Can you delete Google Assistant Android?
Google Assistant is an AI-powered virtual assistant developed by Google that comes pre-installed on Android devices. It allows users to complete tasks and get information hands-free using natural voice commands. The Google Assistant can set reminders, answer questions, play music and videos, control smart home devices, get directions in Google Maps, and more. On Android phones and tablets, Google Assistant is deeply integrated into the operating system, allowing it to access and control core device functionality.
With continual software updates and improvements, Google Assistant has become more conversational, contextual, and personalized over time. Many Android users rely heavily on Google Assistant for daily tasks and see it as an essential part of the Android experience. However, some users may wish to disable or even completely delete the Google Assistant app for reasons such as privacy concerns, storage limitations, or simple preference for alternative voice assistants.
Reasons to Delete Google Assistant
One of the main reasons people consider deleting Google Assistant is due to privacy concerns. Google Assistant works by continuously listening for activation commands and collecting data about users. This data can include recordings of conversations as well as location, search history, app usage, and more (The Dark Side of Google: A Closer Look at Privacy Concerns). Many people are uncomfortable with Google having access to so much personal information and want to limit data collection. There are concerns that the data could be used to profile users or target advertising without full transparency (3 reasons Google Assistant Duplex raises security, privacy concerns).
Some individuals simply do not want Google digitizing their conversations and collecting intricate details about their daily lives and habits. They feel usage of Google Assistant comes at the expense of personal privacy. For these reasons, deleting Google Assistant may provide more peace of mind.
How to Disable Google Assistant
There are a few straightforward steps to turn off Google Assistant through the Settings menu on your Android device:
1. Open the Settings app and tap on Apps & notifications.
2. Scroll down and select See all apps.
3. Find the app called Google and tap on it.
4. Select Disable app. This will turn off Google Assistant.
5. Confirm by tapping Disable app again on the pop-up.
Disabling the Google app through Settings is the simplest way to turn off Google Assistant and prevent it from running on your Android device. This method does not delete or remove the app, it just disables it from being accessed or triggered.
Source: https://www.iseepassword.com/blog/how-to-disable-google-assistant-android-phone/
Deleting the Google App
One way to remove Google Assistant from your Android device is by uninstalling the main Google app. The Google app includes core Google services like Search, Assistant, and Google Home. So deleting this central app will take Assistant off your phone.
To uninstall the Google app on Android:
- Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps.
- Scroll down and select the Google app.
- Tap Uninstall.
You’ll get a warning that uninstalling will remove Assistant and Discover feeds. Tap “Uninstall” again to confirm.
Without the Google app, you won’t be able to use Assistant, Google Search, Google Home, and other key Google services. You also won’t see personalized Discover feeds on your home screen. So be prepared to lose that functionality when deleting the core Google app.
According to newsdata.io, another way to disable Assistant and Discover is to uninstall just the updates for the Google app. This rolls it back to the factory version without removing it completely.
Using ADB Commands
For advanced users, it is possible to uninstall system apps using Android Debug Bridge (ADB) commands without root access. ADB is a command line tool that lets you communicate with an Android device connected to your computer.
To uninstall an app like Google Assistant using ADB, you will need to connect your Android phone to your computer via USB and enable USB debugging in the phone’s developer options. Then on your computer, you can use commands like the following:
“adb shell pm uninstall –user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox”
This will uninstall the Google app package responsible for the Google Assistant. However, this is an advanced procedure and if done incorrectly, could cause instability or other issues. Proceed with caution and research the specific ADB commands for your device beforehand.
For step-by-step instructions, this video provides a good overview: Remove System Apps Without ROOT | MIUI 12/12.5 Latest List …
Performing a Factory Reset
One surefire way to delete Google Assistant from your Android phone is by performing a factory reset, which wipes the device back to its original state. A factory reset removes all apps and data that were installed after the device left the factory, including any system apps like Google Assistant (source).
