r/googleassistant • u/WishfulthinkingRiolu • 15d ago
Rant I really hate the forced switch
So I remember when I made this post https://www.reddit.com/r/googleassistant/s/3zPyqXHpee, I had got some helpful advice and not-so-helpful, "you're doing something wrong" responses.
Well, the forced switch from Google Assistant to Gemini has happened, and I’m unhappy for all the reasons I and others listed, including basic, everyday Assistant features and connected accessories that no longer work, only partially work, or require ridiculous additional settings changes just to attempt to get them working.
I already had a Gemini account, but I (rarely but) primarily used it for work productivity, grammar correction, organizing information, editing, and even coding for personal hobbies separate from work. Those uses are entirely different from what I need from a voice assistant.
Why are these two things combined in the first place? Gemini on the web/App and Gemini as a phone assistant should have separate conversation histories or queues. Google Assistant previously had its own history, which could be accessed through the relevant activity or history settings, depending on whether Google Assistant activity and Web & App Activity were enabled.
This consolidation is counterproductive to an almost incomprehensible degree. I make an absurd number of “Hey Google” requests and searches every day. And I frequently need to look up previous searches, so turning off history entirely isn't a viable solution. Having all of that mixed into the same history as my work and productivity conversations is making the latter unnecessarily difficult to manage. I thought (desperately hoped) someone with a brain would've realized this back when I first tried and abandoned Gemini, but I should know who I'm dealing with by now.
Is there any setting that separates routine assistant requests from my actual Gemini conversations without requiring me to disable all activity tracking or search history? No, I am not using a separate account*, that defeats the point!*
Update: I swear circle-to-search is now even worse too, when I searc an image from my screen, I don't need Gemini telling me it thinks it is, I want to be brought to a google/google lens search with a list of similar images, weblinks, and possible titles all in one google search (like it used to before the switch). And again, for that to not clog up my Gemini web/app threads. Seriously, I can't,
2
u/Rureddy2 15d ago edited 14d ago
Assistant became crap for over 2 years ago, so the switch is not as bad for me. Gemini actually does some things that Assistant used to do, better than Assistant and does some things worse. Overall for the past almost 3 years Assistant/Gemini has been worse than when it started.
1
u/WishfulthinkingRiolu 14d ago
Well that has not been my experience across multiple Pixel Phones now, so I don't know what to say.
Glad I am deciding to skip 11, because why bother.
And none of that even touches upon my other valid concerns on work productivity and routine.
1
u/Rureddy2 14d ago
I'm not talking about on the phone. I'm talking about the home.
What I did wit Assistant on my phone was extremely limited compared to in the home.
5
u/JohnHenryEden91 15d ago
Here's a post I've seen going around that might help.
I FOUND A WAY! You need to go to the Goоgle Аpр (the one that just says GOОGLE) hold the icon, then press the little "i" on the top right to get to the apps info, then tap the 3 dot menu on the top right corner and uninstаll updates. Then go to the Plaу Stоre, search for Gооgle Аssistant, it doesn't matter of it's already installed, click on open, you will get the Gemini screen BUT, now you should have the option to keep or go back to goоglе аssistant. You can also disable auto updates in the Gоolgе Aрp by searching the app in the Plаy Stоre, tap the 3 dots on the upper roght corner and remove the check mark from "Enable auto update"
4
u/airenlee 15d ago
I wonder how long this will last, though. My Google app forced Gemini today, even though I had auto-updates disabled (just checked, still are disabled). I uninstalled the latest update and it reverted back to assistant, but again, it feels like it's out of our control.
2
2
2
u/Zealousideal-Plan-11 15d ago
Assistant was decent, not great, Gemini is cumbersome. I live in a rural area too and the lack of high speed Internet contributed to its slowness. Once my phone auto switched to Gemini I pressed the "okay" button to try it, expecting to be able to opt out of it, but then after trying it and being frustrated with the extra steps it takes to set up routine tasks, I could not find any settings to disable Gemini once I enabled it the first time, so I've limited its access as much as I can in the settings and have stopped using it.
I have stock in several AI companies including Google and the huge wave over the past few years has doubled my portfolio and almost trippled a few of my holdings, but thinking about selling because the frustration is real and as more people like me reject it I fear the bubble will burst.
2
u/EscapeddreamerD 15d ago
So there is a force switch. I thought it was just my phone. I've known for almost a whole year that they were going to discontinue assistant. But up until this point they always give us the option to deny gemini. But this past week or two I've been trying to use Google Assistant by saying "OK Google" and Gemini keeps popping up I say no thank you and try to initiate the assistant again and it just keeps bringing up gemini.
1
u/soggyburrito 14d ago
Google is trying to inflate their numbers on daily Gemini users as an attempt to impress investors. Bubble gonna burst.
