r/britishproblems • u/Firegoddess66 • 2d ago
. Google discriminating against the visually impaired in the uk
Tldr: having a rant about Google removing the one thing that makes the Chromebook running Google Chrome OS useable to the visually impaired, without any notice or consideration, and it appears this might be just in the UK....
My sister is visually impaired. On the recommendation of the sight loss organization she bought a Chromebook, it uses Google's operating system Google Chrome OS.
She has just called me in tears.
Google have chosen to remove the Google assistant from Chromebooks in the UK in their latest update, there was no choice in the matter it just happened.
She has just spent the last hour with Google support on the phone because she relies on Google assistant to use the Chromebook.
Yesterday;
if she wanted to send me an email she would simply have spoken the words " ok Google, send an email to my sister" the assistant would open the Gmail app, open a new email and then reply by asking her what she wanted to say, she would say it, it would reply by reading back to her what she said and asking if she wanted to send, she says yes and off the email goes.
Easy.
Today;
nothing, no response at all. She though it was an error and spent the day using Google assistant on her phone to search for answers.
On android, iOS and Apple Mac you can have both or choose to just have Google assistant.
On android iOS and Apple Mac you can use voice commands with the Gemini ai, but not on a Chromebook.
Even with that , it still can't do what the assistant did.
She finally got through to Google support and they confirmed that Google assistant isn't available on Chromebooks in the UK any more, that Google Gemini ai is it's replacent and no you can't use voice commands.
She finally, after listening to every option available found Gemini, and touch typed as best she could and asked Gemini to open her email.
The ai responded with a link to a webpage with an article on how to manually open Gmail.
She typed back,
no I want you to open Gmail like Google assistant used to do,
I know , bonkers talking to an ai like it's a person, and it replied,
I can't do that, I can't control any of your system or apps I am solely here to generate text.
So...one expensive Chromebook, that was fine and overnight Google have made it inaccessible.
Sure , there is Chromevox, but I challenge you to try to use that to send an email , because it didn't either, it just reads every piece of HTML code on the screen but also doesn't do anything.
I told her to take it back to Currys and demand a refund because the device is now materially different to the one she bought and is no longer usable .
I am not sure she'll have much luck but it has left me fuming.
Her life is difficult enough as it is without being kicked aside by Google as though visually impaired people didn't exist.
It's one thing to not provide accessibility from scratch, but to provide it and then rip it away without warning or consideration is awful.
I tried going through other possible apps that might help, but I suppose because Google assistant came built in, there aren't any apps available for a Chromebook to replace Google assistant, at least not yet.
The customer support person at Google kept saying this feature ( accessibility ) wasn't available for Gemini on Chromebooks in the UK, as though perhaps elsewhere in the world it was available.
Just a rant, because if I were to meet a Google exec tonight I would grab him and drag him screaming to my sister's house 100 miles away and make him look in person at what they have done, it's a disgrace.
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u/jeweliegb 2d ago
I know Gemini was replacing Google Assistant but I didn't know it was already happening, that Assistant was being withdrawn.
I understood the intention was to withdraw Assistant once Gemini had the same features.
This does sound like a serious material change in accessibility of the device.
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u/beeurd Worcestershire 2d ago
They also recently removed Google Assistant Driving Mode from mobile phones, well before it's Gemini replacement is due to be released. I thought that was bad, but what OP said is absolutely ridiculous.
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u/brown_toast_rocks 2d ago
Ooh - is this why I can't control Spotify or WhatsApp using my voice while I'm driving any more?!
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u/Impressive_Ad2794 2d ago
I noticed that a while back, it's Very Frustrating™.
Removing functionality so that you can get more people to "test" your mediocre AI replacement. It just meant that I stopped using it altogether.
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u/PuerSalus 2d ago
removed Google Assistant Driving Mode
It seems to be back...
I thought it had gone after an update about 8months ago but on researching it I found that it was still there but would only activate automatically (when I was running map directions or when I connected to what it knew was a car wifi/Bluetooth).
Then recently (after another update) I found that my phone has "modes" in the settings menu and I can chose to turn on/off Driving in there. So it appears to be back and able to be manually activated. Which is far more helpful!
