Android Auto Users Fed Up as Google Assistant Crumbles
▼ Summary
– Google is slowly rolling out its new Gemini assistant for Android Auto, but it remains unavailable to most users nearly two months after its announcement.
– The existing Google Assistant on Android Auto is deteriorating, frequently failing to understand basic voice commands or execute tasks.
– This decline is particularly problematic for drivers, as the lack of a reliable voice assistant forces them to use distracting touchscreens or phones while driving.
– While Gemini on Android Auto shows promise as a more interactive tool, it currently has flaws, such as not cleanly integrating with apps and continuing to talk after a task is done.
– Google’s slow Gemini rollout, combined with Assistant’s worsening performance, is creating a frustrating user experience for Android Auto drivers.
For drivers relying on Android Auto, the in-car voice assistant experience is hitting a rough patch. While Google promotes its new Gemini AI as the future, the current reality for many is a steadily deteriorating Google Assistant. This creates a significant safety and convenience issue, as users are forced to divert their attention from the road to interact with their screens or phones. The promised transition to Gemini has been slow, leaving a growing number of people stuck with an assistant that seems to be getting worse by the day.
Google initially announced the rollout of Gemini for Android Auto in November 2025, stating it would arrive over the following months. While some users have gained access, the deployment is far from universal, creating a fragmented experience. Early impressions of Gemini are mixed. Some find its more conversational and interactive style useful for brainstorming or casual queries during a drive. However, a major drawback is its lack of deep integration with Android Auto’s core functions. For example, asking Gemini to navigate somewhere might successfully launch Google Maps, but the AI will often continue talking unnecessarily after the task is complete, requiring manual intervention to stop it.
The core of the frustration, however, isn’t just Gemini’s teething problems. It’s the apparent neglect of Google Assistant during this transition period. Numerous reports from user communities, including a prominent thread on r/AndroidAuto, detail a system in decline. Users frequently encounter the “I didn’t understand that” response for basic, clear commands, while other requests fail to execute entirely. This decline isn’t isolated to cars; similar issues have plagued Google Assistant on smart speakers and other devices, leading Google to publicly acknowledge performance problems months ago.
The stakes are uniquely high in a driving environment. A malfunctioning voice assistant isn’t merely an annoyance, it’s a potential hazard. When Assistant fails to play music, send a message, or set navigation, drivers face poor alternatives. They must either fumble with a touchscreen interface, which takes far longer, or pick up their phone directly. Both actions dangerously divert a driver’s eyes and focus from the road. The primary value of systems like Android Auto is to minimize distraction through reliable voice control, and that foundation is currently cracking.
This situation places users in a difficult position. Google is actively working on a successor that addresses many historical Assistant complaints, but its slow, piecemeal release means most people cannot access it. Meanwhile, the existing tool they depend on is becoming less reliable. The result is a frustrating limbo where the promised upgrade is visible on the horizon but out of reach, while the current essential service crumbles. The community’s experience highlights a critical challenge in managing a major platform transition without undermining the core functionality users rely on every day.
(Source: 9to5 Google)
