Google Assistant Is Losing a Bunch of Features

Google's graveyard is infamous, and ever-expanding. The company is known for introducing cool new products at a rapid rate, only to discard most of them within a few months or years (RIP to Google Reader, Google Podcasts, and Google Hangouts) . Less talked about are the features removed from surviving Google products—including, soon, 17 features scheduled to be eliminated from Google Assistant.

Google's announcement comes via a support page innocuously titled, "Changes we’re making to Google Assistant." The company claims it's removing "underutilized features" to make your experience Google Assistant experience better. OK. Because when a service is used by potentially billions of people, even an underutilized feature could be regularly used by hundreds of thousands of people. Maybe you're the one who uses Assistant for managing your cookbook and transferring recipes from one device to another, or asking for information about your contacts, or listening to audiobooks with a voice command. 

This announcement also comes hot on the heels of news that hundreds of people are losing their jobs at the company., some of whom work on Assistant—Google also recently announced plans to lay off employees who work on its Assistant, hardware, and engineering teams. 

What features Google Assistant is losing

If you use any of these features, you're likely to get an alert telling you when it will be discontinued. Here's the full list of Google Assistant features that will be removed soon:

• Playing and controlling audiobooks on Google Play Books with your voice. You can still cast audiobooks from your mobile device.

• Setting or using media alarms, music alarms, or radio alarms on Google Assistant enabled devices. You can create a custom Routine that has similar behavior or use a standard alarm.

• Accessing or managing your cookbook, transferring recipes from device to device, playing an instructional recipe video, or showing step-by-step recipes. You can use Google Assistant to search for recipes across the web and YouTube.

• Managing a stopwatch on Smart Displays and Speakers. You can still set timers and alarms.

• Using your voice to call a device or broadcast a message to your Google Family Group. You can still broadcast to devices in your home.

• Using your voice to send an email, video or audio message. You can still make calls and send text messages.

• Rescheduling an event in Google Calendar with your voice. You can still schedule a new event.

• Using App Launcher in Google Assistant driving mode on Google Maps to read and send messages, make calls, and control media. You can still use voice control on Google Maps the same way.

• Asking to schedule or hear previously scheduled Family Bell announcements. You can create a custom Routine that has similar behavior.

• Asking to meditate with Calm. You can still ask for meditation options with media providers such as YouTube.

• Voice control for activities will no longer be available on Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 devices. You'll need to use the buttons on your device to start, stop, pause, and resume activities. You can still voice control activities on Pixel Watches.

• Viewing your sleep summaries will only be available on Google Smart Displays. You can still ask for sleep details by voice on third-party smart clocks.

• Calls made from speakers and Smart Displays will not show up with a caller ID unless you’re using Duo.

• Viewing the ambient “Commute to Work” time estimates on Smart Displays. You can still ask for commute times and get directions by voice.

• Checking personal travel itineraries by voice. You can still ask for flight status.

• Asking for information about your contacts. You can still make calls to your contacts.

• Asking to take certain actions by voice, such as send a payment, make a reservation, or post to social media. You can still ask Assistant to open your installed apps. 

But look on the bright side: At least Google didn't kill off Assistant entirely. (Some of us are never going to get over the death of Google Reader.)