Google Gemini AI assistant impresses with complexity but stumbles on simple commands users need

Gemini on Android needs a "dumb" mode (because it's too smart for its own good)

Gemini regularly impresses me by carrying out complex, multifaceted requests. That's why it's so infuriating when it fails spectacularly at the most basic tasks -- things Google Assistant could handle with ease. There's a simple solution to this problem: make Gemini dumber. Many Android fans long for the days of Google Assistant (sometimes I'm one of them). Sure, it wasn't as "intelligent" as Gemini, but it was excellent at following simple commands. Ironically, that's where Gemini struggles the most -- as a digital assistant. Why Google Assistant was better at simple tasks A smaller toolbox to work with The main issue with Gemini as a mobile assistant is how it handles commands. As a Large Language Model (LLM), it processes every prompt it's given and generates a response. This is why you may have noticed Gemini will respond slightly differently almost every time to the exact same requests. Google Assistant, on the other hand, was built to work with direct commands and phrases. When it recognized a command, it would match it to the associated action -- like a switchboard operator. This allowed Assistant to respond quickly and accurately if it understood the task. Let's use the command "Set a timer for 5 minutes" as an example. Gemini reads the text and attempts to conceptually "understand" the intent: starting a countdown. It then has to recognize that it can't carry out that task on its own, and to choose the appropriate extension to do it. If all of that goes smoothly, Gemini tells the clock app to start a timer. Google Assistant simply scanned the text for specific intent phrases. In this case, it would match "set a timer" to the action of creating a timer, and "5 minutes" to the duration length. Without any "thinking," the command was sent directly to the clock app. Google Home Speaker $99 at Google Store Expand Collapse Some tasks don't require "thinking" It's not that deep The benefit of Gemini's approach is that it can understand less specific wording and do more with it. I've put this to the test by saying, "Set a timer for honeybush blueberry pancake tea." Gemini looked up the variety of tea, found the recommended steep time, and started a timer for that length. I was impressed. If I gave that same command to Google Assistant, it would recognize the "Set a timer" part, but since I didn't mention a time, it would have to ask how long the timer should be. The problem with Gemini's high-level approach is that it's just not needed for many of the digital-assistant-type tasks I try to do on my phone and smart speakers. A recent conversation with Gemini really hammered this point home. As a Google product, Gemini has access to my Google services. I use both Keep and Tasks for different things -- Tasks is where I have my primary "to-do" list. However, Gemini always defaults to using Keep when I ask to add something to my to-do list. Unlike Assistant, I can't simply choose which list app I want Gemini to use. So, I either need to specify to use Google Tasks every time, which is tedious, or I can add it to my personal instructions. I did the latter: If I ask you to add something on my to-do list, put it on my Google Tasks list called "To-Do". Do not use Google Keep. Now, I know for a fact that Gemini can access my Google Tasks -- it's done it many times. That's why I was very annoyed when I recently asked it to add something to my to-do list, and the conversation below proceeded to happen. TL;DR: Gemini said it couldn't access Google Tasks. I pointed out that I had just used Tasks in the previous conversation. Gemini doubled down. We went back and forth. Finally, I asked what was on my Tasks list, and -- surprise! -- Gemini could tell me. It apologized for the "confusion." Gemini needs a "dumb" fallback There are times like the above when Gemini is too "smart" for its own good. There are so many common, daily life tasks that not only don't require an LLM, but are actively worse when using one. It's like watering a house plant with a pressure washer. Deals Save on Phones & Mobile Deals: Top discounts now Find limited-time deals and meaningful savings on phones, mobile accessories, and companion gear. Shop discounted handsets, chargers, earbuds, cases, and smart speaker bundles. Explore offers to compare discounts, catch price drops, and add savings on accessories and protection. Deals Explore Phones & Mobile Deals The perfect solution would be some sort of "dumb" mode that allowed Gemini to function more like Google Assistant in certain situations. It's a bit ridiculous to be using gallons of water to set timers, create reminders, turn on lights, play music, and get the weather forecast when it was perfectly possible to do all of that before AI. Gemini's full abilities are awesome for some things -- genuinely -- but a little restraint would go a long way when it comes to being an assistant on my phone. We should be able to have the best of both worlds. Gemini is failing at a basic Android task my phone nailed back in 2014 We've been told over and over again how Gemini is an "upgrade" over Google Assistant. In many ways, it is -- but the areas where it still lags behind feel infuriating. Google says Gemini can help you remember where you parked, but the reality feels embarrassing. Posts 4 By Joe Fedewa