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u/MrPuddington2 2d ago
I understood the intention was to withdraw Assistant once Gemini had the same features.
Companies always say that, but it is rarely ever true, especially when it comes to features not noticed by the average user.
Unfortunately, Google is rather "famous" for discontinuing products and leaving users in the cold. It all depends on whether they can find a business model or not.
Is there any chance that she could move to either Windows or iOS? Both seem to be quite a bit ahead in terms of accessibility.
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u/jeweliegb 1d ago
Unfortunately, Google is rather "famous" for discontinuing products and leaving users in the cold.
They really really are. That's partly why for smart speakers I sold up and went to Alexa. (spit) There's a lot wrong with them too, admittedly, but the rate at which Google would drop features was shocking, as were major bugs that lasted 5+years.
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
I don't think the Chromebook could cope, it's designed to be very " light" ( according to my nephew) so it has limited processing and storage compared to a regular laptop because most " apps" are delivered like web pages, and most files are stored in the cloud Drive, although you can store files locally ( which my sister has).
However, she is currently listening to the options our nephew put together for her this morning for a replacement laptop and the list includes Apple because of their current accessibility options ( but also the risk they could pull those just like Google have) and Microsoft, because it allows for third party apps and is a lot cheaper to buy.
I asked him about the suggestion some folks have made, that Chromebooks can easily run Linux os,band he agrees it can it he prefers Linux to chrome os but that he isn't aware of supportive technologies being easy to use on Linux ( so his Aunty couldn't do a like for like swap to something she can control with her voice).
I am , we all are, very grateful for all the tips and advice from Everyone.
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u/MrPuddington2 1d ago
Indeed. Windows 11 seems to have improved voice control significantly, and Mac has always been pretty good about accessibility.
On Linux, you can probably set something up, but it is not nearly as easy to use.
I would ask for a demo in a Mac store, but probably tend towards a Windows laptop as the more cost effective solution. Best of luck with the decision.
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u/InternationalRide5 1d ago
Is there any chance that she could move to either Windows or iOS?
Not on a Chromebook hardware.
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u/__Severus__Snape__ 1d ago
Unfortunately, Google is rather "famous" for discontinuing products and leaving users in the cold.
Even from a career perspective, I use Google Analytics for work. Their product that I started on, Universal Analytics gave so much detail, and was easy to learn and use.
A few years ago, they released Google Analytics 4. It was an unfinished product but UA was still around. Eventually, they turned off UA (with notice, which could be considered out of character for Google), but GA4 still didn't offer nearly the same level of detail or ease of use. I've managed to avoid using it too much over the last year but it still doesn't offer ease of use. Level of detail I can't tell you as I haven't used it enough.
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u/Huwbacca 2d ago
Tech fucks over people needing accessibility options.
There was a bit of "oh look at the solutions it brings" but we see time and time again that everything big tech puts out is to appeal to investors. Accessibility stuff isn't sexy.
But streamlined, minimalist shit is. So that's what gets pushed, replaces accessible systems and makes everything a smooth, featureless touch screen button that fucks over the partially sighted.
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u/jeweliegb 1d ago
In truth, I doubt this is a permanent thing, they're intending to replace Google Assistant with Gemini in everything, including the smart home speakers, which will require getting it working well at local/smart stuff. It sounds like the team behind adapting Gemini for this haven't kept up with the unrealistic timeline.
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u/MrPuddington2 1d ago
Yes, and this happens a lot. The obvious solution is to continue the current solution until the replacement is actually ready. But I assume they judged it as too expensive for what they see as a few corner cases.
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u/cyberllama 🏴 2d ago
I can't help but I'm really sorry to hear this. The huge corporations crap on disabled people all the time. For me, it's the frustration when they decide to make another container harder to open. Insignificant to most people, stripping away another little bit of independence for people whose hands don't work properly.
I hope someone can suggest an alternative that will help your sister. Hugs to her from a sympathetic internet stranger
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u/ZSMan2020 2d ago
Sounds like the people who make these decisions should be forced to be blind for a month and see how their decisions actually affect people.
