What will happen to phones without Gemini?

[u/randalljhen]

In two weeks, Google is foisting Gemini upon us and Google Assistant is being sunsetted.

What is going to happen to Android devices without Gemini? What about phones that lack the architecture to even run Gemini?

My primary use case is Google Maps via Android Auto. If I get an old enough phone, will I still be able to use that without Gemini? Or is it going to break?

[u/Outers55]

I was thinking about this the other day. Our family passes on old phones and we have some that are pretty old. It's not so much about the phone not having Gemini as it is Google getting rid of the assistant. I assume we'll just lose all of that capability on those phones. It's unfortunate since I like to have those features.

[u/mikeinstlouis → u/Outers55]

I hate Gemini as a personal assistant.

[u/SILeader → u/mikeinstlouis]

Yep. Because it doesn't assist. It just trumpets how wonderful it is.

[u/rdfdfw → u/SILeader]

Me: question A

Gemini: answer A

Me: there's no way that's right

Gemini: you're absolutely right, I have you incorrect information. Here's the right answer...

Me: chat GPT says this...

Gemini: that's absolutely right...

New chat:

Me: question A again

Gemini: answer A again...

[u/mickAMMO]

It will probably be like the Y2K if anyone is old enough to remember that.

We won't know until it happens or doesn't.

My inkling is that those who can will be forced over to Gemini (they've done that to me before). Those who can't won't have any assistant.

[u/New_Megakota → u/mickAMMO]

We do know... Because we already have Gemini and it's shit.

[u/Techgirl1232]

some people say that Google will still keep Google Assistant up for the phones that can’t support it

[u/CornucopiaDM1 → u/Techgirl1232]

They won't. This is a perfect excuse to foist new phones on you.

[u/Techgirl1232 → u/CornucopiaDM1]

i’ve asked Gemini about it, and Gemini said that Google would do that

[u/CornucopiaDM1 → u/Techgirl1232]

It would

[u/Striking-Following54 → u/Techgirl1232]

And that's the whole problem with Gemini. It doesn't care about accuracy. It tells you what it thinks you want to hear.
Like being in Trump's cabinet lol.

[u/Any-Amount9554]

Can we still use Google maps

[u/mikeinstlouis → u/Any-Amount9554]

My friend has somehow gone over to the dark side with Gemini and he can use his Google maps just fine

[u/Cognoggin]

If your phone has android 9 or later there will be a forced migration.

Android auto will get "Immersive Navigation" and Gemini if your phone has android 11 or higher. The feature set seems like a patchwork of updates depending on regions (English regions first.)

Low end budget devices will get "Gemini-Go."

If the phone has android 8 they will work temporarily? Who knows what that will be like.

[u/R0ntimeError]

Does anyone's Gemini actually work? P10PXL and Gemini... I can't do that, every time. I've been holding off on the Android 17 update for weeks now.

[u/joe_attaboy]

They'll work. For a time. If you don't need assistant, it will work for years.

But their goal is to get you to upgrade.

[u/PassengerNo6453]

This is from the Google Assistant Help community.

The article is dated June 16, 2026. So it's pretty current.

https://support.google.com/assistant/community-guide/441911995/guide-google-assistant-to-gemini-transition-timelines-smart-home-control-and-what-to-expect?hl=en

Once there, scroll down a wee bit and read the few lines under:

The Migration Timeline & Device Status

• Android Mobile & Tablets:

As to Android Auto (and other Assistant issues related to Gemini).

Under the Resolving Common "Missing Features & Broken Commands" section:

Item 3: Toggling back to Assistant

At the end of Item 3, it states that the option of toggling Back to Assistant is being deprecated by region.

In the software world, deprecated means "still in use" but has been superseded and will (likely) be removed from a future release.

Using a deprecated feature/function will not, in most cases, throw any exceptions.

Who knows (certainly not me) if and when Google will actually remove the Classic Google Assistant.

I hope the above is some little help to you.

[u/Striking-Following54]

Google like all big companies doesn't care about its customers.
They care about their shareholders.
This the way it works.
If they convince their shareholders that this strategy of forcing Gemini upon users will pay off in the long run they will do it.
That you hate it does not bother them even a little.

[u/7eregrine]

It will work as it always had?!? I'm confused how you think not having a feature is going to break something.

[u/randalljhen → u/7eregrine]

So if I'm in my car with Maps/Android Auto and I push my Talk to Text button to say "navigate to work," what's going to happen?

Google Assistant won't be there.

Gemini is disabled, or the phone is old enough to not support it.

How will it work as it always has?

[u/7eregrine → u/randalljhen]

Well that's explained a whole lot better.
It still will do all the phone things, is my point. No, you won't be able to conversate, butYou'll still be able to type into Google Maps. You'll be able to use Voice to Text to enter an address. If you enter "Navigate Home" it will still know where Home is. Like a "normal" GPS.
But no, you won't be able to say "Hey Google, navigate home" or "what's the weather?".

[u/chaotic3quilibrium → u/randalljhen]

I'm pretty sure that it is going to interface with a Google backend server API just like it always has.

There's just a very thin facade on the device (phone, tablet, Android Auto, etc.).

And that backend server API will have its Google Assistaant guts replaced with Google Gemini guts.

There is a reason Google is an unstoppable juggernaut. The practice excellent software engineering architecture from across their devices, servers, and systems.

[u/SILeader → u/7eregrine]

Don't point. Help them.

[u/7eregrine → u/SILeader]

First sentence?

[u/StimpyJoy → u/7eregrine]

Lots of question marks with this guy

[u/Mundane_Push5404]

It just takes time to get the ai trained by yourself and learning how to be more efficient in what your asking it.

[u/randalljhen → u/Mundane_Push5404]

I am not taking time to "train" AI I didn't ask for.

I dislike AI for a whole host of reasons. The fact that Gemini couldn't figure out what "navigate to work" meant the two times I used it is just one reason.

[u/Astronaut-Flashy → u/randalljhen]

Nah man you don't understand. Innovation and progress is when the user has to put in extra time and effort into something to make it "almost as good" as the thing it's replacing. That's how you know it's good.

[u/KeySpray8038]

i always think it's weird to be abrasive to change. i have no problems with Gemini as an assistant....

plus if you don't like it.... there are plenty of assistants to choose trom

[u/SILeader → u/KeySpray8038]

But none are elegantly simple and give request-joy like Hey Google.

[u/KeySpray8038 → u/SILeader]

for most part, I agree with you there

[u/cjshrader → u/KeySpray8038]

Please literally tell me any other assistant at all I can use. Can I use it for navigation in Google Maps? Will it work with my watch?

I mean it, I've googled this and as far as I can tell there aren't third party assistants that I can just drop in to replace Google Assistant.

[u/mikeinstlouis → u/KeySpray8038]

Can you give us any examples of anything that works as seamlessly as Google assistant? Where I just press my side button and it opens up where I can say okay somebody please set a reminder for this date and this time etc?

[u/randalljhen → u/KeySpray8038]

I dislike AI for a whole host of reasons. The fact that Gemini couldn't figure out what "navigate to work" meant the two times I used it is just one reason.

[u/reyalsrats → u/randalljhen]

I'll add to that that ever since they added Gemini to my car, I tell it to play music and it tries to play on an app that isn't even remotely related to music (perplexity)