Google Prepares to Introduce "Hey Gemini" Alongside "Hey Google" on Android Devices

Your Android Phones Aren’t â€~Google’ Anymore, They’re All â€~Gemini’

You may soon be able to activate the Android assistant with 'Hey Gemini,' potentially signaling the end for 'Hey Google.' Gemini’s colonization of Android is nearly complete. Soon, users may need to get used to speaking a whole new phrase to access their phone’s assistant. Strings of code were spotted in the latest Android update support, “Hey Gemini†and “Hey Google,†as if Google thought you’d rather talk to the chatbot than the company that made the phone. Earlier this week, Android code sleuth Shiv, AKA AssemblyDebug, spotted a code string in the beta version of the Google app hinting that “Hey Gemini†could sit alongside “Hey Google†as the Android wake word for the assistant. There’s a missing word in the string, but judging solely by the company’s Android XR announcement in January where, in a video, a user asks “Hey Gemini†before receiving an AI-generated voice response. Android has already let Gemini consume Assistant in its entirety. Saying “Hey Google†already brings up Gemini, and this move would only help shut the door on the old assistant model. These two voice commands could work alongside each other, but with Google promoting Gemini as much as it does, we could imagine Google promoting the new wake word in all promotions going forward, slowly phasing out “Hey Google†from the common user lexicon. It remains unclear if and when Google will introduce this change, though we expect it to be relatively soon. We already have a May 20 date for Google I/O 2025. We have also seen signs of the Google Pixel 9a, including a now-deleted YouTube video. Last year’s I/O was utterly subsumed by Gemini news. Any of these upcoming product showcases could also bring the advent of “Hey Gemini†as an additional marketing ploy to get more users to buy tickets on the AI hype train. Gemini and Android are practically synonymous, and the two forms will only become more entwined as time passes. Earlier this month, Google made Gemini appear as if you were talking to it on the phone while minimizing the Gemini Live interface. The recent Gemini 2.0 update added more image and video comprehension capabilities to Gemini Live. These are the first steps to bringing it to the capabilities promised by Google DeepMind’s Project Astra. More than anything, Google needs more people to use Gemini, whether because they want to or have no choice. A Wall Street Journal report in January cited internal conversations at Google showing CEO Sundar Pichai wants Gemini to beat OpenAI’s ChatGPT user numbers. ChatGPT on mobile has roughly 400 million weekly active users on Android and iOS combined, according to a report from Reuters. According to Sensor Tower data, Gemini remains far lower on the most downloaded app list. Even though Gemini is on iOS, it’s not nearly as popular as on Google’s home turf. This is why Google offers free year-long Gemini subscriptions when you buy new products like a Chromebook Plus model. Google is trying its damndest to get you thinking about Gemini all the time on Android. Like the recent Samsung Galaxy S25 phones, we expect the next Android update to focus on cross-app capabilities.