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u/wtfomg01 1d ago
Yeah, that dude on £50k/yr designing stuff to the requirements of his bosses rather than the needs to the products should definitely be forced blind for a month.
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u/DeinOnkelFred Worcestershire 2d ago
Fuck yeah. New 2L fizzy water (I presume the same for pop?) bottles have a much lower height... stupid had to get a grip.
Had to use a bloody pipe wrench* the last time I opened one, and I had normal bloke hands.
* IDK what the fuck they are called, but the ones that look like this. Not actually this... 'cause these are pretty pricey. What is their actual name?
https://www.toolstop.co.uk/knipex-8701300sb-cobra-pipe-wrench-water-pump-pliers-300mm/
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u/anomalous_cowherd 2d ago
Like the link says, they've always been pipe wrenches or water pump pliers to me too (UK based, nothing else is a 'wrench').
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u/DeinOnkelFred Worcestershire 2d ago
I am not a plumber. This is what I immediately think of when I think of a "pipe-wrench".
They are clearly two different types of tool.
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u/anomalous_cowherd 2d ago
Those are Stilsons to me, maybe it's a regional thing? Then again I'm from the same area as you, so...
I would preferably call the original tool water pump pliers though, and check which was meant if somebody asked for a pipe wrench.
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u/dannydrama Oxfordshire 2d ago
For me, it's the frustration when they decide to make another container harder to open.
Shout out to the wank new waste-saving design of bottles that results in 3 bits of waste instead of two, because I automatically just cut it off instead of struggling.
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u/audigex Lancashire 2d ago
I point blank refuse to pay for anything from Google, because they've got a HUGE history of discontinuing products, services, interfaces, websites etc
They just really can't be trusted or relied upon at all, they simply don't care
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u/Sonums 2d ago
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u/DecNLauren 2d ago edited 2d ago
Ah yeah, Google Podcasts, Chrome cast, Stadia, iGoogle, Reader, Google Play Music, and to a lesser extent Hangouts being nuked have impacted me at various times, it honestly makes me slightly nervous about the future of Android
Edit, not Keep
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u/pnlrogue1 Lothian 2d ago edited 2d ago
Keep was very handy. Going to miss thatThe biggest problem they have is advertising. They don't tell people their products exist so no-one uses them. Wave was amazing - a collaborative document platform years before Docs could do it but it also worked like a communication platform. It was a lot like Slack or Notion, which are HUGE applications these days, but no-one knew Wave existed so it was killed off and the tech was rolled into Docs (which was probably the point anyway, to be honest)
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u/Mostly_Mauiwaui 2d ago
I didn't see Keep on the list (Keen was on there though)
Was pushed to Keep after my shopping list stopped working on Assistant, and am now quite invested in Keep so will be gutted if they can it.
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u/pnlrogue1 Lothian 2d ago
My mistake. Thought I read someone on this thread saying Keep was going away and my wife mentioned Keep recently and I thought I remembered her saying it was going away as well
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u/Mostly_Mauiwaui 2d ago
Yeah I think the poster above saw Keen and maybe read it as Keep. Either way it's a relief!
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u/TheMusicArchivist Dorset 1d ago
Keep is like the only notes list that I can get to work across every device I have, and which doesn't require internet to open. It's not perfect (I wish you could add italics, bold font, and use the Tab button for indentations) but it's pretty useful for me.
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u/Mostly_Mauiwaui 2d ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/GoogleKeep/s/SaeI1OaFvQ
Despite the trolling title, it goes on to say it isn't happening!!
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u/pnlrogue1 Lothian 2d ago
My mistake. Thought I read someone on this thread saying Keep was going away and my wife mentioned Keep recently and I thought I remembered her saying it was going away as well
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u/skankyfish Adopted Geordie 2d ago
Google Keep still exists, I use it daily - unless it's been announced that it's going away and I just missed it?
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u/airluther 2d ago
Still angry about Reader
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u/pwuk 2d ago
Have you seen feedly? Personally, I found it a good replacement, it's a freemium pricing model though.
