Is Gemini a downgrade from Google assistant? Users split

"I just want it to make a phone call." That plea from a Reddit user sums up the mood in a thread titled "Gemini as the Google Assistant is a disaster." Last month, Google finished removing Google Assistant from all mobile devices and accounts, and some of you aren't happy about what replaced it.

Gemini is also said to claim that the saved contact is unavailable or call a nearby business that shares the same name as the contact.

Timers have been cited as another problem area. One user states that they used cooking timers as the sole reason for adopting Google Assistant. Now they ask their partner, who uses an iPhone, to set the timer.

One user had been able to use Google Assistant to get directions to a contact's home. With Gemini, they claim, it fails to recognise the contact most of the time.

Another commenter talks about how the Android Auto commands take up to a minute or two to freeze before a beep sound is heard and the command is aborted.

Some of you miss shortcuts, such as translating on-screen text or running a reverse image search on something you can't select. One user says Gemini wouldn't play music through YouTube Music and suggested going back to Google Assistant.

Commenters feel annoyed by the apologies and long explanations when they just want something basic. One commented that half the functionality of the previous app now gives a long chat explaining why Gemini cannot do it.

In a 30-vote reader poll, 30% found Gemini a downgrade, while 23% felt that it was an improvement. It also seems that experience differs because some commenters have been unable to figure out how to return to Google Assistant. In addition, the Reddit thread does not reflect that all devices have the same option to switch.

Google reportedly made Gemini the default app before its functions matched those of Assistant.