android Auto haven’t been impressed by it, airing out their frustrations online. These complaints aren’t just because some users prefer to stick to what they’re already used to — there are several valid concerns being raised. Users have mentioned running into different issues with Gemini, including slow responses, unreliability, broken functionality, inconsistency, and others say it’s missing some familiar features that were previously available in Google Assistant.
For example, one Redditor raised concerns about Gemini’s unreliability, saying that they asked the chatbot to text their ETA to their wife, and it did, but it couldn’t perform the same task the following day, claiming it’s not possible. Several people replied to that thread, sharing similar experiences in the comments, and pointing out that it might work at times while at other times it doesn’t for the same command, leaving some users frustrated. A thread on Google’s Android Auto Community forum also highlights some of the pains users are facing with the introduction of Gemini.
Android Auto users are running into many issues with Gemini
With Gemini, there are several AI commands that you can use to upgrade your daily drive on Android Auto. However, it’s hard to ignore all the issues some users are running into with the AI-powered assistant. Users have also complained about Gemini giving outright wrong answers to their queries. One user says they can ask Gemini to play music on Spotify, and it will say it is, but nothing actually plays. Users have also complained about slow responses compared to Google Assistant.
A Redditor claims they grew tired of the chatbot’s sluggish responses, and ultimately decided to just switch off Gemini and continue using Google Assistant. Some have even spoken about how they feel unsafe behind the wheel because of Android Auto’s Gemini integration.
One Redditor summarized their experience with Gemini on Android Auto after a multi-day road trip, saying, “What used to be a helpful assistant has become an infuriating liability.” They cited poor navigation, difficulty finding the nearest gas stations along the route, poor Spotify integration, and the loss of useful features like weather updates as some of the biggest pain points that they ran into on the road trip. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Users have also complained that Gemini fails to perform basic tasks, and some say it’s more chatty than they’d like.
Android Auto is not totally broken for everyone
There are dozens of posts on Google’s Android Auto Community and related subreddits like r/AndroidAuto and r/GoogleAssistant that have garnered dozens of likes and comments, proving that the issues have affected a good number of people. However, to be fair, it’s also worth pointing out that people who are unhappy about something are more likely to air their frustrations than those who’ve had a good experience. So this is not to say that Gemini in Android Auto is outright bad and everyone hates it.
Some have actually shared some positives about Gemini, although even those threads quickly attract attention from those who have had a bad experience. While reviewing the feature in Android Auto, Android Authority calls Gemini Live “brilliant,” but “broken,” saying that the negatives outweigh the positives. Google appears to be committed to ironing out the issues as it continues to roll out Gemini. For example, it recently fixed a call bug that prevented users from making calls.
In the meantime, if you’d like to switch back to Google Assistant, the good news is that you can. Open your Settings app on your Android phone and search for “Android Auto.” Next, select Android Auto from the search results, and then navigate to Manage your digital assistant > Digital assistants from Google, and select Google Assistant on the next page. That way, you can continue using the best Android Auto apps like you used to until Google irons out some of the issues various users have highlighted with Gemini.
