Android Auto users say Gemini won't stop talking, and it's not even getting things right

Google’s push to bring Gemini into Android Auto was supposed to make driving smarter. But now that it’s rolling out more widely, users are finding it does a lot more talking than actual helping.

Across multiple threads on Reddit, Android Auto users are increasingly complaining about Gemini being overly verbose, slow, and, many times, just plain wrong.

Instead of quickly carrying out simple commands like playing music or sending a message, Gemini on Android Auto often launches into long-winded explanations, and then doesn’t even complete the task.

Users describe situations in which Gemini mishears a request and then responds with a lengthy clarification speech. It also ends up offering unrelated information and asking relentless follow-up questions. Users are not only finding this distracting while driving, but many say that by the time Gemini is done responding, they’ve even forgotten what they asked in the first place.

A user who wanted to play some music was at the receiving end of one such long lecture from Gemini. Describing their experience, they said, “The whole time it was giving me this lecture, I was unable to say anything to it. After it had finished told it again what I wanted. And then nothing happened. No music.”

“Mine decided to go on a similar monologue when I complained about the obnoxious vocal fry in its one and only female American accent, and then its inability to do the most basic task like open Spotify. It proceeded to be sarcastic in its follow-up and then randomly talk about a concert I have on my calendar scheduled for later this week,” another user reported.

And it’s not just the talking that’s getting too much.

Users are also unhappy with Gemini’s responses while driving. In one recent case, a user asked Gemini for directions to a Tim Hortons location. Instead of helping, Gemini struggled to provide the route and then incorrectly told the user they were somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

Other users report similarly odd behavior, like incorrect navigation details, trouble recognizing and calling contacts, and issues with understanding basic commands like playing music.

That said, Gemini does show flashes of usefulness. Some users say it’s better than the old Google Assistant at handling more conversational queries, such as recommending places along a route. However, many users feel it overcomplicates everyday tasks on Android Auto.

Is there a fix?

Many users who got the Gemini in Android Auto are switching back to the simpler, faster Google Assistant. But if you’re just tired of Gemini’s in-car monologues, there is a workaround that doesn’t require you to switch.

Users say you can simply ask Gemini to be more concise in its responses. There’s no setting for this; you can simply tell Gemini to give you more streamlined responses, and over time, it should become better.

If you’re more perturbed by Gemini’s inaccurate responses, you can switch back to Google Assistant by heading to Android Auto settings on your phone > Manage your Digital Assistant > Digital Assistants from Google > Google Assistant.

Just keep in mind that this change applies across your devices and apps, not just Android Auto.

It’s also worth noting that Gemini is just now rolling out widely to Android Auto users, so Google will likely iron out these kinks with future updates. Similar issues cropped up when Gemini first started rolling out to Google Home users, but the company has made several usability improvements over the last couple of months to improve the experience.