Gemini AI is passenger seat as your copilot
Google is increasing the smarts in our cars. Google replaced Assistant with Gemini, and Android Auto gets its biggest intelligence bump since launch. Drivers can talk to it. They can ask it to handle small but useful jobs that normally take eyes off the road. The update, which will be deployed over the next few months, is available in 45 languages.
Gemini joins Android Auto as part of Google’s mission to place its AI in all its products. Gemini already powers features inside Google Maps, Chrome, and Google TV. Now, the search leader applies the model inside the car, where speed, clarity, and hands-free interaction matter most.
What’s Happening & Why This Matters
Gemini replaces Google Assistant
The update activates when you upgrade the Gemini app on your Android phone. Once live, your car shows a small on-screen tip indicating the new assistant is ready. From that point, you trigger Gemini with “Hey Google,” the mic button on the display, or a long-press on the steering-wheel voice control.
Gemini handles message edits, email checks, table look-ups, translations, and playlist suggestions. It even retrieves addresses from Gmail when you ask it to navigate to a location. A Google spokesperson says the goal is simple: reduce the number of screen taps and help drivers stay present on the road.
Conversation gets more natural
Gemini supports full conversational prompts. You can say things like:
I’m stuck in traffic. Can you message Leo with my ETA?”
Or:
The hotel address is in my email. Can you find it and start navigation?”
A future update will enable Gemini Live, which gives Android Auto the same ongoing conversational flow you get within the Gemini chat app. That means longer discussions, deeper follow-ups, and responses that carry context from one question to the next.
Android only — no CarPlay for now
Gemini arrives for Android Auto only. Apple offers no timeline or indication for Apple CarPlay integration. Gemini’s Auto integration is for the Google ecosystem for the foreseeable future.
TF Summary: What’s Next
Google is advancing in-car tech with Gemini AI. Gemini lifts basic voice commands into something closer to a co-pilot. More features will arrive soon, including richer tasks and on-device processing. The next wave brings Gemini Live and tighter integrations with Google Maps and Gmail.
MY FORECAST: Gemini acts as the default in-car assistant for most Android drivers by mid-2026. Automakers embrace it because drivers want fewer taps and more natural conversation. The upgrade is the first toward full AI-powered driving support — navigation, messaging, decisions, and context all handled with simple voice prompts.
— Text-to-Speech (TTS) provided by gspeech