What it’s essential know
- Assistant Driving Mode in Google Maps is formally gone for good, the corporate has confirmed.
- Assistant Driving Mode is one other function casualty of the Gemini transition, which is at the moment underway.
- The function misplaced most of its performance in February 2024, and solely a media management bar and voice assistant button remained up till just lately.
Google is formally eradicating Assistant Driving Mode from Android as a part of the Gemini transition. The function has undergone quite a few modifications since its introduction in 2019, most just lately dropping the app dashboard that was a vital 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 related utility at one level.
The truth is, Assistant Driving Mode was initially seen as a substitute and different to Android Auto for Telephone Screens, was killed in 2021.
The Assistant Driving Mode app launcher was one in all many Google Assistant function 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 help doc on the time. “You may nonetheless use voice management on Google Maps the identical manner.”
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 the moment underway, and can see most cellular units ditch Assistant in favor of Gemini within the close to future.
