Google Assistant, how to disable it?

[WheelieBoot]

I don't use Google Assistant. It pops up on screen when pressing the power button on my phones and it's really annoying. (some of the phones have a Google Assistant button on the side).

I went to the Google Store Assistant app page and tried to contact through there to see how it can be removed, but the reply was that the mailbox I contacted was no longer monitored.

I couldn't find Google Assistant on my apps list, and saw no way in settings to turn it off. There's a setup page and I always choose No Thanks but it pops up anyway when I press the power button.

Is there any way to disable the thing so it will stop popping up? I hate that thing.

Sent from my moto e5 (XT1920DL) using HoFo mobile app

[Serial Port]

Try this from PCMAG:

If you use the Google app, click More > Settings > Google Assistant, then select the Assistant tab and choose your device. Turn off the switch next to Google Assistant.

[joseg2016]

Try this from PCMAG:

The quote which did not come through was:

If you use the Google app, click More > Settings > Google Assistant, then select the Assistant tab and choose your device. Turn off the switch next to Google Assistant.

I don't know what/which article, but if the user is already using the mobile device affected with Google Assistant, the directions to "choose your device" is illogical.


-----

I found the article: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-...ogle-assistant

ADD: My next thought is, best to read the article. User WOULD already be on the mobile device and could just follow the instructions. Be sure to ALSO read the comments under the article!

[bobdevnul]

Try this from PCMAG:

That may be correct for some phones or versions of Android.

On my Moto E6 with Android 9 it is:

Start the Google app.
Touch More then Settings -> General -> Google Assistant, slide off

You may want to disable some or all of Google Assistant notifications. I don't know for sure if they will notify with Google Assistant disabled.

I had been wondering about this myself. It is really annoying to have it pop up unrequested when I am trying to do something else. I was also getting notifications of credit card bills due. WTF? That was creepy. I had not given anything on my phone info about my external accounts. I'm guessing it was scraping the info from my email messages. I don't need or want that. I read my emails. I don't want them to do it for me.

With the Google Assistant turned off you can still do text or voice searches with the Google app.

[WheelieBoot]

Thankyou for the instructions. I went and took screenshots.

The shots are for people like me that have a hard time figuring out the navigation screens.

The first screen is the screen shot with the arrow, I landed there after pulling up the Google Search page and tapping "More..." at the bottom of the page.

I numbered the other pages and highlighted where to look.

The final page is the one with the Google Assistant slide switch. I slid it off and the next time I pressed the power button on my Moto e6, no Google Assistant popup. Yeah!

It's so annoying, but to have it reminding people of things it shouldn't know about? That's definitely creepy.

Thankyou for taking time to get the info out there. I'm sure a lot of people need a road map to find that switch.



Sent from my moto e6 (XT2005DL) using HoFo mobile app

[joseg2016]

post#4, good to know

[joseg2016]

I have the idea that none of the settings stuff counts unless your device is with a Google account.

[bobdevnul]

Try this from PCMAG:

If you use the Google app, click More > Settings > Google Assistant, then select the Assistant tab and choose your device. Turn off the switch next to Google Assistant.

This method is correct for my Moto E5 with Android 8. The different method I previously posted was what worked for my Moto E6 with Android 9 and Moto G7 Power with Android 10.

[whacker]

There is a lot of stuff going on in the "Google" app (which provides the intrusive Search bar on most Android phones, among other things).

There was a version change a few years ago that took it from just that simple function to one that provides all these notifications and Google Assistant (Google Now?) configurations. I remember my sister (who at the time allowed app updates to happen automatically) just about freaked out due to the thing all of a sudden posting on-screen audible notifications on the weather, financial news, and several other things. And I never saw that stuff (same phone model) because I never allowed that app to update.

Luckily the newer versions of "Google" can be toned down once you get familiar with its configuration settings. Too bad that that app has become so large and bloated though.

[WheelieBoot]

I have Google Assistant disabled on my Moto G Play XT2093DL under apps but it still has been popping up on boot up. The method for disabling it that I documented with screenshots earlier in this thread didn't work for it. Instead of finding tabs that mention Assistant, there's a long list of settings. Here's how I arrived at the slide switch on the Moto Play:

Phone Settings> Google, Services & Preferences > Settings for Google Apps> Search, Assistant and Voice > Google Assistant> (long list of Assistant settings, choose "General," manage general settings for your assistant) > Next screen is the slide switch, set it to off.

Although screen shots for arriving at the result may seem redundant, I'll include the screens I arrived at, beginning with the one on the Moto G Play's Settings list.







Sent from my moto g play (XT2093DL) using HoFo mobile app

[joseg2016]

wheeliebot,
what a long mess. My device is Moto E6, and something pops us at times still, I believe it is Google Assistant. I will review what you said previously and try again to see if I can shut it.

[joseg2016]

wheelieboot or others,
I am finding this:

(REMINDER: Motorola Moto E6, o.s. Android 9)

Open app drawer;
open "Google";
open profile icon menu;
choose "Settings"

choose "Google Assistant";
--From there, I do NOT know what to do --
--far too too many things listed some of them redundant and most or many not related to problem.



OOOHHHHHHHH?
General Settings?
"Google Assistant - Your Assistant helps answer your questions and gets things done"
And there is a toggle switch.

I turn off this switch and receive a warning:
"Turn off Google Assistant?" - and then a warning description, I will not quote it.


I am accepting, "TURN OFF".
Let's see what happens......

[WheelieBoot]

I'm sorry you're having trouble shutting Assistant off. I could only show how I found the switch. I'm sure there's a shorter way in.

Not all phones have the same menu arrangement so it takes some doing to find the switch.

Whenever I try to disable or force stop an app, Google always tries to scare me with a popup warning that shutting the app off might cause other apps to malfunction. I shut it off anyway. The phone usually functions better without it.

Although it could cause a few problems to shut down some phone functions, it's more likely just a cheap scare tactic to make people live with their snoopware.

Google Assistant has always been a PITA popping up when I'm trying to do something, but I know where the switch is when or if I decide to use it.



Sent from my moto g(7) optimo maxx(XT1955DL) using HoFo mobile app

[joseg2016]

I post-added an edit, at "OOOOOHHHHHHH"; I found where and how to take steps to find what to turn-off. I could rewrite here what I did, but only if some members want me to. It was an effort but the steps did not last long.

[whacker]

My current phones are Moto G Power 2020 running Android 11, which I obtained and put into service in July 2021, which is a few months after my previous post in this thread.

One of the first things I did when I got these devices (after allowing the OS to update to 11) is to disable the "Google" app (I may have also uninstalled any updates for it prior to disabling). I've got no use for it, as it is a large, ever-growing app, that is always putting up notifications (which can be tailored, I'm aware; but there's way more than that), and which contains the Google Assistant feature. I don't want or need that, so it was an easy decision to simply rule out the use of that entire app. If I need any info I'll go and look it up, usually using the browser, not relying on the barrage of stuff the Google app is trying to temp me with. Even in the browser (Chrome in this case) I've set it to open to Google.com instead of the default Chrome home web page, which is close to being a slimmed down version of the Google app. Too many distractions. I generally don't like voice assistants; too indiscreet compared to using a keyboard or scrolling and selecting from a list, learning the menu structure. I would never own an Alexa or Google Home device, and Google Assistant and Apple's Siri can just wait on the bench as far as I'm concerned.