Samsung is set to remove Google Assistant from its televisions starting next month, as confirmed by a policy update by the search giant. This means that February will be the last month for users to utilize Google Assistant on Samsung TVs for voice-enabled tasks. Although Google Assistant was introduced to Samsung TVs in late 2020 alongside Bixby and Amazon’s Alexa, the upcoming change means that users will have to rely on either Bixby or Alexa to navigate the TV’s UI, control devices, and open apps.
The policy change does not come as a surprise, as Google Assistant was already unavailable on Samsung’s 2023 lineup of televisions. According to Samsung’s US support site, the company stated, Due to a change in Google’s policy, Google Assistant will no longer be available on Samsung TVs beginning March 1st, 2024. This change will affect both existing and upcoming models.
Currently, Samsung TV users can press the Microphone button on their remote to access Google Assistant and give voice commands. However, with this policy update, Google Assistant will no longer be supported on Samsung TVs, while LG TVs that run on webOS will continue to support Google Assistant without any changes.
Google Assistant is one of the basic offerings in the TV offerings of major TV manufacturers such as Sony, Panasonic, TCL, and more. It is worth noting that Google Assistant is in-built in Google TV OS.
As the date of discontinuation approaches, Samsung users will need to familiarize themselves with using alternative voice assistants like Bixby or Alexa to control their TVs. This move by Samsung marks a shift away from Google Assistant integration and highlights the importance of other voice assistants in the market.
While Samsung users may find the change inconvenient, it is essential for them to adapt to the new voice assistant options provided by the company. It remains to be seen how this change will impact Samsung users and whether they will embrace Bixby or Alexa as a replacement for Google Assistant on their TVs.
