Gemini for Android Auto has been divisive, to say the least, but despite all its pros and cons, there’s still one big problem that frequently frustrates me.
Gemini for Android Auto has been a notable improvement over Assistant, although the bar was very low given that Google had You practically abandoned your previous voice assistant in his was gemini. But in addition to fixing the main functionality, Gemini Live turned out to be one of my favorite updatesas having a conversation while behind the wheel was a great way to exchange ideas and address issues in otherwise unproductive time.
However, despite all the good things, I still have a problem with Gemini on Android Auto.
He just won’t shut up.
That is, Gemini continues talking after I have already completed an interaction. Behind the wheel, voice interactions are useful because they aim to reduce the amount of time I need to interact with the touchscreen and, in turn, take my eyes off the road.
Commands like “navigate to (location)” and “add a stop at (insert name here)” often cause Gemini to display a list of options on Google Maps. Those options are displayed on the screen in Maps, while Gemini begins speaking through the list so you can complete the entire interaction with voice commands. It’s a great combination, but the problem is that the Gemini won’t stop talking when you choose to interact with the touchscreen. If I use Gemini to start the process, which is the only option when the vehicle is moving, the assistant will continue talking even if I’ve already selected and confirmed my destination through Maps. “Which one would you like?” I would say Gemini, sitting there waiting for a response even though the options already disappeared from the screen and my route was already in place.
This is what I’m talking about (“Hey Google” warning):
It’s that disconnect that frustrates me. The Assistant in Android Auto never had this problem, as touchscreen interactions end voice commands because the user obviously already completed what they wanted to do in the first place.
This has been an issue with Gemini for months, ever since the first release hit my devices in November last year. And yet, Google hasn’t fixed it. Occasionally I will notice that Gemini understands that I have interacted with the touch screen instead of with it. Imagine that. a manual action in the age of AI agents, but it is never consistent.
Google, fix this. There are plenty of problems with Gemini on Android Auto, as users have rightly been pointing out, but this one is incredibly simple and stares you right in the face.
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