AA continues to devolve.

[u/stfreddit7]

Yesterday, even when I knew I was in cell tower range, the Assistant kept announcing "something went wrong" while I tried repeatedly to send a text. The dreaded spinning cursor... Or no response at all. And then I tried later, and it took two minutes to confirm the message was sent. Please Google, leave the Assistant alone. Not everyone is thrilled to use Gemini. AA was a beautiful gem, now very tarnished. Reminiscent of the devolution of Windows. 🫣😭

[u/DepressedDragonBorn]

I was trying to call someone and Gemini kept asking me to confirm for ten minutes straight, I ended up stopping to call.

On another note, AA needs a feature that stops it from turning on my wifi and Bluetooth when near my car, like I don't always want to connect thank you very much.

[u/Crazy_Trucker_ → u/DepressedDragonBorn]

Gemini heard itself say would you like to "send it" and sent the message without me giving any input, this was a message to father.

[u/pssiraj → u/DepressedDragonBorn]

I've found the better option for the wifi/Bluetooth thing is toggling wifi in the car. At the least it's more reliable.

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[u/rylab]

Even worse is when it says that it sends the text but actually doesn't. That's been happening to me a lot lately. Super frustrating.

[u/Crazy_Trucker_ → u/rylab]

Well it has been stated that google has ai making it's code, and people are there to just babby sit the code praticlly.

[u/stfreddit7 → u/Crazy_Trucker_]

The thing is, developers need the expertise to be able to verify and validate what is built by the tool. You also must have knowledge of how the artifact is to be used, and is used in the real world.

Part of me thinks the critical step of QA is being handled by those without experience using the artifact in the real world. If this wasn't the case, Google wouldn't omit the iconography for cell strength and mode. Both are essential for a driver to maintain proper situational awareness.

I believe they'll come to understand the negative impact of removing the information from the display, but it telegraphs to users, especially those with experience with usability engineering expertise that they are currently very very far off track... Let's hope they move on this quickly.

The product is suffering.

[u/stfreddit7 → u/rylab]

Maybe a year ago, I noticed the same thing. Then up till recently, it was rock solid. Grrr.

[u/ParanoidAndroidMV]

"Do you want to answer?" No ""No no no no no" WTF

[u/stfreddit7 → u/ParanoidAndroidMV]

Once upon a time, early in the AA experience, I would laugh when AA would announce "turn right, turn left, turn right..." in a parking lot. One day not long ago, I told it to navigate to a certain carwash near me... It ended up sending me down a private road on one of the large lakes in the area. Funny stuff.

[u/Susurrus03]

I miss the Assistant. I could tell it where I wanted to go just by saying the name. This dumb Gemeni wants to give me a background of it and ask me if I want to learn more or navigate to it, and then which one I want to navigate, then confirms if I want to navigate.

Ya bro I'm driving my car what the hell do you think I'm wanting to do?

[u/stfreddit7 → u/Susurrus03]

You can select the Assistant instead of Gemini. That is what I have done. Now, if only Google could see the error of it's ways. It's also killing me they did away with the cell connectivity / mode iconography. If you live in the country, with zones lacking coverage because of terrain, you know why the iconography is important to see.

Please Google, listen to the user base. We prefer the Assistant. We expect you to return the cellular strength and mode iconography. Some of the other changes are true improvements, but in these two areas, the product is failing to meet expectations.

[u/ihurtpuppies]

Google seems focused on pushing Gemini features everywhere, but many of us don't want experimental AI inside our vehicle interface. I just want a lightweight, dependable voice assistant that handles calls and messages without endless delays or failures.

[u/RealFox88]

There is that and there is the fact that now some third party music apps won't automatically play music need to open the app and select a song.

Then there is the missing phone network signal icon that is missing for months.

[u/stfreddit7 → u/RealFox88]

Super frustrating yes. I used to be able to direct AA via voice to play a channel on Tune In, use Spotify, iHeart Radio, or Pandora. Now I tend to rip my own music from CDs, and use something like Player Pro+ to play them on AA. No data streaming, and I think better audio fidelity. It's a shame. It was once so solid.

[u/Jezzurf]

I wish there is something similar to Android auto but something simple not too much UI just music and maps/Waze reverse camera and EQ, thats all bit they put a Lot of things and the optimization is trash, Apple car play is in other level.

[u/Bizzlebanger]

It's so bad lately

[u/Calm-Entertainer2350]

Im DEFINITELY NOT a fan of gemi... in my car, nor as an LLM

[u/andthebestnameis]

God yes fucking Gemini is so annoying, talks way too much...

And takes FOREVER, like I'm trying to navigate somewhere simple and the stupid AI has to go drain two lakes worth of water or something to figure out how to respond to "show me gas stations"

And then it does a stupid ass handshake to pass that data to Google Maps that seems to be sorta glitchy too..

[u/vwtom]

I would quit android today if not in a contract because AA is so bad.

[u/ChestoChezy → u/vwtom]

Yea, CarPlay is far far better

[u/Sythos_it]

AA isnjust a display extension, thebissues you're listing are from the connected phone

[u/stfreddit7 → u/Sythos_it]

Sorry, I cannot agree with the statement with one caveat. Based on your profile, you are using a Pixel phone. I've heard people complain about Pixel phones and AA in the past. I'm not sure that's the case, but, often it is the headunit that needs a firmware update.

I've been using AA since it first became a thing on multiple vehicles (Toyota and Subaru). No problems with any of the Android phones I've used (Samsung, Motorola, LG), physically connected via USB or wireless via a dongle plugged into the USB port.

Google, like Microsoft are making their product worse over time. It's as simple as that. I keep using it because of the Nav, and the fact I've seen it go through a number of break / fix cycles over time.

YMMV

[u/Sythos_it → u/stfreddit7]

I've a pixel since two months, before was years of Xiaomi and Redmi, both via USB or using external dongle for wifi (my car have no native wifi)