Gemini takes over more Assistant duties with routines integration

Assistant Routines have been one of the things I’ve missed most while trying out voice commands with Gemini on my Pixel. The idea of Assistant Routines is simple. With a simple voice command, you could trigger a chain reaction of smart home magic – dimming the lights, setting the thermostat, and queuing up your favorite playlist. It’s convenience at its finest, especially when walking into the house with your hands full or trying to quietly turn off everything at night. But as Google shifts its focus to Gemini as the new AI-powered voice assistant, the fate of routines has been uncertain.

But it looks like that might change soon, though! Hidden within the latest beta version of the Google app for Android (15.24.28.29.arm64 beta), the folks at Android Authority have discovered work being done to bring Assistant Routines to Gemini. The leaked screenshot, while not revealing all the details, suggests that you’ll soon be able to control your trusty routines through Gemini’s conversational interface on Android phones.

Now, don’t get too excited just yet. It seems Gemini won’t have its own built-in Routines system, at least not initially. Instead, you’ll likely need to create and manage your Routines through Google Assistant and then trigger them via Gemini. It’s a bit of a workaround, but hey, it’s a step in the right direction.

For those who have been hesitant to fully embrace Gemini on their phone due to its lack of routine support, this news might finally give you what you need to test out the new voice assistant. For me, routines are a cornerstone of my smart home automation, and so this integration could finally bridge the gap between the old and the new.

With reminders also now taken care of, it looks like Gemini is getting closer and closer to being able to fully replace the Assistant on not just phones but on smart speakers and displays, as well. Until then, you can always switch back to the old Assistant on your phone if you want to wait until Google gets the kinks worked out with Gemini.

While there’s no official timeline for when this feature will roll out to Android users, its presence in the beta code suggests that it’s not too far off. So, keep your eyes peeled – it could roll out anytime. While we wait, what other part of the Google Assistant that you would like to see added to Gemini? Let us know in the comments.