Google's getting ready to let you switch to a new hotword

Summary Google has teased the new hotword " Hey Gemini" multiple times but hasn't implemented it yet. Strings in the Google app beta hint at "Hey Gemini" finally happening, though potentially limited to select models. The change from "Hey Google" to "Hey Gemini" is anticipated, but it's unclear if the new wake word will replace the current one, or coexist. Post Gemini takeover, Google has shown signs that it wants to switch to a new, Gemini-related hotword. Looking at how long we've been saying Hey Google and how the company is rapidly replacing the old Google Assistant with Gemini AI, it only makes sense to make the hotword switch. While its intentions are quite clear now, it has yet to make the move. We've been teased by the new wake word multiple times, but haven't been able to put it to use yet. Related Hey Gemini: Google's hotword gets a refresh in official teaser video Is 'Hey Google' on its way out? Posts In a report for Android Authority, debugging guru Shiv (or AssembleDebug) recently spotted a couple of strings in the latest beta version of the Google app that point towards the hotword actually becoming a reality. There are a few instances of "Hey" followed by a variable that looks like jibberish at the moment, but is actually an obscured upcoming hotword. Multiple past events make it clear that the hotword will most likely be Gemini (more on that in a bit). <code>&lt;string name="assistant_suw_gemini_hotword_consent_screen_item_message_1"&gt;"Hey Google" and "Hey %1$s" require Voice Match to recognize you&lt;/string&gt; &lt;string name="assistant_suw_gemini_hotword_consent_screen_item_message_2"&gt;Without "Hey Google" and "Hey %1$s," you can still get help from Gemini&lt;/string&gt; &lt;string name="assistant_suw_gemini_hotword_consent_screen_item_message_3"&gt;Gemini may activate accidentally in different ways, like if there's a noise that sounds like "Hey Google" or "Hey %1$s"&lt;/string&gt; &lt;string name="assistant_suw_gemini_hotword_consent_screen_item_message_4"&gt;&lt;a href="%1$s"&gt;Learn more about&lt;/a&gt; the differences between "Hey %2$s" and "Hey Google"&lt;/string&gt; &lt;string name="assistant_suw_gemini_hotword_consent_screen_item_title"&gt;Gemini will stand by to hear "Hey Google," "Hey %1$s," and quick phrases like "stop" or "snooze." For now, "Hey %1$s" is only available on some mobile devices.&lt;/string&gt; &lt;string name="assistant_suw_gemini_hotword_consent_screen_subtitle"&gt;Turn on "Hey %1$s" to talk things out with Gemini Live and "Hey Google" for quick actions and info by voice&lt;/string&gt; &lt;string name="assistant_suw_gemini_hotword_consent_screen_title"&gt;Go hands-free with "Hey %1$s"&lt;/string&gt;</code> Hey Gemini, Bye Google Google is being very mysterious about its wake word change. It hasn't ever made an official statement about it; instead, it keeps dropping hints here and there. The first big hint was when it released the Android XR promo video and featured a person conversing with their assistant using the "Hey Gemini" prompt. But Android XR is developed for Google's upcoming VR/AR projects, so we didn't hold our breath about phones then. Around a month later, the company dropped a phones-related hint, too. In the marketing material for the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, spotted by a Brazilian publication, Tecnoblog, a sentence in Portugese roughly translated to English reads "Hey Google Gemini, list the places mentioned in this video and save a note." It was only fair of us to assume the change might go live on the flagship phones. But that never happened. Related Google wants Android XR to power your next VR headset and smart glasses Google Glass and Daydream VR nod in approval Posts 4 The APK teardown reveals that Google may finally be ready now, though the change might be reserved for a few fortunate models, as also apparent by the strings. The past hints make it clear what the new wake word will be, but we're currently unsure about whether it will replace or join "Hey Google". It would be nice if the latter was true, so the traditionalists among us aren't too bothered.

Hey Google or Hey Gemini? Google inches closer to hotword choice (APK teardown)

The new hotword could remain restricted to only select devices when it rolls out. Google has become synonymous with "searching on the internet," with many of us growing up with the idea of just googling anything and everything. Google brought this feeling of always being available and helpful closer to heart with the "Hey Google" wake word for activating Google Assistant, its digital assistant on Android devices. The company has recently been transitioning away from Google Assistant in favor of Gemini, its branding for all things AI, including its AI-based digital assistant. The company has previously demoed a future where we'd be using the "Hey Gemini" hotword, and we've now spotted clues that indicate we're steadily marching towards it.

New 'Hey Gemini' hotword and 'Hey Google' might coexist together on Android

Google might have the existing "Hey Google" hotword co-exist with a new "Hey Gemini" hotword that launches Gemini Live. About APK Insight: In this "APK Insight" post, we've decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we're able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. We'll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they'll look in case that they do ship. With that in mind, read on. Google app beta version 16.7.21 contains strings that suggest the two might exist independent of one another instead of as a replacement: <string name="assistant_suw_gemini_hotword_consent_screen_subtitle">Turn on \u201cHey %1$s\u201d to talk things out with Gemini Live and \u201cHey Google\u201d for quick actions and info by voice</string> That set-up/settings screen suggests that "Hey Google" will remain in use for "quick actions and info by voice." At the moment, it launches the Gemini overlay and it's unclear if this string suggests that will change (to something like Google Search, which is due to get an AI Mode). Meanwhile, there's a clear second hotword that exists side-by-side to the existing one, with several other strings supporting that coexistence (emphasis ours):" The "%1$s" that appears after "Hey" is a placeholder that gets replaced at runtime. We assume that it will be "Gemini." All together, that presumed "Hey Gemini" hotword will let you "talk things out with Gemini Live." Meanwhile, the new hotword "is only available on some mobile devices." That presumably means newer devices, with this possibly a reference to Gemini Live with Astra. Gemini will stand by to hear \u201cHey Google,\u201d \u201cHey %1$s,\u201d and quick phrases like \u201cstop\u201d or \u201csnooze.\u201d For now, \u201cHey %1$s\u201d is only available on some mobile devices. Google having two hotwords is very interesting. A second one would give users a faster way to launch Gemini Live. Hopefully, the ability to launch the more general Gemini overlay with "Hey Google" remains.,