How to Use Google Gemini as Your Default Assistant on Android

Google Gemini is Google’s AI assistant that replaces the traditional Google Assistant on Android devices. Unlike the older assistant, which primarily handled voice commands and smart home controls, Gemini can understand complex questions, summarise information, help with writing, generate ideas, and interact conversationally. Setting it as your default assistant means it activates whenever you long-press the home button, say “Hey Google,” or swipe from the corner of your screen.

This guide explains how to switch from Google Assistant to Gemini, how to use its key features, and how to switch back if you prefer the original assistant.

What You Need

• An Android phone running Android 12 or later (Gemini is available on some Android 10+ devices, but the full experience requires Android 12 or later).
• The Google app updated to the latest version.
• A Google account.
• The Gemini app installed from the Google Play Store, or the Gemini feature enabled within the Google app.

Gemini is available in an expanding list of countries and languages. If it is not available in your region, the option to switch may not appear in your settings.

How to Set Google Gemini as Your Default Assistant

Method 1: Through the Gemini App

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Search for Gemini and install the app if you have not already.
3. Open the Gemini app.
4. Follow the on-screen setup prompts. Gemini will offer to replace Google Assistant as your default digital assistant.
5. Tap Set as default when prompted.

After setup, long-pressing the home button or saying “Hey Google” will launch Gemini instead of Google Assistant.

Method 2: Through Settings

If you already have Gemini installed but it is not your default assistant:

1. Open Settings on your Android device.
2. Tap Google.
3. Tap Settings for Google apps.
4. Tap Search, Assistant and Voice.
5. Tap Digital assistants from Google (or Google Gemini depending on your device).
6. Select Gemini as your preferred assistant.

The exact menu path may vary slightly depending on your Android version and device manufacturer.

What Gemini Can Do That Google Assistant Cannot

Gemini brings several capabilities that go beyond the traditional Google Assistant:

Conversational AI with Context

Gemini maintains context across a conversation. You can ask a question, receive an answer, and then ask follow-up questions without repeating the entire context. For example, you can ask “What is the tallest building in the world?” and then follow up with “When was it built?” — Gemini understands that “it” refers to the building from the previous question.

Writing Assistance

You can ask Gemini to draft emails, write messages, create social media posts, brainstorm ideas, summarise long text, rephrase sentences, or explain complex topics in simpler language. This is directly accessible from the assistant overlay without opening a separate app.

Image Understanding

On supported devices, Gemini can analyse images. You can share a photo with Gemini and ask questions about it — for example, sharing a photo of a plant and asking “What species is this?” or sharing a screenshot of a chart and asking for a summary of the data.

Integration with Google Services

Gemini can interact with Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Flights, and Google Hotels through extensions. You can ask Gemini to:

• Summarise recent emails in Gmail.
• Find flights to a destination and compare prices.
• Look up hotel reviews and availability.
• Find YouTube videos on a specific topic.
• Get directions or traffic information from Google Maps.

How to Use Gemini Extensions

Gemini Extensions connect the assistant to specific Google services. To manage extensions:

1. Open the Gemini app.
2. Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner.
3. Tap Extensions.
4. Toggle on or off the extensions you want to use (Google Flights, Google Hotels, Google Maps, Google Workspace, YouTube).

When an extension is enabled, you can use natural language to interact with the service. For example, saying “Find me flights from London to Tokyo in December” will use the Google Flights extension to search for real flight options and prices.

Using Gemini with the Power Button or Home Gesture

Once Gemini is set as your default assistant, you can launch it using the same methods that previously launched Google Assistant:

• Long-press the power button (on Pixel phones and some Samsung devices with this option enabled).
• Long-press the home button (on devices using button navigation).
• Swipe from the bottom corner (on devices using gesture navigation).
• Say “Hey Google” or “OK Google” (when voice activation is enabled).

What Gemini Cannot Do (Yet)

While Gemini is more capable than Google Assistant for information and writing tasks, it currently does not support some features that Google Assistant handles:

• Routines: Google Assistant Routines (automated sequences like “Good morning” routines that turn on lights, play news, and share the weather) are not yet fully supported in Gemini.
• Smart home control: Gemini can handle some basic smart home commands, but complex smart home automation still works better through Google Assistant.
• Quick commands: Simple timer, alarm, and reminder commands work in Gemini but may feel slower because Gemini processes them through its AI model rather than as direct commands.

For these specific use cases, Google has added a fallback: when Gemini receives a request it cannot handle, it can route the request to Google Assistant automatically.

How to Switch Back to Google Assistant

If you prefer the traditional Google Assistant:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Google.
3. Tap Settings for Google apps.
4. Tap Search, Assistant and Voice.
5. Tap Digital assistants from Google.
6. Select Google Assistant instead of Gemini.

You can switch between Gemini and Google Assistant at any time without losing data or settings from either.

Gemini Free vs Gemini Advanced

Gemini is free to use for all Google account holders. However, Google also offers Gemini Advanced, which provides access to more powerful AI models (such as Gemini Ultra), longer conversation context, deeper analysis capabilities, and integration with additional Google services. Gemini Advanced is included as part of a Google One AI Premium subscription.

For most everyday tasks — quick questions, writing help, image analysis, and Google service lookups — the free version of Gemini is more than sufficient.

Switching to Gemini as your default Android assistant brings conversational AI, writing tools and deeper Google service integration into the same activation gesture you have always used. For anyone who regularly asks their phone questions, drafts messages, or needs quick information from Google services, Gemini is a significant upgrade over the traditional voice-command-focused Google Assistant.