Overview
- Google confirms the shift from Assistant to Gemini on Android Auto starts today with support for 45 languages in a phased release.
- Drivers will see Gemini in their car only after upgrading to the Gemini app on their Android phone, with a tooltip indicating when the switch is active.
- The assistant adds multi‑turn navigation queries, stop recommendations in Maps, message summaries and on‑the‑fly translations, Gmail and Calendar access, and playlist creation through services like Spotify and YouTube Music.
- Saying “Hey Google, let’s talk” invokes Gemini Live for open‑ended, follow‑up conversations suited to longer drives.
- Polestar says its Android Automotive models will move to Gemini via a software update starting in 2026 with US English first, as demonstrated in the Polestar 5 at Slush, while other automakers have not set timelines and GM is building its own assistant on Gemini.