New Google Assistant starting to work with some G Suite accounts

When Google rolled out the new Google Assistant on the Pixel 4, it came with some odd restrictions. Namely, if you connected a G Suite account — a paid Google account with a custom domain, typically associated with a business or school — to your Pixel 4, you could not use the new Assistant.

There were other limitations too, like restrictions to only working in English and in certain regions. That’s starting to change, as the new Assistant now supports Japanese. It also wouldn’t work unless you used the new Android 10 gesture system, but Google did away with that restriction as well.

The G Suite restriction is the latest to be removed. According to Android Police, as well as some Pixel 4 owners on Reddit, users with G Suite accounts are gaining the new Assistant.

However, despite people getting the new Assistant, Google has not adjusted its support page. At the moment, the page still lists G Suite accounts as a reason the new Assistant may not be available. Further, it appears that Google is rolling it out slowly to G Suite users, as some are still reporting they don’t have it.

In my case, adding a G Suite account to my Pixel 4 immediately removed the new Assistant. If you’re in the same boat, you may just have to wait a little longer. Those desperate for the new Assistant can remove their G Suite account from their device. The new Assistant should appear shortly after but may require a restart to activate.

Left: New Assistant on Pixel 4. Right: Old Assistant on Galaxy S20.

Finally, to tell if you’ve got the new Assistant, simply activate it. If it features a multi-coloured line along the bottom of the screen and a semi-transparent black background, you’ve got the new Assistant. If a small white or grey card appears, you’ve likely got the old Assistant still.

You can learn more about the benefits of the new Assistant here.

Source: Android Police, Reddit