How to Make Gemini Your Default Assistant on Android

Supercharge the assistant on your Android phone by using Gemini instead.

Google is pushing Gemini pretty hard right now, and one way it is doing that is through the AI's integrations with your smartphone device. On Android phones, you can actually set Gemini as a replacement for your Google Assistant, allowing you to directly access the chatbot just by saying, "Hey Google." Unfortunately, using Gemini as a replacement for your assistant does come with a few caveats.

How to use Gemini as a Google Assistant replacement

Google already seems to be working towards replacing Assistant with Gemini, so it makes sense to go ahead and get used to things before they change for good. To use Gemini as a Google Assistant replacement, all you need to do is download the Gemini app and log in. Then, you'll be asked if you want to use Gemini instead of Assistant. Select the confirmation option and it should automatically set things up for you.

If you somehow skipped that part, or if you just want to do it manually, you can change the default assistant app at any time by going to Settings > Apps > Default apps > Digital Assistant app. Simply change it to Gemini and you're set. Alternatively, if you don't like using Gemini as a replacement for Assistant, simply follow those same steps and select the Google app as your default assistant app.

What features does Gemini give you?

The most notable reason you might want to use Gemini is because it offers a much stronger AI system than Google Assistant does. This means you can ask it to generate images, messages, and emails right from your home button, or by saying "Hey Google."

With Gemini set as your Google Assistant, it gives you access to any of the functionality Gemini already offers in your browser, but right through your phone. It can be handy, but as I noted above, it does come with some drawbacks.

Most notably, Gemini isn't fully fleshed out in how it interacts with other apps right now. This makes it difficult to set alarms and other things with Gemini, as it doesn't have the necessary systems in place to do all of that. It's likely this will change going forward, especially since Google is pushing for Gemini to replace Google Assistant completely. But, it is something to be aware of for the moment.

Not sure about Gemini? You can see how Gemini stacks up against ChatGPT for a more in-depth look at Google's AI chatbot.