If you've been using Waze on your iPhone, don't look for the Google Assistant icon anymore. The navigation app, still very popular with drivers, has started to pull the plug on the feature, ending a period of intense frustration for many users. Since the integration of Google Assistant into Waze on iOS in 2020, the experience has never been seamless. As the Waze team acknowledged, many drivers had been experiencing major issues "for over a year". The forums, including Reddit, were full of similar stories: you press the microphone, you speak, the Assistant seems to listen... then nothing. This lack of effectiveness made the feature almost unusable. The company also apologized for this "prolonged inconvenience.".
Goodbye Google Assistant, hello Gemini
Faced with these "persistent difficulties", Waze has taken a stand. Rather than continuing to apply "fixes" to a stubborn feature, the decision was made to purely and simply remove Google Assistant from the iOS version. Waze, however, is not leaving iPhone users without a voice solution. The GPS app promises the arrival of an improved voice interaction solution in the near future. What exactly is this? Tech Issues Today reports that Waze has chosen to integrate a conversational reporting system based on Gemini. This new solution is currently in beta testing with some users. It allows drivers to report incidents on the road using just their voice, in a more natural way. Rather than giving specific instructions, simply say "there's an accident ahead" for Waze to understand. If the app needs more information, it can directly call out to the driver without their eyes taking their eyes off the road.
Google has been trying for several months to bury Google Assistant in favor of Gemini, its new AI-powered assistant. The Mountain View firm recently announced that it wants to migrate its Assistant users to its new artificial intelligence on mobile. The tech giant also plans to phase out the Assistant from most tablets, cars, and smartphone-connected devices like headphones and watches. Gemini will also be coming to smart speakers, displays, and TVs to deliver a "new experience." The decision regarding Waze on iOS therefore seems logical in this context.
And on Android?
This change only affects the iPhone version of Waze. Android users can rest assured: Google Assistant continues to work "smoothly" and "reliably" on Waze for their platform. It should, there too, soon give way to Gemini.
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