Android Auto Ditches Assistant Mic Icon For Some With Gemini Around The Corner

It’s no secret that Gemini is coming to Android Auto soon, but it’s not here just yet. Ahead of the rollout, though, Google is removing the Assistant-colored microphone from Android Auto, seemingly as it prepares for the switch.

To recap the status of Gemini on Android Auto thus far, the new AI assistant started to appear in app updates last year. Over the past few months, there have been more sightings and some have even been able to activate both Gemini and Gemini Live on the platform. Most recently, the Android Auto 14.0 update added several new Gemini icons and language that hinted Gemini would replace Assistant entirely.

That’s no surprise, as Google confirmed that Gemini is coming to cars when it recently announced that the Assistant would be sunset on Android phones. Google said:

Additionally, we’ll be upgrading tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches, to Gemini.

As we wait on Google to flip the switch on Gemini for Android Auto, the latest hint towards this happening is the intermittent removal of the Assistant-colored microphone icon on the platform.

For years now, the microphone icon that appears along the bottom/side bar in Android Auto has been themed to match Assistant. The multi-colored icon is visible through many of our own images of Google’s car platform, including the one below.

But this is starting to go away.

We noticed on Android Auto 14.0 that the microphone icon had ditched its Assistant colors for a completely white design. Tapping on it still brings up Assistant, but it’s a clear change.

This isn’t the final form of this icon, it seems, as previous evidence suggests that Android Auto will replace this icon with a purple gradient mic icon to better fit with Gemini’s branding. It seems that this switch is likely in an effort to subtly signal the switch. That said, as soon as we updated to Android Auto 14.1, the Assistant colors returned, so it’s hard to say for certain what Google has planned.

Android Auto 14.1 also notably brings support for select Android games on your car’s display, as we demonstrated earlier this week.