One of our loyal PhoneArena readers wrote an interesting post in the comments section recently. In an article that mentioned how Google has been replacing Google Assistant with Gemini, this reader (iceman12177) wanted to know why Google couldn't change the hotword to activate Gemini to, well, "Hey Gemini." Right now, even if you toggled on the feature that replaces Google Assistant with Gemini allowing the AI model to take over as the digital assistant on your Pixel, you still have to use the "Hey Google" hotword to activate it.
Time for Google to add a "Hey Gemini" hotword for Pixel phones
Usually, it's a lot easier to say a word with fewer syllables. But as that loyal PhoneArena reader pointed out in his comment, it's a lot easier to say, "Hey Gemini" (4 syllables) than saying "Hey Google" (3 syllables). While not everyone agrees, saying the word Google is more of a tongue-twister for some. Besides, it's also confusing to have to say "Hey Google" when you really want Gemini.
Will you replace Google Assistant with Gemini?
Absolutely. It gives me better responses to my queries.
37.5%
No. I don't need long in-depth answers all of the time.
50%
I'm not sure yet.
12.5%
To make things clearer, if you have your Pixel set to use Gemini as your assistant, say "Hey Google" and the Gemini prompt will surface. If you have Google Assistant set as your assistant, say "Hey Google," and Google Assistant will appear. If you're currently getting Google Assistant and want to switch to Gemini, you can do so by going to Settings > Apps > Assistant. Scroll down to Digital Assistants from Google and make your selection.
Choosing the digital assistant on your Pixel. | Image credit-PhoneArena
Again, regardless of which one digital assistant you choose, you'll have to use "Hey Google" as the hotword to access it. An easier way to activate Gemini or Google Assistant is to use Quick Tap. With this feature, you can tap the back of your phone twice, quickly, and have whichever assistant you chose appear on your phone. To set it up go to Settings > System > Gestures > Quick Tap to start actions. Tap the choice that says, "Access your digital assistant." Instead of long pressing the power button, or calling "Hey Google," simply tap the rear panel of your Pixel twice and the appropriate prompt will appear.
You can stop accessing your assistant with a long press of the power button
Speaking about long pressing the power button to access your digital assistant, if you find that to be a pain or confusing, as many find it to be, you can disable the shortcut by going to Settings > System > Gestures. Scroll down to Press & hold power button and tap it. There, you can decide whether to have a long press of the power button open the Power menu or the Digital assistant.
With Quick Tap you can activate Gemini by tapping your Pixel's rear panel by making two quick taps in succession. | Image credit-PhoneArena
If you don't want this to be a method to access Gemini or Google Assistant, press Power menu. If you do want to keep it as a shortcut to reach your assistant, make sure that Digital assistant has been tapped. Note that there is a sensitivity slider that allows you to control how long of a long-press is needed to activate the Power menu or the Digital assistant.
My suggestions? Replace Google Assistant with Gemini and set up Quick Tap
As some have noted, the ultimate way to open Gemini or Google Assistant is no longer available on Pixel phones. The Pixel 2, back in 2017, debuted the Active Edge feature that allowed users to squeeze the lower sides of their phone together to call up the Google Assistant. My old pal Joe Maring, now with Android Authority, turned on his Pixel 4 to see whether the Active Edge would work with Gemini, and it did.
Google got rid of the feature with the Pixel 5 and never brought it back. I remember using it often on my Pixel 2 XL and it was a great way to activate Google Assistant when you didn't want anyone hearing you call out "Hey Google." For those of you with a Pixel 6 or later model, setting up the Quick Tap might be the easiest way to call for your digital assistant if you don't want to say, "Hey Google."
That brings us back full circle to the start of this article. Yes, Google needs to fix the hotword for Gemini by making it "Hey Gemini," or even better, just "Gemini." I'm sure this is going to happen since Google is serious about replacing Google Assistant with Gemini on Android. If you haven't made the switch on your Pixel to replace Google Assistant with Gemini, do so now. Gemini gives you deeper dives into your queries and will now seamlessly set your alarms and targets.
"Iconic Phones" is coming this Fall!
Good news everyone! Over the past year we've been working on an exciting passion project of ours and we're thrilled to announce it will be ready to release in just a few short months.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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