I found, ages ago, that I never used the google app for something I couldn’t do in my browser. Like, this was back in the days just after Google Now died—all the features that almost worked just got scrapped because they really didn’t work. It allowed me to keep up with one college sports team, but other than that, opening the app was just a slower version of opening up my firefox and searching there.

So that’s what I do now. I disabled the Google app, and I don’t miss it at all.

It depends what you mean by “more than the basics.” Some things I used to do which could be considered more complicated have already been handicapped (like using 3rd party services). Others aren’t reliable so I stopped using them. Personally, I have no problem trying stuff out and speaking in the way the assistant understands, but there are very few complicated actions which are supported and reliable!

I use it for: general search queries, navigating to a place, turning on lights, setting timers, setting alarms, checking the weather, playing music, setting an appointment, setting reminders (though I prefer Todoist for this), listening to the NPR update.

Of the list of discontinued features here, I’ll actually miss driving mode, which I found handy to reduce my distraction on the road by reading notifications to me, allowing me to open Pocket Casts or Libby in a couple clicks, etc. I also used the feature occasionally to resume audiobooks from Play Books where I left off.

I have a few of these devices in my place as a part of my home automation. It’s been struggling the last year with not confusing the basics and not mixing up the beginning of a news podcast as my voice commands. It seems like the newest display I own has the most issues.

I generally just use it to control and schedule lights and devices with smart plugs. The odd time I try to set timers or reminders but I’ve never really been a big voice command person. I too struggle on the best way to get it to play my YouTube music likes list. I just cast from my phone instead.

One thing it mostly gets right is stopping whatever is playing.

With my Soundbar no longer being new enough to work with Google Assistant I’m not looking forward to when the rest of my smart lights, switches, and plugs join it as we go forward.

I use it for screen translation and screen searches, but only on the days when those buttons exist because Assistant can’t keep a UI on my phone for more than a week.

I use it to make phone calls from my wireless headphones, that’s about it.