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I’m primarily an iPhone and CarPlay user, but I do sometimes use my Android phone and Android Auto when I’m driving, and one of its latest perks is the ability to chat with Gemini AI.
Using Google’s AI, you can send emails and messages, ask for playlist suggestions, get information on local restaurants and businesses via Google Maps, set a reminder, ask any question on your mind, play a game, and listen to a story. To get started, you'll need an Android phone and a car that supports Android Auto. With that settled, here are the initial steps.
Set Up Gemini on Your Phone
First, set up Gemini as your AI assistant on your phone. If you haven’t already downloaded the Gemini app, grab it from Google Play.
To enlist Gemini as your default assistant on most Android phones, go to Settings > Apps > Assistant > Digital assistants from Google. Tap the option for Gemini, select Switch to confirm your action, and then tap the button for Use Gemini.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)The process is different on Samsung phones. Head to Settings > Apps and tap the option for Choose default apps. Tap the entry for Digital Assistant app and make sure it says Google. If not, tap the entry on the next screen and change the selection to Google. To confirm that Gemini is the default on your Samsung phone, hold down the power button. A window should pop up telling you that Gemini is your new AI assistant from Google.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)Set Up Gemini for Hands-Free Use
To use Gemini in your car, you want to be able to activate it hands-free. For this, open the Gemini app on your phone, tap your profile icon, and select Settings. Tap the option for Talk to Gemini hands-free and then turn on the switch for Hey Google. Tap the Turn on button, confirm your action, and then tap Done.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)Check for Android Auto
You should already have Android Auto installed on your phone as it’s been built into Android since version 10. To check, go to Settings and tap Connected devices. On a Samsung phone, tap the setting for Android Auto. On other Android phones, select Connected preferences and then tap Android Auto. If you don’t have the app, download and install it from Google Play.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)Connect Your Phone
Next, connect your Android phone to your car. You can do this through a wired USB cable or a wireless Bluetooth connection. For a wired connection, you need Android 9 or higher; for a wireless one, you need Android 11 or higher.
After connecting your phone, go back to the Android Auto settings on your device and tap the Connect a vehicle button. If your phone is plugged in via USB, the connection is automatically established. If you’re going the wireless route, choose the option to connect using wireless Android Auto and then opt to connect using Bluetooth.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)On your car’s multimedia screen, go to Settings, select Bluetooth and devices, tap the button to add another device, and then tap the button to search for devices. Select the name of your phone on your car’s screen after it pops up.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)Back on your phone, tap the link for Pair a vehicle. The same pairing code appears on your phone and the car screen. Confirm the code on both devices.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)On the car screen, tap Yes when asked if you want to use Android Auto. You should then see the Android Auto interface on your screen.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)Check for Gemini
Since Gemini is still rolling out as a voice assistant for Android Auto, the AI may not yet be accessible for you. To check when you’re in your car and Android Auto is active, say: “Hey Google. Are you using Gemini?” If the assistant doesn’t understand your request, then you’re still stuck with the older Google Assistant. But if it proudly proclaims that it’s using Gemini, then you’re in business.
Talk to Gemini
You’re now ready to chat with Gemini. With that in mind, here are five ways I like to use Google’s AI to assist me when I’m driving.
1. Provide Details on Local Restaurants and Other Businesses
Whether I’m hungry for a meal or am trying to find a certain store or other business, Gemini can help. As one example, I’m able to ask Gemini to recommend restaurants of a specific cuisine and give me details about any of them. For this one, I asked the AI to recommend some nearby Italian restaurants. After a list of the choices popped up in Google Maps, I enquired further about one of them, asking for the ratings and reviews and the hours of operation. After Gemini supplied all the details, it then asked me if I want to go there. In the mood for Italian, I said Yes, and the directions guided me from there.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)2. Play a Selection of Songs
Sometimes I feel like listening to songs of a certain theme. Here, I can ask Gemini to play a playlist of songs based on my request, and the AI will fire up YouTube Music to play them. In this case, I asked the AI to play a list of outer space songs similar to Elton John’s “Rocket Man” and David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” In return, Gemini launched YouTube Music and started playing a collection that included “Mr. Spaceman” by the Byrds, “Supersonic Rocket Ship” by the Kinks, and “Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft” by Klaatu.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)3. Set a Reminder
Often an idea pops into my head that I need to remember. The best way to do that is to set a reminder, and Gemini can certainly help there. Just say: “Hey Google” and then describe the item for which you need a reminder. Forget to set a date and time, and the AI will ask you for it. Here, I told Gemini to set a reminder for 10 a.m. the next day to call the vet about my cat Mr. Giggles. The AI complied, and I got my reminder the following day.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)4. Send a Text
If I suddenly realize that I need to contact someone about an important matter while driving, I can ask Gemini to call or email the person. But sending a quick text is often easier. For this one, I told the AI to text someone to tell them that I had to cancel our dinner together for the following evening. In this case, I started by asking Gemini to text the person and giving it the subject of the message. After showing me the text on the screen, the AI then sent it. Quick and easy.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)5. Answer a General Question
As an AI, Gemini should be able to answer most questions I throw at it. And that’s been the case so far. In this example, I asked it to explain Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity. Gemini’s description was succinct but detailed and easy to understand.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)6. Answer a Specific Question
Gemini also comes in handy when I want an answer to a more specific question. For this one, I told it that I like science fiction books about time travel and asked it to recommend a few recent titles. Gemini named such recent books as The Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi, Echoes of Times by Douglas E. Richards and Brandon Ellis, Hive by D.L. Orton, and The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)7. Play a Game
I often like to play interactive games, especially when driving on a long car ride. And Gemini is a good gamemaster. I typically request different types of games, but my favorite is a trivia quiz. Here, I asked the AI to give me a quiz about US history. At first, the questions were too easy. But then I told Gemini to make them more difficult, and that’s where it got more challenging and more interesting.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)8. Tell Me a Story
Another way I like to pass the time while driving is to listen to an imaginative story. And Gemini is a clever storyteller. For this one, I asked it to tell me a story about my cat, Mr. Giggles, traveling to the moon. Gemini spun a short but creative tale about how Mr. Giggles just leaped to the moon from a tree branch, using his fluffy tail like a rudder. He then spent the day on the moon batting at floating space dust and chasing his own shadow. Yep, that’s just what he would do.
(Credit: Google/PCMag)9. Chat With Me
When I’m taking a long car trip by myself, I often just want someone (or something) to chat with. And for this, Gemini is an interesting and entertaining conversationalist. Here, I simply asked it to chat with me to pass the time. The AI cleverly tapped into the story about Mr. Giggles traveling to the moon to engage me in conversation, asking me where I would go if I went into space and what food I’d take with me. I told it I wanted to visit the closest Earth-like planet, and it zeroed in on Proxima Centauri b. From there, we talked about what food I’d bring (I opted for PB&J sandwiches). The chat was not only imaginative but engaging, a great way to pass the time during a long car ride.
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