Google Assistant is losing features to make way for Gemini — here's what's just been axed

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Google Assistant is getting less smart.

Google Assistant logo on a smartphone screen
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

AI assistants are getting smarter, but Google's Gemini rollout appears to have claimed a victim: Google Assistant. A little like that scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron where the titular baddie takes over Jarvis, Gemini is coming for its predecessor.

It's not just with phones, either. Gemini is even going to make big changes to Nest range of smart home products, with a series of features being cut.

Google Assistant is being phased out

Elsewhere, several other features are being removed as the company switches over to Gemini as its primary assistant of choice.

Google Assistant will no longer be able to share photos via voice commands, while you also won't be able to adjust photo frame settings using your voice.

Small features, sure, but ones you may have grown to use regularly.

Gemini logo on smartphone

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you've been asking for Google Assistant to send you a daily rundown of things like the weather and your meetings, you'll need to set those manually going forward.

You also won't be able to use Assistant via Bluetooth or AUX accessories, either.

Google launched the Assistant back in 2016 and claims that the time has come to sunset the feature in favor of the new AI hotness.

"To continue our work of building the world’s most helpful assistant, we’ve reimagined the experience with AI at its core to make Gemini your personal, AI-powered assistant," the company said in a blog post. "While our expectations for what an assistant can do are rapidly changing, the mission remains the same."

The good news is that these features will almost certainly make a comeback, most likely within Gemini. And if you haven't yet gotten to grips with Google Gemini, here's the seven hacks you need to know to maximise its full potential.

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Lloyd Coombes
Lloyd Coombes
Contributing writer

Lloyd Coombes is a freelance tech and fitness writer. He's an expert in all things Apple as well as in computer and gaming tech, with previous works published on TechRadar, Tom's Guide, Live Science and more. You'll find him regularly testing the latest MacBook or iPhone, but he spends most of his time writing about video games as Gaming Editor for the Daily Star. He also covers board games and virtual reality, just to round out the nerdy pursuits.

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