Users report unsolicited activations and private conversations being responded to by Google’s new assistant, raising concerns over background audio processing and default settings re-enabling features.
Google’s Gemini assistant is facing fresh scrutiny after Android users said it appeared to activate without being summoned and then responded to private conversations. The complaints, first raised on Reddit and highlighted by Tugatech, have centred on Pixel devices, including one report from a Pixel 9a owner who said the assistant listened to and answered a discussion taking place in a car, in a way that seemed directly related to the topic being discussed.
The reports have raised a more troubling possibility than a simple false trigger from a word that sounded like the wake phrase. Some users believe the issue may involve background audio processing happening near the handset even when no explicit voice command was given. That has intensified privacy concerns, particularly because the responses were described as context-aware rather than random or generic.
Several users traced the behaviour to hands-free driving settings tied to navigation apps such as Google Maps and Waze. According to the reports, the option to speak to Gemini in hands-free mode had reappeared on some devices after previously being turned off, leading some owners to suspect that a setting was re-enabled by default or restored after an update. At this stage, there is no official explanation from Google for whether the issue reflects a deliberate product change, a configuration problem or a technical fault.
The controversy comes as Google is pushing Android users towards Gemini while preparing to wind down Google Assistant. TechRadar reported that Google has said Assistant will be shut down on September 4, 2026, a move that has already drawn backlash from users who say Gemini is less reliable at basic tasks and more cumbersome to use. Separate Google help pages show that Gemini can be managed through Android settings, including options to disable voice activation, stop it opening when the phone is locked and remove it from the power button.
For users concerned about unwanted activation, the current workaround is to check Google Maps settings directly. The path described in the reports runs through the profile photo, then Settings, Navigation and the Gemini section, where the “Speak with Gemini hands-free” option can be reviewed. The same menu also includes Voice Match controls, which let users tighten voice recognition or switch the feature off entirely.
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