7 hidden Gemini assistant features that organized my chaotic work tasks

Jade Bryan is a Feature Author at Android Police with over a decade of tech reviews and news reporting experience, stretching back to the Symbian era and the early days of Android. He covers the breadth of the mobile industry, specializing in operating system deep-dives, app testing, and hardware analysis. In his spare time, you can find him tinkering with his Android devices and wearables, seeking ways tech can improve daily life. He also enjoys playing MMORPGs, traveling, or feeding stray cats and dogs. When Google launched Gemini, I wasn't exactly thrilled. Although I have used Google Assistant before, I don't consider myself an AI fanboy by any means. I actively avoided it on my personal devices for as long as possible. But since I write tech for a living, I can't ignore it. Eventually, my job forced me to give it a fair try. I started small by experimenting with standard features like letting it summarize long YouTube video formats and messing around with screen sharing, which, to my delight, immediately hooked me. Having contextual and tailored answers proved to be more useful than I initially thought. Eventually, I caved. Since then, I've been taking advantage of Gemini in juggling every day and work tasks. I use it regularly to triage multi-threaded emails in Gmail and to fly through documents across Google Keep, Calendar, and Sheets, among others. It has evolved from an annoying gimmick into a utilitarian digital assistant that keeps my daily workflow running smoothly. If your daily routine feels like a constant mess, here are the exact Gemini features that sorted my chaotic tasks. I used Gemini wrong for months, here's the setup that actually works Stop using Gemini like ChatGPT Posts 11 By Parth Shah Create voice notes on the lock screen Record thoughts without going through biometrics I prefer keeping my phone securely locked down at all times. But it is incredibly annoying to constantly fumble with the fingerprint scanner or selfie camera to log an immediate note because I stumbled upon a great source or had a fleeting thought. My short-term memory is quite unreliable, so I capture random ideas the second they come in. One of the features that helped me organize and avoid losing those thoughts is the ability to create voice notes without unlocking my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL or Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE. Google finally brought this system-level capability to Gemini, expanding its reach to connected Workspace extensions like Keep and Tasks. Setting it up is straightforward. Launch Gemini and then open Gemini Settings, navigate to the Gemini on lock screen, and toggle on the feature. When it's active, you can start dictating thoughts on the fly without unlocking your device. It is significantly ahead of the old Google Assistant implementation because Gemini understands natural, conversational language instead of choking on rigid commands. My only real gripe is that I wish Google would let us edit existing notes or tasks directly from the lock screen. Currently, when you need to adjust or tweak data in Google Keep or Tasks, you have to unlock your phone. Even with that limitation, this feature alone has saved a lot of time and reclaimed a ton of my best ideas from disappearing into thin air. Create recurring tasks using Gemini And save a lot of time As a tech writer, a massive chunk of my day revolves around scouring the internet for news and the best deals. Doing that manually every morning is tedious, but Gemini automates the routine. By leveraging the chatbot, I can create highly specific, recurring background tasks that do the heavy lifting for me. For example, I set up a custom Gem to hunt for discounts on the Pixel 10 Pro. I fed it my preferred retailers, my variant choices, and a rule to ignore any price cut under $100. It runs this like clockwork every morning, and I programmed it to skip weekends and holidays. Beyond news and deals, I can leverage it for other categories and topics. It is a flexible capability that has saved me from wasting hours going through each retail store. You can set up basic automated prompts through standard Gemini chat or in the Scheduled tasks in the settings. Alternatively, you can use Gemini Gems to add specific rules and nuances. You can create a scheduled task on Gemini without going through Scheduled actions in the settings or Gems. Ask Gemini and add to Calendar A smarter Google Lens alternative I have been a die-hard Google Lens power user for ages. But when Gemini's screen-sharing integration and Ask Gemini capabilities rolled out, I decided to test it to see if it could be a viable alternative. After putting