You can now swap Gemini for a new assistant on Android, but you really shouldn't
TL;DR You can now replace Google Assistant or Gemini on any Android device with Meta AI as the default digital assistant app.
This lets you launch Meta AI directly by long-pressing the home button or swiping inwards from the corner.
However, beware that you can't use it for voice chat, which can be limiting compared to other options.
Meta has been bullish on overtaking Google, OpenAI, xAI, and other tech giants as a major AI services provider. Taking advantage of the massive pool of users on its apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, Meta has been giving them a taste of AI for free through these apps. The features are also available in a dedicated 'Meta AI' app on Android, which you can now assign as the default digital assistant on your phone.
We recently spotted the ability to replace Google Assistant or Gemini with Meta AI as the default digital assistant on Android devices. This feature was seemingly added to version 230.0.0.36.164 of the Meta AI app on Android. Once set as the default, it can be invoked by long-pressing the power button (if you have that setting enabled on your phone). Alternatively, you can tap and hold the home button if you use the three-button navigation system, or swipe inwards from one of the bottom corners if you use gesture navigation.
AssembleDebug / Android Authority
Once you download the app and set it up with your existing Facebook or Instagram accounts (or create a new one), you can head to Settings > Apps > Default apps > Digital assistant. Here, you can choose Meta AI as the default assistant. It's possible that these settings slightly vary on different Android skins. So, you can also look up 'default digital assistant' using the search bar in your phone's Settings app.
While the added option gives you the ability to choose Meat AI as the digital assistant, there are a few limitations you should know of. Firstly, the gesture only opens the app, which is equivalent to tapping the app's icon. When it loads, it does not open up to an interface where you can simply start typing or interacting by voice, so launching it directly does not eliminate that extra step.
Secondly, the Meta AI app does not inherently support voice input, though you could use the keyboard's voice typing functionality. This can feel limiting compared to other digital assistant apps supported on Android, including Google Assistant, Gemini, Amazon's Alexa, or even ChatGPT.
Despite limited incentive to use Meta AI as the default assistant, there are certain benefits to using the Meta AI app on your phone. It lets you compose write-ups and generate photos and videos with text prompts. You can even use funky effects to create Reels that can be uploaded to your Instagram and Facebook accounts or shared via WhatsApp. The app also gets a public feed, which you can use as an inspiration for trying out new ideas or generating content.
However, these features are also directly available within Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and you may be better off using the features there. So, the only reason to download the dedicated app may be hygiene — to keep your AI manifestations in a separate app.
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