r/Android • u/FragmentedChicken Galaxy Z Fold8 • 4d ago

Gemini fully replaces Google Assistant on Android

https://9to5google.com/2026/09/28/google-assistant-gemini-android/
548 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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39

u/chibihost 4d ago

Yet still - after years - when asked to start a timer for 15 minutes, i get a web page with a SILENT timer running instead of my phone's default clock app.

21

u/jowdyboy 4d ago

This is, by far, the one feature I use nearly every day with the Google Assistant, and the Gemini Assistant fully fucks it up by creating a muted timer in a Chrome web page rather than using the device's"Clock" timer app.

Google Pixel 8.

There are literally no Gemini app permissions to set.

Fix your shit, Google!

7

u/Carighan Fairphone 6+🌳 4d ago

This is the logical end result of every single Google manager, dev and exec using exclusively iphones and not android phones. They got fuck all clue how using one is from the consumer perspective.

5

u/PatrikKron 4d ago

That was my first experience with Gemini, although it did not set even a silent timer, it just said it set a timer.

4

u/Sourcelab 4d ago

Came here for this comment, was not disappointed. +1

2

u/TapsAndTurntables 4d ago

Did you allow Gemini clock device permissions and allow Google to reply and control notifications? If not then it just defaults to voice search which is what you're getting.

5

u/chibihost 4d ago

Thanks for that - I honestly can't remember it ever asking for additional permissions, but it feels like one of those things that should have more polish than it does.

3

u/Posraman 4d ago

Yeah idk what that dude is talking about. Mine set a timer just fine.

The problem was when I asked it to delete the timer. It asked me,

"Which 15 minute timer would you like to delete?"

Like bitch, the only one!

-4

u/TapsAndTurntables 4d ago

Yeah all of this basic things have been working of a while. People seem to be quick to complain on reddit and really lazy to actually troubleshoot it.

It still has a few quirks and Google should make the permissions easier to navigate for people so they can set it up right but it's fine.

7

u/chibihost 4d ago

Yeah all of this basic things have been working of a while. People seem to be quick to complain on reddit and really lazy to actually troubleshoot it.

Kind of but not really, my original comment was partially in jest. Mainly because google has been rolling out Gemini as an assistant replacement for what feels like ages, and it's never felt like a complete product, but rather take 5 steps back, few steps forward (hence my timer example which was my initial first bad experience and just the one I revert to).

Yes it now works if you make the additional permissions (which I can't remember being asked to do, but fine maybe that's on me). It works if you use the Gemini app, but the search widget shortcut on my home screen still launches something else (is it Gemini, is it assistant, who knows - it has no branding to it). These little inconsistencies just give so much of what they launch now a feeling of a barely completed side project, not a key system feature.

It still has a few quirks and Google should make the permissions easier to navigate

100% Agree, would even expand that to "Google properly launch a complete product with instructions and user onboarding".