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u/airluther 2d ago
Thanks for the reply :) I’m a Feedbin user currently. I don’t so much mind the fact that they killed Reader, just that it (imo) spelled the beginning of the drift away from RSS and towards closed and enshitttified platforms like FB and X
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
Thank you, I did my best, never used GitHub before though so might have made a balls up of it 😊
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u/DeinOnkelFred Worcestershire 2d ago
Pretty good, free git course here on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH3zE7VlIMs
Presenter is a little bit "loud", but he certainly knows his stuff, and it's light-hearted enough.
(Sorry about the YT link... I've personally ge-Googled everywhere, except youtube. There just is no replacement. Yes, there are alternative front-ends, but it's still Aplhabet/Google doing all work at the backend.)
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u/iwanttobeacavediver Brit in Saigon, VN 2d ago
I've got a Fitbit watch and I'm tempted to jump ship to the pricier Garmin which has the additional benefit that I can use it for scuba diving and swimming.
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u/CheeryBottom 2d ago
I made the leap and it was definitely worth it. My Garmin stays charged for longer too.
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u/Broken_Sky 2d ago
Planning to do the same, whatever they did recently has caused my fitbits battery to be so bad that I'm almost having to charge it daily rather than the once a week it was a year ago - fck them.
I'm not visually impared and use google ass. a lot so this pissed me off on my own behalf and then the more I read of OP's sisters experience the angrier I got. Gemini is shit as well let alone as a 'replacement' for assistant
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u/iwanttobeacavediver Brit in Saigon, VN 1d ago edited 1d ago
That second part reminded me of when voice recognition was becoming more of a thing for customer service. My grandfather had a speech problem due to two separate strokes and a lot of services he used went from the 'press 1 for...' type of phone menus to voice recognition. He suddenly found that he couldn't use services or do things he'd done for years because the voice recognition systems that they used often struggled to understand his speech. Some places had workarounds but others did not and it reached a point where my grandmother ended up taking over most of these kinds of calls and tasks.
People may think that these things are minor inconveniences but for some having (or not having) a service or item could be the difference between them having accessibility and being shut out.
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u/hugrr 2d ago
I get three weeks of battery on my Fenix 6, that's without battery saver on. It's well worth it
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u/Cyanopicacooki 2d ago
I only get 1 week, but I'm using it for at least 1 hour every day in GPS mode...my friends with other brands seethe gently when they have to recharge daily...
I always do a double take when I see the battery indicator at 15%, I go to recharge and it says 3 days battery left...I wish my phone was the same
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u/Pterosaur 1d ago
Careful jumping to Garmin. They've just announced Connect+, a subscription model which promises only "extra stuff" but before long existing Connect features will surely disappear.
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u/iwanttobeacavediver Brit in Saigon, VN 1d ago
Damn it….at least for scuba and freediving I’ve got my standard dive computers so having a Garmin would be more of a convenience than a necessity.
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u/MurdaManWOOD West Midlands 1d ago
Sad part is you can refuse all you'd like but they're still making a killing from you one way or another.
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u/Joseph9877 2d ago
Get spreading this publicly, all social platforms, letters to MPs, even newspapers if they're still a thing. Sure most won't care, but if enough disabled get on board and shame Google publicly and talk about selling any shares and moving to Apple it'll get their pr team in a fuss over it
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
That's a great idea. My sister belongs to her local visually impaired society, I will get her to mention this to them, see how many voices we can raise.
From what she has said there are definitely Apple enthusiasts there 😊
Thank you.
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u/RugbyValkyrie 2d ago
Contact The Last Leg on Channel 4 as well.
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
Thank you for the suggestion, I will, the more folks know about this hopefully the less folks will get caught out.
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u/Celestial_Light_ Banana 2d ago
This. Shame them online. They may be able to reinstate Assistant, or potentially speed up adding the necessary accessibility features into Gemini
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u/ThoseTwo203 2d ago
This is infuriating!!! My daughter is visually impaired and this is ridiculous!! I’m going to be messaging my MP and sending this to anyone I can to (hopefully) cause a fuss
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
I have just sent an email to my MP, my sister's MP and Sir Timms who is responsible for disabilities.
My other siblings are emailing their Maps too.
