What you should know
- Assistant Driving Mode in Google Maps is formally gone for good, the corporate has confirmed.
- Assistant Driving Mode is one other characteristic casualty of the Gemini transition, which is at present underway.
- The characteristic misplaced most of its performance in February 2024, and solely a media management bar and voice assistant button remained up till not too long ago.
Google is formally eradicating Assistant Driving Mode from Android as a part of the Gemini transition. The characteristic has undergone quite a few modifications since its introduction in 2019, most not too long ago shedding the app dashboard that was an important a part of the Driving Mode expertise. Now, it is not obtainable as a part of the Google Maps app for Android, the corporate informed 9to5Google.
As of February 2024, the app launcher that featured massive, easy-to-touch icons whereas driving was eliminated. The most up-to-date model of Assistant Driving Mode solely provided a media playback bar and the a management button. It was largely utilized by Android customers that did not have a automobile with Android Auto performance, since Driving Mode provided comparable utility at one level.
In actual fact, Assistant Driving Mode was initially seen as a substitute and various to Android Auto for Cellphone Screens, was killed in 2021.
The Assistant Driving Mode app launcher was one among many Google Assistant characteristic removals introduced in January 2024. “Utilizing app launcher in Google Assistant driving mode on Google Maps to learn and ship messages, make calls, and management media,” the corporate defined in a assist doc on the time. “You possibly can nonetheless use voice management on Google Maps the identical approach.”
Over a yr later, not even the Assistant Driving Mode’s playback controls or voice management button can be found as a part of Google Maps. That is an intentional elimination that’s a part of the Gemini transition, per the corporate. At this level, it means Assistant Driving Mode in Maps is gone for good.
The transfer is a part of a bigger transition from Google Assistant to Gemini that was introduced formally in March 2025. It is at present underway, and can see most cellular gadgets ditch Assistant in favor of Gemini within the close to future.
