Google is shutting down its Assistant-powered Driving Mode

After asserting it at I/O 2019, teasing it in 2020 and at last launching it formally final 12 months, Google is shutting down the Assistant Driving Mode dashboard, 9to5Google reported. The function offers customers an Android Auto-lite expertise on their smartphone whereas driving, and was successfully a substitute for the Android Auto smartphone app, which itself was killed final 12 months.

Assistant Driving Mode reveals a house screen-style web page with Google Assistant up prime, a music participant and quantity controls under that, and buttons to make a name or ship a message. It may be accessed from the Assistant by saying “Hey Google, launch Driving Mode,” or pinned to your own home display screen.

If you happen to’re complicated the Assistant Driving Mode with the Google Maps function additionally referred to as Driving Mode (above), that is comprehensible. Reasonably than launching from Assistant or the house display screen, although, the Google Maps model launches from a four-dot menu at backside proper while you begin navigation. As soon as open, it reveals a row of huge icons for calls, messages, and media apps which are straightforward to see and entry whereas driving. Weirdly, while you first launch that mode inside Maps, it affords to pin the different Driving Mode to your own home display screen.

Google is shutting down Assistant Driving Mode as a result of it seen that most individuals have been simply utilizing the Maps model, it advised 9to5Google. Nevertheless, of us might not have even identified the Assistant model existed due to the naming confusion and similarity between the apps. Google ought to possibly make clear the state of affairs round navigation and leisure for people who haven’t got Android Auto constructed into their autos, as a result of it is fairly darn complicated.