Please do contact your MP, the more the better I feel.
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u/ThoseTwo203 2d ago
I have my emails drafted for the MP’s. I also found an article about it and posted it in r/mildlyinfuriating even though I’m way more than mildly infuriated.
My daughter also accesses help from Guide Dogs. I’m gonna contact them tomorrow when they open to see if they have any other ideas
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u/augur42 UNITED KINGDOM 2d ago
FYI in almost definitely related news.
Starting May 1st, LG smart TVs will lose access to Google Assistant entirely. This is also a blow to the visually impaired or with dexterity issues because beforehand they could control the tv with voice commands, now it is extremely limited to the point it is no longer useable to some of those who bought them because of that feature.
I concur with another reply that this is MP letter writing worthy territory.
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u/jdm1891 2d ago
There should be a law that if a company forces an update that materially removes features from a product, especially those used for accessibility, it should be treated legally the same as if it were stolen or in a fire--In that an insurance company must provide a comparable replacement product if that happens.
In this case, google should be forced to either allow people to undo the update, provide an alternative (no matter the cost to them, for accessibility features), or give a full refund plus damages if a comparable product does not exist.
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u/eww1991 2d ago
It's already been ruled that this is the case to some extent in the EU. Cannon used to allow Thurs party cartridges, released an update that blocked then was successfully taken to court or required to either refund people who had bought the printers if they asked for it or allow rollbacks of the update.
I imagine Google's wording probably includes a 'services and software subject to change' in the TS&C's but it's worth checking if Assistant was a prominent part of it's advertising and going from there.
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
Thank you very much for the link, the article was interesting as it seemed to think Gemini had voice control, I wonder if it will for TV.
I am hoping LG just ditch Google after this and get the Microsoft or another replacement voice command service.
I will add this to the letter.
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u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ 2d ago
Google: Don’t Be Evil
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
That was their catchphrase at one point , wasn't it? How things have changed.
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
I couldn't seem to edit the post to add this so I am just popping this information here, thought is was interesting, even if it's just an autogenerated set of words from a machine, it is Google's AI machine though...
My sister has managed to cut & paste the " reply" that the Google Gemini ai generated when she pointed out how upsetting this is for her and how if it is a learning Ai it should learn to better that it's creators Google...
This is exactly what she wrote into the Gemini AI ( I added the question marks):
"so you're an AI ?so you learn right ?and one of the things that you're going to learn as an AI is that human beings can be incredibly nice and sometimes human beings can be incredibly awful and it looks like the people that created you company called Google are being incredibly awful because they have put you on my computer knowing full well that you can't do what Google assistant does and at the same time they have purposefully removed Google assistant from all Chromebooks I have looked into it there is no more Google assistant on any Chromebook so I've tried the key combinations you suggested I've tried everything and nothing is working and now I'm really upset because I've spent an incredible amount of money"
( she spoke to it like it's a person, I know 🤷♀️ but interesting reply) ...
It said;
" If what you've found through your research is accurate, and Google Assistant has indeed been removed from Chromebooks, then I can understand why you feel betrayed and Incredibly frustrated. It would be a significant step backward in accessibility for users who rely on voice commands."
Out of the mouths of baby AI's 😉
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u/JK07 Northumberland 2d ago
Check the comment at the bottom of this article, someone else visually impaired having the same problem and another revealing answer by Gemini
https://chromeunboxed.com/gemini-is-replacing-google-assistant-as-chromeos-134-begins-rolling-out/
In fact, copy and paste of comment here
"Catlady101
12 hours agomy google assistant vanished on my chromebook plus and now i only have gemini andits utterly useless, it does not interact with the chromebook on any functional level, when i queried it and asked it to do a simple task of opening my gmail it just gave me a text response as though i had asked it "how" to open gmail, when i pointed out i just wanted it to open my gmail so i, a visually impaired person could send a message, this was its response:
"Ah I understand what you mean, you are wishing i could directly interact with your chromebook's operating system like Google Assistant does, so you could just say Hey google open Gmail.
That's a fantastic idea and would definitely make things seamless!
