Google vows to address Gemini's existing issues fast

Jay Bonggolto
·2 min read
The Gemini Era graphic from Google.
The Gemini Era graphic from Google.

What you need to know

  • Android users are facing challenges with Gemini as it lacks some features present in the old Google Assistant, particularly in media services such as podcasts, news, and radio.

  • Google acknowledges the gaps in Gemini and is actively working to address user concerns.

  • Not all is negative, as some users appreciate Gemini's chatbot for its creative skills, including writing style and quick replies.

Gemini, Google's new AI project, aims to change how we interact with digital assistants, but it's not smooth sailing. Users miss some old Google Assistant features, and Google is working to address those shortcomings.

The problem boils down to missing media services like podcasts, news, and radio in Gemini. Users depend on these for daily information and fun, and their absence has got people talking about finding the right balance between innovation and user convenience.

Facing these issues head-on, Google recognizes the gaps in Gemini and is hustling to fill them up. Jack Krawczyk, the product lead for Gemini, shared user feedback, and a few major concerns on the "things-to-fix-ASAP" list are managing tasks and setting reminders. That's a bit worrisome for users shifting from Assistant to Gemini right now.

Krawczyk also mentioned user feedback about preachy guardrails, and Google is looking to make them better in the next updates.

"Android app: conversational overlay input submit" was a hiccup, but it seems to be sorted now, as per 9to5Google. The voice input on the new overlay panel was basically speech-to-text, and you had to hit the send icon to submit.

It also looks like Google tackled some items on the to-do list, as the Gemini mobile app is apparently going live in certain regions beyond the US, including India and Germany.

On the other hand, not everything about Gemini's early days is a dumpster fire, according to Krawczyk's tweet. Some users are actually giving props to the chatbot's creative skills, praising its writing style, images in responses, speedy response, and integration with tools like Gmail and Google Maps.

While Gemini isn't winning hearts to replace Assistant on Android just yet, judging by recent user feedback, Google is at least showing its eagerness to fix issues pronto.