If you’re rocking a pair of Pixel Buds, you’ve likely noticed something new rolling out: Gemini is here. It brings a fresh twist to the way your buds handle notifications, but there’s one major shift you should know about — spoken notifications are now all about messaging apps, and only messaging apps.
That’s right! If you’re hoping to hear calendar reminders or news updates whispered in your ear, you’re out of luck — at least for now. With Gemini’s “Announced notifications on headphones” feature, the list is slim but purposeful. You’ll get alerts from:
- Google Chat
- Google Messages
- Google Voice
- Messenger
While this new focus makes sense in a messaging-centric world, it’s a bit of a downgrade for those used to the more versatile Google Assistant. Previously, Assistant on Pixel Buds allowed you to get spoken notifications from any app — perfect for staying on top of events, reminders, and breaking news. But Google’s shaking things up with a long-term goal in mind: completely revamping how notifications work.
Google is pretty clear about it — this change is intentional. They’re working on “streamlined spoken notifications” focused on messages first, but future enhancements promise more. With LLMs (large language models) in the mix, there’s potential for some seriously smart notification summaries down the line, which could make this all worth the wait.
However, for now, many Pixel Buds users may find themselves missing that wider functionality. To make matters more interesting (or frustrating), Google has also swapped out the touch-and-hold gesture for a new, slightly clunkier “Hey Google, do I have any notifications” command.
And if you’re nostalgic for the old way of doing things, you can still switch back to Google Assistant on your Pixel Buds. The catch? You’ll need to disable Gemini completely.
For those making the switch to Gemini, there’s one final thing to note: it’ll always wake your phone’s screen when you use it. Google says this helps with longer conversations by displaying the transcript, but don’t worry — they’ve worked to reduce accidental screen taps.
Sure, Gemini may be a step backward for now, but the promise of a smarter, more streamlined future keeps things exciting.
Hillary Keverenge
2445 Posts
Tech has been my playground for over a decade. While the Android journey began early, it truly took flight with the revolutionary Lollipop update. Since then, it's been a parade of Android devices (with a sprinkle of iOS), culminating in a mostly happy marriage with Google's smart home ecosystem. Expect insightful articles and explorations of the ever-evolving world of Android and Google products coupled with occasional rants on the Nest smart home ecosystem.
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