- Gemini in Android Auto offers long and impractical responses instead of performing quick actions.
- Serious location failures are being reported, with cars "appearing" in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
- Many drivers are returning to the classic Google Assistant because of its greater reliability.
- The problems mainly affect navigation, music, calls and voice control in the car.
The arrival of Gemini to Android Auto It aimed to completely change how connected cars are used, with a smarter assistant that speaks more naturally and understands context better. On paper, the promise sounded great: replacing Google Assistant with a generative artificial intelligence capable of offering advanced assistance during journeys.
However, as the deployment has spread, the testimonials from frustrated users in Europe itself and in other markets. In forums like Reddit and other tech communities, the same patterns are repeated: extremely long replies, absurd location errors, and difficulties performing basic tasks such as starting a route, playing music, or sending a message while driving.
Too long answers and little action in the car
One of the points that is repeated most often in the comments is that Gemini “talks too much”What many users expected was a fast and straightforward assistant: give a voice command and have the system act without hesitation. Instead, what they often get are lengthy, almost discursive explanations before any action is taken… if it even takes any at all.
By asking for something as simple as play musicInstead of starting to play the requested playlist, Gemini tends to launch into a detailed explanation of what it can do with the music, offer recommendations, discuss options, and, in some cases, end up not even playing what the driver asked for. The same happens with simple instructions like sending a quick message or calling a contact.
This way of responding, designed more for a relaxed conversation than for driving, causes the Android Auto experience becomes slow and awkwardWhen you're driving, every second counts, and having to listen to a whole speech before the car does what you ask is impractical and even annoying.
Some drivers have tried to remedy this by asking the assistant to be more concise, phrasing the command along with a request like "respond briefly." Sometimes this helps, but it's not a fixed setting or an official option in the configuration menus; it's more of a verbal trick. It doesn't always work consistently..
Location errors: cars “in the Atlantic Ocean”
Beyond the rhetoric, what is generating the most concern are the location errorsSeveral users have reported situations where Gemini completely loses track of the vehicle's location, while Google Maps, running on the same screen and with the same GPS, displays the correct position without any problem.
In one of the most talked-about cases, a driver calmly traveling through a mountainous area in Canada asked Gemini for directions. While Google Maps precisely marked the exact point on the road, the AI assistant responded that It was located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.Such a large discrepancy that, logically, it prevents any reliable route calculation.
Something similar happens with searches for establishments. A user asked for directions to a well-known Tim Hortons-type coffee shop, and Gemini was unable to plot a coherent route, again stating that the car was located in the middle of the sea and giving a distance of several thousand kilometersWith this data, the system simply cannot generate useful indications.
What's striking about these situations is that the problem doesn't seem to lie with the GPS in the phone or car. When the signal fails, it usually affects the entire system, not just a specific part. However, in these accounts Maps continues to function as it should, while Gemini acts as if it is disconnected from that same location information.
Some hypotheses point to a possible conflict with the Precise location access settings In Gemini, some users are finding that option locked or unchangeable, which could be causing the assistant to use approximate or poorly synchronized data. However, there is no official explanation from Google yet.
Problems with navigation, calls, and music
Mistakes aren't limited to anecdotes about cars lost at sea. Many drivers say that, in their daily lives, Gemini fails at basic tasks that were previously easily resolved with the traditional Google Assistant, and which are critical when driving.
In the case of navigation, there are instances where the assistant is unable to initiate a simple route to a saved address or location. Furthermore, when asked to go to a place related to a contact, such as "Maria's house," instead of relying on the user's address book and saved addresses, Gemini usually returns lists of unrelated restaurants or other sites.forcing you to look at the screen and search manually.
Complaints are also being registered regarding the phone calls and music control, with problems that are sometimes related to Bluetooth failures between mobile phone and carChanging songs, playing a specific playlist, or simply pausing playback can sometimes become a minor ordeal, with commands either not being executed or being misinterpreted. While it doesn't happen every time, a single failure in a critical situation is enough to erode trust.
What irritates many users most is the combination of these misinterpretations with lengthy responses. Instead of simply confirming and executing, Gemini often adds explanations, alternatives, nuances, and details that They prolong the interaction without adding value when all that's needed is for the car to do something immediately.
