Did Google just kill Assistant ‘Driving Mode’ in Maps for Android?

Last year, Google removed the app launcher from Assistant Driving Mode, reducing the feature to a simple voice bar. Given the company’s plans to phase out Google Assistant, the depreciation of this feature isn’t that big of a surprise. What is a surprise, however, is that Driving Mode seems to be gone completely now, without an alternative to replace it.

According to 9to5Google, Google Assistant Driving Mode can no longer be accessed in Maps for Android. Driving Mode has reportedly disappeared on the latest stable versions of Maps and the Google app. It’s unclear if the feature was removed by mistake or intentionally.

If you’re unfamiliar with this feature, it would appear as a black bar at the bottom of your screen when using the Maps app. You could use it to have Assistant read messages, notify you of calls, and control media. It’s a pretty handy feature for those who don’t want to take their hands off the wheel to navigate their phone.

While it’s unknown if the feature will be restored, we do know that Gemini will eventually land on Android Auto and Android Automotive. Google has included this as one of the topics it will discuss during I/O 2025, which is scheduled for May 20-21.