If you want to activate it, just go to Google Assistant and say, “Hi, Google, we're going to drive.” You can also access it through Google Maps if you choose the option Start navigation after searching for a location. If you want to learn more about how to use driving mode in Google Assistant, we'll explain it to you in our guide.
Assistant driving
mode includes a panel with Google Assistant, a music player, volume controls and buttons for making a call or sending a message.It can be accessed through the direct access on the home screen or by verbally instructing the Google Assistant to start assistant driving mode.
Because the two apps share so much functionality, Google may have decided that there was no reason for both to exist.With the exception of Google Maps, all the apps you see in the app drawer open in a simplified, driving-friendly version. As long as Google deactivates assistant driving mode, the driving mode with the same name will be maintained on Google Maps. Google never provided drivers with a way to return to the control panel view once they were on the road, it only gave them direct access to applications compatible with driving mode, such as multimedia and messaging. Because driving mode is run by Google Assistant, you'll find it in the Assistant settings, rather than on the device's configuration page.
Instead of opening driving mode using a voice command or direct access to the home screen, it will be integrated into standard Maps navigation and will offer pop-up notifications for incoming calls and messages. The Google Assistant app can be activated in Android Auto, but it doesn't integrate into the user interface more cohesively than Google Assistant's driving mode. The cancellation of driving mode is the latest in a series of measures that Google Assistant has taken to move away from functionality that is not based solely on the voice assistant. Either way, both Google Assistant's driving mode and Android Auto are good options for navigation and hands-free access to your smartphone's applications.
Unfortunately, Google has replaced the Android Auto app mode with the Google Assistant driving mode in Android 12. In addition, Google Assistant's driving mode only includes multimedia applications (Spotify, YouTube Music, VLC, Podcast, etc. Google also focuses on Android Automotive, which comes pre-installed with the vehicle and allows car manufacturers to customize it). Many community members considered the assisted driving mode panel to be a downgrade, and some suggested that it was never intended to be a permanent replacement, but rather that it was an interim measure to gradually convert Android Auto users to Google Maps. On the other hand, you can easily access other applications such as WhatsApp and Google Chrome on your smartphone while the driving mode of the Google Assistant runs in the background.
Google's car-optimized control panel for Android will close, but the Google Maps Driving Assistant will remain.