it under my belt, it completely convinced me to drop Lens. Gemini offers several advantages, such as handling complex visual data and reducing the number of steps in a standard visual search. For everything related to scheduling and meetings, I keep track of most of them in Calendar, but everything used to be a massive chore. Now, if I am looking at a chaotic schedule inside an email or image, I pull up the Ask Gemini overlay on my Pixel. It extracts the relevant dates and times, without me having to copy and paste a single line of text. From there, I tell it to create the event straight into my calendar, which it handles convincingly. More importantly, I can surface my upcoming agenda from the lock screen. With a quick voice prompt, I can command it to remind me hours or days before a meeting. Connect YouTube summaries to notes and maps Extract data using only a video URL YouTube summarization was one of Gemini's earliest tricks, and it remains one of my favorites. I watch a considerable amount of game and hardware reviews and comparisons before planning to make a purchase. I also rely heavily on travel vlogs to map our multi-day family vacations. I'm not sure if it is the same for everyone, but sitting through a 25-minute DIY video to get a few steps or travel recommendations feels exhausting. Instead, I feed Gemini the YouTube URL and let it extract and highlight details or create bullet points. It's a massive time-saver, but there's one more useful feature to that. Because of the integration with other apps, I can copy that extracted data into a Keep note or Docs, or automatically add stops in Google Maps for places and attractions. Manage Google Sheets via commands The smart autofill is a lifesaver Over the years, I've come to realize how invaluable Google Sheets is for my daily workload. It has become a valuable tool for managing my tasks, such as real-time headline aggregation and mapping travel itineraries. While the mobile app is handy for quick edits on the go, I didn't truly appreciate its potential until Google integrated Gemini into the web version of Sheets (which you can access through the Google One Pro plan). For my daily writing workload, I usually dump a massive, unorganized list of potential article topics into a column. I have Gemini analyze and rank these headlines by priority. Even better, it can cross-reference the live web to instantly check which of those topics I have covered or published elsewhere. It also works well for managing dates and locations. I can type a command like: Help me organize our 7-day itinerary to Taipei using these places and flight details. Gemini easily adapts to specific nuances, too, like requesting a light first day or arrival to manage travel fatigue or suggesting a strictly kid-friendly route. Besides the integration, Gemini's smart autofill feature is easily my favorite tool in the entire suite. It's a nice alternative to the classic formulas. The autofill feature analyzes the surrounding context of your completed rows or columns and intelligently populates blank cells. This saves me a lot of time figuring out the formula while avoiding breaking the sheets. The Google Sheets 'miracle' that finally organized my contacts One Gemini prompt to clean up years of mess Posts By Rajesh Pandey Do tasks right in Gemini chat You don't need to leave the chatbot If I am deep in a Gemini thread, the last thing I want to do is navigate away and launch a separate app just for one action. It's pure unproductive. Google solved this friction by embedding its services directly into Gemini's chat box. All you do is type the @ symbol followed by the name of the app you need to summon, such as @Gmail or @Calendar, and Gemini searches for it on the spot. It works flawlessly with voice commands, too, provided you clearly mention which app or service you want to target. For instance, I use it to audit my morning Gmail inbox. I can tell Gemini to scan my unread emails and surface only the critical entries. It effectively filters out promotional spam and irrelevant press releases. It also works when you're tracking a package, as it can surface my inbox, copy the tracking number, and do the tracking for me without leaving the chatbot. However, there are minor shortcomings, such as it not getting all the details, as the provider may limit the data available. Meanwhile, in Google Docs, I use Gemini to track documents and keywords without wading through a stockpile of articles and drafts. Access smart home devices from the lock screen Turn a bulb in Gemini on or off Beyond using app-based features to keep my tasks in a tab, I've found that Gemini is a practical assistant for Google Home. It's handy for small tasks, like spinning up my Xiaomi air purifier a few minutes before I walk into the room, or increasing the brightness of my desk lamp at sunset. Even better, it works directly on the lock screen and includes a one-tap widget that shows my smart devices' status. It isn't as groundbreaking as other Gemini productivity capabilities. But it's a minor convenience for eliminating a bottleneck in my workflow.