The Google Assistant will lose some weight, as at least 17 “underused” features will be removed in the coming weeks.
In a recent announcement postthe tech giant says it wants to focus on the parts of its digital assistant that people actually use, so it will get rid of the parts that see little interaction. A list of upcoming removed features can be found at the Google Help website. They include playing audiobooks on Google Play Books via voice commands and asking for information about your contacts. For each feature that is removed, the company recommends fixes that you can use to replicate the same action. For example, even though users can’t control audiobooks with their voice, they can still cast them from a mobile device.
To pull the plug
Not everything gets an equal solution. Google Assistant integration with Calm is being discontinued and there is nothing you can do to duplicate the service. Google recommends playing a meditation video on YouTube instead.
It’s worth pointing out that while the Help page lists 17 features, the wording implies that more will be removed. We’ve reached out asking for more information on the exact number of deprecated features. This story will be updated at a later date.
It is not known exactly when the company will shut down everything. The announcement post states that starting January 26, Google Assistant will send a notification stating that a feature “will no longer be available after a certain date” if you request it. That day officially remains a mystery. However, 9To5Google claims in its report the date is February 26 for most functions. The Nest Hub Commute Tiles and Google Maps App Launcher will go offline a little earlier on February 7.
Upcoming changes
In addition to all the removals, Google will be making a few tweaks to its mobile app.
Using the microphone icon now activates ‘Search results in answers to your questions’. But you can no longer use said microphone for certain Google Assistant actions, such as turning on the lights or texting. This deprecation extends to the search bar on Pixel phones. Tapping the icon on the smartphone activates Voice Search instead of Assistant.
The company admits that these changes may be shocking to some. If there are any issues, they’ll ask you, “Hey Google, send feedback” to Google Assistant and share your thoughts.
If you’re looking for an AI assistant to help you with your daily routine but don’t know where to start, check out Ny Breaking’s list of the best smart speakers for 2024.