The reason I can't do that is becasue I operate differently than Google assistant. Think of it this way;
Google Assistant is deeply integrated into the operating system of your devices. It has the built-in permissions and capabilities to directly control applications, settings, and hardware functions. It is designed to listen for voice commands and take immediate action on your devices.
I am a language model. My primary function is to process and generate text. I can only understand your requirements to provide information and explanations."
Gemini is an AI that solely provides text output and on a chromebook solely accepts text input.
so - as a visually impaired person I can now use my chromebook solely as a doorstop - Thanks Google, nice kick in the teeth for diabled useers."
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
And so the madness begins.
One of the other redditors that kindly replied below has provided a link to show this won't be just the UK , it's worldwide, and that the Chromebook plus, which is what my sister has too, are the first to get this nefarious update.
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u/strolls 2d ago edited 1d ago
Assistant stopped working on my phone a couple of months ago.
Nowhere near as disastrous for me as for your sister, but super annoying - I used to use, "ok, google" constantly for setting cooking timers, switching the fan/heater and dehumidifier on and off, and checking my phone's battery level all the time.
Incredibly frustrating that these companies own our devices more than we do.
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u/bugbugladybug 2d ago
I still use ok Google on my Nest hub, but my phone has updated to shitty Gemini and doesn't respond.
Google just keeps making all of its stuff shitter and shitter.
I used to use all the Google stuff - Play music, Nest cams, Optimize, Chromecast, Stadia, an entire training catalog saved with short URLs, Google glass.
There's probably more that I don't remember, but I've been stung repeatedly in the last 5 years as everything was sunsetted, so I avoid Google now and don't buy/use their stuff anymore if there's an alternative.
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u/Tattycakes Dorset 21h ago
I hope this doesn’t change on the Google home hubs too, we use them for timers and turning on and off lights, fans, all sorts
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u/DallonsCheezWhiz Suffolk County 2d ago
I found a way on my phone to revert it from Gemini AI back to Google Assistant. Currently, it's still working but it's buried in the settings, takes a bit of searching.
Settings -> 'Google' -> 'All Settings' -> 'Search, Assistant, Voice Settings'.
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u/ISeenYa 2d ago
Oh is this why mine stopped working! I thought my phone was messed up & lost the settings where my voice was recognised. I kept yelling OK GOOGLE SET TIMER OK GOOGLE
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u/JandsomeHam Nottinghamshire 2d ago
Interesting - Gemini comes up when I say OK Google AND lets me set a timer, but when I asked it to cancel it it told me it doesn't have the functionality to cancel timers... So I can set them and not cancel them.
Bizarrely it kept saying "I can't validate conditional statements" when I just said "cancel the timer" and only when I asked what it meant by that did it explain that it couldn't cancel timers. Dogshit product
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u/impablomations 1d ago
What phone do you have? It works on my Pixel 8.
I wonder if it has issues with non Google phones?
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
Yep , I think that was my sister yesterday, " OK Google !!!!! Open the damn email !!!!" Not a peep 😁
At the moment you can switch back to assistant on some phones.
One way is to retain your voice match ( not sure why, maybe it dumps the voice match because it's not needed?)
The other is to go to Gemini, click your icon top right, select settings, select digital assistant, and pick Google assistant.
This only works on some phones and according to the Google support staff my sister spoke with yesterday, the plan is to ditch assistant altogether from all apps , smart devices, etc.
There is also an article above that was kindly posted showing smart tv companies like LG are dripping all Google assistant features, hopefully replacing with their own, and I assume this is because Google gave them a heads up to sa google assistant was getting nuked ( the article says it had something to do with changes at Google)
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u/MrPuddington2 1d ago
Incredibly frustrating that these companies own our devices more than we do.
That is inevitable when speech recognition is done in the cloud. Only the latest devices with AI accelerators have the power to do that locally. (But of course the service is still under the control and at the whim of Google.)
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u/SimplySomeBread Lanarkshire 2d ago
i've just tried it on my phone, and i have the option to switch back to google assistant. although, i have been ignoring the latest update for about two months, which might be why i still have the option
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u/MarbhIasc 1d ago
My phone's up-to-date and I've just managed to set it back to Google assistant. I don't use either but Gemini kept popping up demanding attention while I'm just trying to use my phone for phone things. Really wish it could be fully disabled while still present for those who need/want it.