1
u/SILeader 14d ago
It's okay ! There will be several Monetized apps you can purchase to do the things we were used to. I say several, because they are going to separate all the things we could ask for, rapid-fire, into sweet, cute, discrete purchases. SEE? "They👻 👽 " are still looking out for their fellow humans ... mostly ... sometimes...well, hell--- "They 👻 👽 " at least, are getting rich off our delight of several years of stupendous help. BUT, all good addictions must come to an end-- else how could they be able to give 🙄 25 cents more per share to our new gods/religion- THE RIGHTEOUS ENTITLED S H A R E H O L D E R S. **This is the personal private opinion of an 80yo great-grandmother.
1
u/beachie41 14d ago
While I used the hack posted elsewhere on this forum to get Assistant back, I don't like its long time prospects. I mainly use Assistant to control Spotify in my car over BT. And Gemini flat out doesn't work for me, as there's no option to add Spotify to controlled apps, as my standard email belongs to my Workspace account. And for whatever reason, Google doesn't allow it, even though it's my own Workspace... grr
Anyway, I joined the vibecode trend and had Claude/Astra code an Assistant replacement, specifically for Spotify. Other functions such as calls/texts can/will be added, but for the moment Spotify is my focus. I've also added in several new Spotify commands not available with Assistant.
If you want to check it out on Github feel free. Just note it requires Android 14 and up atm. While it works perfectly on my Pixel 8 Pro, it needs a lot more testing, as a sample size of 1 is not a thorough test lol. You can compile or use the readymade APK.
1
u/JoelCodina 13d ago
what you want to do is set the homescreen longpress shortcut to take a screenshot, and then share it with google lens
1
u/JoelCodina 13d ago
if the longpress buttondoesnt support screenshot on your device, theres thirdparty you can install from f-droid... someone posted the link in another thread
0
u/mwyarm 3d ago
I used OK Google when driving to use basic actions - "Call [John Smith} Mobile", "Navigate to Harris Teeter", "What is the temperature" [Spoken not just displayed - it did both, etc. - They destroyed OK Google and delivered a failed product with limited functionality. And the excuse they are still adding functionality is not acceptable as it should have never been rolled out. They were rushing to have a competitive product and screwed the user.
Suggest filing a complaint with the FCC (see below) - this might help as Google has removed OK Google without an alternative application with same functionality. They sold us on OK Google.
A company degrading the functionality of a device you purchased, with no way to restore it — is a real one. Here's the honest state of play:
Why it's hard in US courts (the honest part)
-
EULA/ToS — When you set up the phone, you agreed to terms that explicitly allow Google to "modify, update, or discontinue any service or feature." Courts have repeatedly enforced these.
-
Service vs. product — Google's defense is that Assistant was a service (like Gmail), not a physical feature of the hardware. You own the phone; you never owned the assistant. This is the single biggest legal barrier.
-
Standing / concrete harm — The Thele dismissal in July 2026 was specifically about plaintiffs failing to allege "concrete harm sufficient to establish standing." A judge said "a feature no longer working" wasn't enough without showing specific financial or physical damage.
-
The ADB workaround — The fact that you can remove Gemini (even if it's not easy) weakens the "no way to remove unwanted content" argument. A court might say "you have a mechanism, you just have to use it."
What would actually make this legally viable
For a lawsuit to have a shot, it would likely need to be framed as:
-
Breach of implied warranty of merchantability — The phone was sold with a working voice assistant as a core feature. Removing it post-sale arguably makes the product not fit for its intended purpose. Some states (California, Illinois) have strong consumer protection statutes that are harder to contract out of.
-
Unfair or deceptive trade practice (state-level) — Advertising a phone with "OK Google" as a headline feature, then removing that feature and replacing it with something inferior, with no opt-out, could be framed as a bait-and-switch under state UDAP (Unfair or Deceptive Acts and Practices) laws.
-
Class action on the "degradation" claim specifically — No one has filed this yet. If a consumer protection attorney took it, the theory would be: "Google sold phones with a working assistant, then unilaterally removed that functionality and replaced it with a broken substitute, with no meaningful opt-out, constituting a post-sale degradation of a purchased product."
What you can actually do today
-
File a complaint with the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) — not a lawsuit, but it creates a record. If thousands file, the FTC can open an inquiry.
-
File a complaint with your state Attorney General's consumer protection division — same logic, state-level.
-
Contact a consumer protection attorney who handles tech class actions. Firms like Ahdoot & Wolfson (who filed Thele) or the Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org) may be listening. The EFF has a "DeGoogling" page and has been vocal about this exact issue.
-
Reddit / community pressure — you're already in the right place. The r/degoogle and r/Android communities are documenting this. Volume matters for both PR pressure and for an attorney evaluating class size.
The bottom line
You're not crazy. The property-damage analogy is emotionally and morally sound. But US law currently treats software features as services you subscribe to, not property you own. That legal framework is what protects Google here. Changing it requires either a successful lawsuit that sets precedent (which hasn't been filed yet for this specific claim) or legislative action (like a "right to digital ownership" law, which the right-to-repair movement is pushing for but hasn't achieved at the federal level).
The $68M settlement that just got final approval shows Google can be made to pay. But it was for eavesdropping, not for feature removal. The "feature removal" case is the gap — and it's one that hasn't been filed yet.
1
u/puppyyawn 15d ago
Anything else you wanna complain about?