In order to maximize Google Assistant’s value to the modern user, Google has to clear out the clutter. At least, that’s what the company wants us to believe. Regardless of its true intentions, Google is retiring some supposedly irrelevant Assistant features.
Google Assistant Is Losing These 7 Features
According to a new Google support document, a selection of “underutilized” Google Assistant features have been punted into retirement. Per Google, this is the company’s way of “prioritizing” the best parts of the Assistant, making it “more helpful.”
Those features include some tasks related to Google Photos, interpreter mode, and using Google Assistant in the car. Here’s the full breakdown of the changes:
| Product(s) | Feature Updates |
|---|---|
| Google Photos, Smart Display | Voice-activated photo engagement like sharing, adding a photo to favorites, and asking where/when a photo was taken will no longer be supported. These functions will remain manually available in Google Photos, or in your Smart Display options panel. |
| Google Photos, Smart Display | Voice-activated display adjustments like photo frame and ambient screen settings will no longer be supported. These will still be manually available in your Smart Display options panel. |
| Interpreter Mode | Live translating a conversation in another language will no longer be supported, though you can use Google Translate to manually translate words. |
| Routines | General birthday reminder notifications will no longer be available by way of Routines, but you can still ask Google Assistant to set reminders for specific people. |
| Routines | Previously scheduled Family Bell announcements will no longer be accessible via Google Assistant. |
| Routines | Daily updates, such as weather updates, are no longer available through Google Assistant. However, you can manually set custom updates in your Routines settings. |
| Car Accessories | Google Assistant will no longer be available in cars via Bluetooth connection or AUX plug. |
For the most part, features that are no longer accessible via Google Assistant will still be available in other ways, such as through apps or settings.
Is Google Phasing Out Google Assistant?
While the company claims these changes support a healthier future for Google Assistant, the writing seems to be on the wall that Gemini will soon take the reins as the new virtual assistant across Google products. No, really, the writing is literally on the wall—the wall being Google’s blog and the writing being the announcement that Gemini will indeed replace Google Assistant on mobile devices by the end of 2025.
The latest update follows a trend of paring down Google Assistant’s capabilities only to introduce new Gemini integrations. A slew of other features were removed from Google Assistant in 2024, from music alarms to voice-activated emailing. You can find the full list at Google’s Help Center under 2024 Assistant changes.
Simultaneously, we’re seeing new integrations such as a Spotify Gemini Extension for Android devices. This clearly signals an “out with the old, in with the new” mentality. My question is: why doesn’t Google just say so, in its latest round of Assistant cuts?
