Google Gemini on Android can’t identify currently playing songs like the Assistant can

Earlier last month, Google introduced its rebranded Bard AI chatbot and launched a new Android app with it, completing its transformation into “Gemini”. It was pretty obvious from the start that Gemini was still not a complete replacement for Google Assistant on Android phones, as it lacked some of the basic features that Assistant users were used to. Now a new lack of Gemini has appeared that further justifies this idea. As documented in a Techcrunch article, Gemini on Android also lacks the ability to identify songs, something Google Assistant could easily accomplish. Queries to identify the song being played, as performed by yours truly on the Samsung S24 Ultra and Google Pixel, return an error message stating “I can’t help you identify the song directly, but I can help you find it,” further offering suggestions for other ways I could do this — including using a third-party song ID app.

Query Results for Song Recognition on Samsung and Pixel Phone | Image credit: Phone Arena

To be completely honest, in my own experience, this isn’t that big of a hurdle to cross. Alternatively, you can always use the Google search widget to tap the microphone, then tap the option to identify the song that’s playing; however, it requires a few more taps than necessary. Similarly, on a Google Pixel phone with Now Playing turned on, you might see a song playing on the home screen or find it later by looking at your Now Playing history. This method is less intrusive, but still requires manual user intervention, which defeats the purpose of having a voice assistant.

Android song identification alternatives: Google search widget (left) and “Now playing” history (right) | Image credit: Phone Arena

It should be noted that I am currently subscribed to the AI Premium plan, which gives me access to Gemini Advanced, which is supposed to be more advanced than the standard free version. I’m currently using the free two-month trial that the company offered at launch, however, that free trial expires in April, at which point anyone who decided to give Gemini Advanced a shot will be charged $20 per month if they don’t cancel.

The question remains whether Google will make Gemini work in a way that makes the monthly paid subscription worth keeping. While I personally don’t mind the lack of track identification that much, it may not be the case for others who use this feature regularly. Gemini has already had its share of problems since launch, including the now-paused human image generation feature due to the intense backlash it suffered.

At this point, Gemini feels like a rushed product, lacking the polish and core features of its predecessor. While innovation is certainly welcome, Gemini currently appears to be a beta test. Let’s hope Google fixes these flaws soon, but for now, it’s hard to recommend Gemini as a true replacement for Google Assistant on Android.

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