In a home or office environment, this way of interacting may be more tolerable, but behind the wheel, where distractions should be kept to a minimum, having to listen to long paragraphs about something as simple as changing a song or looking for a coffee shop ends up driving even the most patient drivers crazy.
Comparison with Google Assistant and option to go back
Given this scenario, it's not surprising that a good number of users are opting for return to the classic Google AssistantAlthough it was less advanced and did not have the generative capabilities of Gemini, it is recognized as being more predictable and faster with typical car commands: setting a route, calling someone, sending a short message, or controlling playback.
For now, Google is keeping the Android Auto possibility of choosing between both assistantsIn Europe, the process involves opening the Android Auto settings on your phone, accessing the digital assistant management section, and selecting Google Assistant again as the default option. It's a simple adjustment that many are appreciating as Gemini continues to be refined.
This margin of choice, however, has the feel of a temporary solution. Various analyses and leaks suggest that the transition to Gemini within the Android ecosystem is practically inevitable in the medium termGoogle's idea would be to gradually integrate its new AI into all devices and services, so that it eventually completely replaces the previous assistant.
This raises a scenario in which, sooner or later, Android Auto users will lose the option to revert to the classic system and will have to rely entirely on a Gemini, who isn't quite in tune right now. for driving. Hence the concern of many drivers, who fear being stuck with an overly chatty and unpredictable digital co-pilot.
Although in more complex or conversational queries some users acknowledge that Gemini demonstrates its potential—for example, by recommending interesting places along the route or suggesting stops—the majority perception remains that, at this time, It is not optimized for fast and critical tasks specific to the car.
Recent context: other Android Auto failures
Gemini's problems have also come at a somewhat delicate time for Android Auto. In recent weeks, various bugs have been detected in the platform, creating the impression that the ecosystem is going through a more unstable period than usual.
One example was a Android security patch This ended up breaking the wired Android Auto startup, forcing some users to unlock their phone screen every time they got in the car. Google had to react with an emergency update to fix this bug, which affected ease of use from the very beginning of the journey.
To this are added the Complaints about the Google Maps interface integrated into Android Auto, with users fighting to disable automatic destination suggestions when turning on the car's screen or to get the system to stop offering routes that have nothing to do with their driving habits.
Against this backdrop, the arrival of Gemini, far from serving as a positive coup, has ended up being associated with more headachesThe image conveyed is that of an ecosystem in full transition, where new features coexist with errors that affect both usability and trust in the technology.
For those who rely on Android Auto daily for their journeys in Spain or the rest of Europe, this situation is especially sensitive. Most drivers aren't looking for a spectacular assistant, but rather something reliable, predictable, and discreet that they understand them the first time and do what is asked of them without fuss.
Google's reaction and the future of Gemini in the car
Since these cases began to appear, Google has acknowledged that the deployment of Gemini on different devices can be accompanied by errors and unexpected behaviorsThe company encourages users to report any issues through support channels. According to the company, only with this massive feedback is it possible to identify failure patterns and correct them with updates.
This isn't the first time the company has faced a complicated rollout of its new AI. Similar problems have already occurred with other products in the ecosystem, such as connected home devices, when transitioning to more advanced models, although in that case Several flaws were ironed out over time through successive patches.
The point is that in a car, the margin of error is much smaller than with a living room speaker. When driving on a highway, through a city, or on a secondary road, a navigation error or a misinterpreted command can have consequences that range from... beyond mere discomfortThat's why so many users are particularly critical of the decision to offer Gemini as a replacement for the classic assistant without having thoroughly refined it for the driving context.
In the medium term, it's reasonable to think that Gemini will improve as it receives more usage data and error reports, and that Google will eventually adjust its behavior so that be less generative and more assistant when it detects that you are in a moving vehicle. In fact, much of the potential of this AI will only be realized if it manages to combine intelligent responses with immediate execution of basic commands.
Meanwhile, the reality is that many drivers are still experimenting, changing settings, and, in many cases, disabling Gemini to revert to the old Google Assistant. The rollout of the new AI in Android Auto, which was presented as a leap toward smarter driving, is proving to be a bumpy transition in practice, in which The priority for users remains the same as always.: that the car's system doesn't fail when it's needed most.