If your car has Android Auto, or Google built in, you can talk to Google's Gemini assistant while you drive. Say "Hey Google", tap the microphone on the car's screen or hold the voice button on the steering wheel, then ask in your own words. iPhone drivers in the USA can now use Gemini inside Google Maps on Apple CarPlay, with more countries to follow.
Works with: Android phones on Android Auto, cars with Google built in, and Google Maps on Apple CarPlay (USA first).
Gemini is Google's AI assistant. On most Android phones it is replacing the older Google Assistant, and in October 2026 Google said it is now available on Android Auto and in cars with Google built in around the world. The big difference is that you don't have to remember set commands. You can speak the way you would to a passenger.
Google lists these everyday jobs:
There are two ways to have Gemini in the car. Which one you have depends on your car.
Once it's ready for you, Google says a small tip appears on your car's screen.
Gemini and Android Auto aren't available in every language and region, so if you can't see it, it may not have reached you yet.
Connect your phone to the car first. Then pick whichever of these feels easiest:
Wait for the tone, then say what you want. You don't have to word it perfectly. If you forget something, just add it: "Oh, and avoid toll roads."
For a free-flowing conversation, tap the microphone and say "Let's talk Live", or say "Hey Google, let's talk live". This is called Gemini Live. It's good for long drives:
To end a Live chat, say "Stop". For now, Google says you can only start and stop Live with your voice.
Partly. From 21 October 2026, Google Maps on CarPlay lets you talk to Gemini while you're navigating. Start a route in Google Maps, then tap the Gemini icon on the right-hand edge of the car's screen. You can ask things like "Start navigating me there, but avoid toll roads", or report a hold-up on the road.
It's available in the USA now, and the rollout to other countries is under way. Outside Google Maps, an iPhone in CarPlay still uses Siri.
On 20 October 2026 Google began adding Personal Intelligence to Gemini on Android Auto, with cars with Google built in to follow in the coming months. If you switch it on, Gemini can look in your own Google apps (Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Photos, Google Maps, YouTube and Search) to answer you. For example:
It's off until you choose to turn it on, and you can turn it off at any time in Gemini's settings. It's only for personal Google accounts of people aged 18 and over, and it isn't available in the UK, the European Economic Area, Switzerland or Nigeria. Everything else in the car still works without it.
Talking hands-free is safer than picking up your phone, but it can still take your mind off the road. Google itself says Gemini in the car is new, can get things wrong, and shouldn't be relied on for anything important or safety-related while you drive.
The rules are set by each state. The Governors Highway Safety Association says 33 states and Washington, D.C. ban all drivers from using a handheld phone, and 49 states ban texting while driving. Its advice is simple: keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes and mind on the road.
It's illegal to hold and use a phone while driving, even at traffic lights. Hands-free voice control is allowed, but you must stay in full control. Holding a phone can mean 6 penalty points and a £200 fine, and police can stop you if you're distracted even when hands-free.
Everyone in the car. Google points out that children may hear answers that aren't right for their age, and that Gemini can sound like a person. It suggests reminding children that it's an AI tool, not a person.
Gemini works like it does on your phone, so your chats can be saved to your Google account. To change that, open the Gemini app, go to Settings, then Activity, and look at Keep Activity. Our guide to Gemini explains what it keeps.
Gemini is free with a Google account, and Google's help pages for Gemini in the car don't mention any extra charge. You need a phone and a car that support it.
Yes. Google says Gemini is available on Android Auto and cars with Google built in around the world, in many languages. The newer Personal Intelligence feature isn't available in the UK yet.
No. Any car that supports Android Auto works with a suitable Android phone. Newer cars with Google built in have it on the car's own screen.
Just say "Stop". For now, you can only start and stop Live with your voice.
Yes, if you use Gmail. You can ask for a summary of your unread emails, or ask it to find an address in an email and start directions.
New to all this? Our free AI Starter Guide walks you through the basics, and you can print it.
Last checked 22 October 2026.
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Also useful: Our beginner's guide to Gemini · Google Maps explained · Robotaxis and self-driving cars
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Updated 24 October 2026