Android Auto might have a new copilot for your drive home, with Gemini widely rolling out

Have you ever managed to convince yourself you can will change into the world, simply by speaking your desire? You’re talking about how badly you wish the McRib would come back, and then the next thing you know — there it is. Just a little over a week ago, we were lamenting the glacial pace at which Google seemed to be bringing Gemini to Android Auto users, and now, all of a sudden, someone has seriously stepped on the gas.

Over on Reddit’s Android Auto sub, one of the most popular threads today is one started by sub mod Alwayssunnyinarizona, full of users chiming in with reports of getting Gemini on their Android Auto setups.

To be clear, not everyone has gotten Gemini just yet, but with so many comments mentioning its appearance over the last couple days, it seems pretty apparent that there’s a big rollout in progress. We don’t yet know if it’s a requirement, but at least one user mentions getting Gemini when running Android Auto version 16.4.661034-release.

Looking through the comments from Android Auto users who have gotten their first taste of Gemini, opinions are definitely mixed. Taking into account some of the controversy we’ve seen surrounding Gemini coming to new platforms, it’s refreshingly not quite entirely one-sided, but the Gemini-averse contingent does seem to have the lead. Complaints tend to focus on perceived loss of functionality, and a tendency to be a bit verbose in its responses.

That said, there are also plenty of Android Auto users who seem excited to finally be getting a crack at Gemini in their vehicles, and considering that they’ve been waiting nearly half a year at this point since Google announced its arrival, we can’t blame them.

Honestly, though, we’re less interested in this initial growing-pains phase, and will be much more curious to see what the reactions of Android Auto users look like after they’ve had a while to live with Gemini in their vehicles — time enough to have actually taken advantage of enough of its features, and maybe even used it on a long trip or two. But now, with so many Auto users finally getting access, hopefully that day won’t be too far off in our future.