The AI race is heating up as just about every company looks to introduce a new LLM to their portfolio, and Google has perhaps looked to do more than most.
While its results in AI Search have been a mixed bag, it’s been pushing both NotebookLM for research and notetaking, as well as Gemini as a more all-purpose AI chatbot that’s starting to lean further and further into personal assistant territory.
While companies like OpenAI would love to have hardware to call their own, Google has made the decision to push its Gemini model onto its Pixel devices, meaning every user has access to it right off the bat.
It’s a smart move if you want to do things like formulate a workout plan, write code, or just about anything else with a variety of Gemini models, but it’s not for everyone.
Some people like their peanut butter and chocolate separate, so to speak, and that’s very valid, while some just miss the ‘old’ Google Assistant (which arguably still runs rings around Siri for many requests).
Thankfully, it’s easier than you might think to swap back — here’s how to do just that and bring Google Assistant back to your Pixel device.
Gemini vs Google Assistant
Comparing the two isn’t really an easy thing to do, either. Google Assistant is closer to Apple‘s Siri, able to give a quick answer to a question like “what were the Premier League scores last week”, but not overly aware of context, or prepared for follow-up questions.
Think of it like that one friend you always ask after, and they tell you how they feel, but don’t ask you how you are.
Gemini, on the other hand, is much more conversational. While some will prefer a short answer, Gemini is likely to be the future of Google’s assistant focus, and that means its predecessor is likely to be quietly phased out in the coming months.
That means “what were the Premier League scores last week” can be interrupted, or you can say “sorry, tell me the Championship scores instead”, and Gemini will adjust without breaking stride.
The trouble is that Gemini, or at least the most advanced version of it, will cost you. The Gemini Advanced subscription will set you back a not-insignificant $20 per month (as part of Google One AI Premium), and features power-user level features like being able to work on documents up to 1,500 pages in length and access to the latest experimental LLMs.
Thankfully, there’s a free version, too, but the 2.0 Flash model (while very capable), isn’t quite as good as 2.0 Pro or Deep Research models for more complex tasks, not to mention integration with Gmail and Google Docs.
How to turn off Google Gemini on your Pixel device
Before proceeding, it’s worth remembering that swapping back to Google Assistant will mean you’re getting a less smart, uh, smart assistant.
It’s worth reiterating that because if there are parts of Gemini you do find useful, you’ll lose those until you invoke it again, but if you’re sure you want to get rid of it then follow these steps:
- Open the Gemini app
- Tap your profile picture, and then head into your Settings
- At the bottom of the list, select Digital Assistants from Google
- Select Google Assistant to revert back to the ‘classic’ version
Naturally, it’s easy to switch back to Gemini — just follow the same steps and pick Gemini this time.
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