Resetting your device deletes everything and takes it back to day one. As Google notes, “A factory data reset erases your data from the phone. While data stored in your Google Account can be restored, all apps and their data will be uninstalled.” (source).
So performing a full factory reset on your Android device will wipe Google Assistant off your phone completely. However, this nuclear option also removes all your other apps, settings, accounts, photos, music, and more. You’ll have to set up the phone again from scratch and reinstall apps. It essentially gives you a brand new device.
Alternative Voice Assistants
There are several other voice assistant apps available for Android that can serve as good alternatives to Google Assistant:
Amazon Alexa is one of the most well-known and widely-used voice assistants. The Alexa app brings Alexa’s capabilities to Android devices, allowing you to get information, play music, control smart home devices, set alarms, and more using just your voice (Source). Alexa has access to over 100,000 skills that let you customize your experience.
Bixby is the virtual assistant developed by Samsung for their Galaxy devices. Bixby can help you get directions, set reminders, dictate texts, answer questions, and control your smart home. Because it’s built into Galaxy phones, Bixby provides deep integration and can be conveniently accessed using the Bixby button (Source).
Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, is also available on Android devices through the Siri app. Siri allows you to search the web, get recommendations, send messages, schedule meetings, control smart home devices, and more using natural language voice commands. While not as full-featured on Android compared to iOS, it’s a capable hands-free assistant (Source).
Losing Key Functionality
Deleting or disabling Google Assistant on your Android device will result in losing access to some key features that rely on the virtual assistant technology. According to Computerworld, Google Assistant enables important functionality on Android devices such as:
- Setting reminders, alarms, and calendar events using voice commands
- Sending text messages hands-free
- Making phone calls hands-free
- Getting directions, traffic updates, and other information on-the-go
- Controlling smart home devices like lights, thermostats, and appliances
- Streaming music, radio, podcasts hands-free
- Identifying songs, places, objects using the camera
Without Google Assistant, you would lose convenient access to these and other features that many users rely on Android devices for on a regular basis. While there are some alternative voice assistants available, none can match the deep integration and capabilities Google Assistant offers natively on Android.
Weighing the Tradeoffs
There are pros and cons to disabling the Google Assistant app and its functionality on your Android device that are important to consider.
On the plus side, deleting the app will free up storage space on your phone. The Google app that powers Assistant takes up a significant amount of storage, so removing it can be beneficial if you are low on space.
Additionally, disabling Assistant will stop any background processes, location tracking or data collection associated with the virtual assistant, which some users may view as an improvement to privacy and battery life.
However, by disabling Google Assistant, you lose access to many convenient features that many people find useful. This includes voice commands, reminders, alerts, help with phone functions and smart home device control.
You also won’t be able to access other Assistant-powered Google services like Google Lens image search and Google Translate voice input. For many users, losing these features significantly reduces the functionality and utility of their Android device.
Overall, it’s a trade-off between gaining some device storage space and privacy while losing the convenience and capabilities that come with having an integrated virtual assistant.
Conclusion
There are valid reasons why someone may want to delete or disable Google Assistant from an Android device. It may be preferred to use an alternative voice assistant, or there are concerns over privacy and data collection. However, completely removing Google Assistant does involve some technical steps and risks losing functionality that many users find convenient.
In summary, disabling Google Assistant through the device’s settings or apps menu is the easiest approach if you want to stop using it temporarily. This leaves it ready to be re-enabled if desired. For a more permanent removal, using ADB commands or a factory reset will delete the underlying Google Assistant system and data, but this is a more involved process and will require re-setting up your device afterwards.
The decision depends on your priorities. If keeping full functionality of Google services on the device is critical, then disabling Google Assistant selectively when not in use may be preferable to completely deleting it. However, if minimizing data collection is your main concern and you are comfortable with some loss of Google integration, then removing Google Assistant more aggressively through ADB or reset may make sense.
In the end, consider how much you use and rely on Google Assistant versus your reasons for wanting it gone. This can help guide the right approach to balance functionality and privacy on your Android device.
