Assistant goes away in September, and Gemini still cannot reliably place a call on Android Auto

Google is removing Assistant as an option in September, which leaves Gemini as the only official digital assistant on Android for tasks like hands-free calling ^[1]. Anyone shipping or supporting a voice-driven in-car experience now has a dated cutover with a reported regression waiting on the other side of it ^[1][2].

The regression is specific. According to ZDNET's writer, with a Pixel 9 Pro connected to Android Auto, asking Gemini to place a call produced silence, over and over, and worked only after disconnecting from Android Auto ^[3]. Clearing Gemini's cache and deleting its storage did not resolve it ^[4]. Google has published several fixes for Gemini hands-free calling problems when the phone is not connected to Android Auto, but by that same account those fixes do not address the Android Auto case ^[5]. The comparison point matters for support expectations: the writer says he rarely had a failure placing calls or sending messages with Assistant, including through Android Auto ^[6].

The available workarounds all trade one function for another. Disconnecting from Android Auto restores calling but gives up Google Maps on the head unit; the other options are scrolling contacts with steering wheel controls, or waiting for a stoplight or pulling over ^[7]. There is also a second, less-discussed failure mode: third-party home screen launchers do not always work with the Gemini overlay that listens for "Hey Google" or "OK Google," which means hands-free calling does not work at all with a third-party launcher, connected to Android Auto or not ^[8].

The fallback market is thin, and the reason is a policy choice rather than a technical one. Dicio is a free, open-source Android voice assistant that, per its GitHub page, interprets input and generates output entirely on-device ^[9]. It is in the Play Store ^[10], and in ZDNET's testing hands-free calls worked as expected, navigation through Google Maps worked well, timers worked, and Spotify media control worked ^[11]. It cannot send messages or compose emails by voice, note-taking does not work, and opening non-default apps is hit or miss ^[12]. Most relevant here: Dicio does not work with Android Auto, because Google does not recognize it as a valid voice assistant ^[13]. So the two options a driver actually has in the car are an assistant that reportedly fails at calling and an assistant that is not allowed in ^[14].

For scale on the downside, ZDNET cites 3,208 deaths from distracted driving in the US in 2024 ^[15], roughly nine a day ^[16], recorded in a year when Assistant was still the default path ^[1][6].

Three things to watch before the switch. Whether Google ships an Android Auto calling fix or delays the Assistant removal, since only one of those keeps a working hands-free path in place ^[1]. Whether the eligible-assistant list for Android Auto opens to third parties, which is the single change that would make an alternative like Dicio usable in the car ^[13]. And whether your own support queue starts showing "call failed silently" reports from drivers, which is what this looks like from the customer side rather than a crash or an error message ^[3].