Google announced a series of changes to Google Assistant driven by user feedback, aiming to streamline the virtual assistant’s functionality across devices while discontinuing certain underutilised features.
“As we continue to make Google Assistant more helpful, we’re prioritizing the experiences you love and investing in the underlying technology to make them even better — which means that some underutilized features will no longer be supported,” Google detailed the changes.
Users activating features slated for retirement will receive notifications alerting them that the functionality will be discontinued after a specific date. Some of these features include:
- Audiobook controls on Google Play Books: Voice control for playing and managing audiobooks will no longer be supported. However, users can still cast audiobooks from their mobile devices.
- Media alarms on Assistant-enabled devices: Settings or using media alarms, music alarms, or radio alarms will cease, but users can create custom Routines or use standard alarms instead.
- Cookbook and recipe management: Managing cookbooks, transferring recipes, and playing instructional recipe videos through Assistant will be retired by Google. Users can utilise Assistant for searching recipes across the web and YouTube.
- Stopwatch management on Smart Displays and speakers: The ability to manage stopwatches through voice commands will no longer be available on certain devices. Times and alarms, however, remain functional.
Several voice-activated communication features are also changing:
- Voice calls and broadcasts: Initiating calls for broadcasting messages within Google Family Groups using voice commands will no longer be supported. However, users can still broadest devices within their homes.
- Emails, video, and audio messages: Sending emails, video, or audio messages through voice command is being retired. However, the text service and Assistant calls are still active, as per Google.
- Google Calendar voice commands: Rescheduling events in Google Calendar using voice commands will cease, though scheduling new events remains an option.
- App launcher in Google Assistant driving mode: Certain voice commands for messaging, calls, and media control in Google Assistant driving mode on Google Maps will no longer be supported.
- Family Bell announcements: Users can create a custom behaviour instead of voice-controlled scheduling or rescheduling.
- Calm: Users now cannot ask the Calm app to activate meditation. However, they can still ask for third-party media options.
- FitBit Sense and Versa 3: Google has deactivated voice control in FitBit Sense and Versa 3 devices while keeping the feature alive in Pixel watches.
Furthermore, Google has also decided to deactivate various other miscellaneous features, such as:
- Sleep summaries: Users can only view sleep summaries on Google Smart Displays without voice activating. Those looking for voice-activated apps can switch to several third-party applications available on the Play Store.
- Caller ID: Only Duo users can use the Caller ID of calls made via speakers and Smart Displays.
- Commute to Work: Now, users cannot view the ambient Commute to Work time estimate on Smart Displays. However, they can still ask and get directions.
- Personal travel: You cannot check personal itineraries by voice. However, you can still ask for flight status.
- Contacts: Google will disable the ability to ask for more information about your contacts by voice.
- Financial, social media and other: Uses cannot use Assistant to send payments or make a reservation. The Assistant can only open apps at this point.
Some of the changes that Google has made have left many wondering what the company’s intention was. For example, disabling the financial and social media is fine, but not letting the users check their itineraries is a bit too far. Furthermore, deactivating voice control in FitBit and Versa 3 but keeping it intact in the Pixel watch is not easy to understand.
To address concerns and gather user input, Google encourages users to provide feedback by saying, “Hey Google, send feedback.”
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