Replacing Google Assistant with Microsoft Copilot is possible but the integration is not ideal. Here’s an explanation.
A few weeks ago, Google renamed its AI platform Bard to Gemini. Along with some additional service options like Gemini Advanced, the company also announced the ability to replace Google Assistant on your Android with Gemini. However, this switch is not flawless. While Gemini offers many useful AI features as a digital assistant, it cannot perform basic Google Assistant tasks such as accessing your calendar. Nonetheless, if you want to try using an AI bot as an assistant on your smartphone, Microsoft Copilot provides an alternative.
In the Copilot app, Microsoft introduced the option to set Copilot as your default assistant. By doing this, you will activate Copilot when long-pressing the power button. Yet, the current implementation is far from perfect. As reported by Mishaal Rahman on X (formerly Twitter), activating the assistant only launches the Copilot activity instead of displaying Copilot over the screen like a traditional digital assistant. Additionally, you cannot activate Copilot using your voice (e.g., saying “Hey Copilot”).
If you want to test Copilot as an assistant on your Android smartphone, even in its current limited form, you need to join the Copilot app beta. Fortunately, this process is quite simple: go to the Copilot app page on the Play Store, scroll down, tap the Join button under Join the beta, and confirm. Make sure you have the latest version of the Copilot app installed.
Once done, open Settings > Apps > Default apps > Digital assistant app, then tap Default digital assistant and select Copilot. It’s possible that you may not have access to this option even as a Copilot beta tester, as Microsoft seems to be gradually rolling out the feature.