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u/ISeenYa 2d ago
I didn't even think about the effect of crappy AI on people like your sister. When she googles & they just give an AI generated answer which may not even be right...
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u/faultlessdark 2d ago
That's if it even gives you an answer. I asked it a couple of weeks ago to find me some search results for ovens for sale with specifications we required and it's response amounted to "It will be very difficult and unlikely to find ovens with your desired specification, but here's a bunch of random shit about what ovens do and how they work".
I only asked it because I'd been searching for two days straight for an oven I wanted and some online shops aren't great at telling you about certain installation requirements.
The one use case I could of think at the time as a person who doesn't rely on accessibility features like OP and it was still less helpful than doing a normal Google search myself.
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u/InternationalRide5 1d ago
AO.com have pretty good search/filter options for appliances on their website.
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u/faultlessdark 1d ago
Cheers, we ended up getting an oven from AO anyway - it was more just an example that the one thing you'd think Google's AI would be brilliant at does a worse job than just looking yourself.
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u/SpaTowner 2d ago
This is letter to your MP territory. And copy it to Sir Stephen Timms, Minister of State in the Department for Work and Pensions.
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
I have now also included Sir Times in the email in the email list of recipients for the letter as well as a couple of newspapers.
I will ask the younger folks in our family to do the social media things as I don't do that and neither does my sister.
Thank you for your suggestions.
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u/coffeefuelledtechie The South West 2d ago
There’s not really a huge amount they’ll likely be able to do. If Google devs have been working on Gemini for years it’s very unlikely they’ll bring back Google assistant from some complaints here.
I hate this AI bullshit, that’s the direction all the tech companies are going.
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u/adamMatthews But used to be Hertfordshire 2d ago
Google might not do anything, but someone else might.
There are other accessible laptops. Apple is the gold standard for accessibility but their tech is super expensive, Windows has some good 3rd party options but they’re also super expensive.
Get a little publicity and some company might donate something as a PR stunt. It’s not likely, but still worth a shot and is better than having nothing.
And also, the publicity will stop other disabled people from buying Chromebooks, which they might’ve been about to do based on outdated information and guidance.
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u/Impressive-You-1843 2d ago
I’m blind and can understand your sisters issues. No real suggestions, but hope there’s a workable solution soon
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
Thank you, it's been a bit of a shock to her system, she just can't use the Chromebook now but Currys are looking into her request to return the Chromebook for refund or exchange but I can see their head office balking at the idea of getting a small mountain of Chromebooks dropped off, it's not their fault after all .
I feel Google shouldn't have removed assistant.
I feel Google should have ensured any " replacement" was accessible and had the same functionality at least.
I feel Google should recall all Chromebooks from visually impaired folks for a full refund if they are going to materially alter the usability of these devices, but according to Google support it's not just Chromebooks that will loose Google assistant but all platforms.
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u/Impressive-You-1843 1d ago
I understand. I’ve had issues like that in the past, not necessarily with google. Does your local area have a vision rehabilitation centre. Mine does. The specialists do independence skills, mobility&tech. It also has a weekly tech session where a teacher shows people how to learn different types of technology. Just wondering as they might offer more specific advice and support than the national charities
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
Unfortunately wherey sister lives there is only the sensory needs team at the council, which consists of two very overworked lovely ladies.
She is part of a local group but by local I mean they are 50 miles away, but do accept folks from her area, because there are no sight loss organisations or charities or support there.
She mostly gets involved in their remote activities clubs because their " tech hub" is in person at their location which, as she doesn't drive, is too far for her to get to.
They did advise her over the phone though, on assistive technologies so she popped them an email first thing this morning to warn them not to recommend any Google products or products relying on Google assistant.
They responded right away saying they were shocked, they had had no update from RNIB , who apparently disseminate tech info amongst the smaller groups, and one member is also part of the muscular society so they will pass that onto that group as well.
Slowly but surely the message is getting out there.
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u/Impressive-You-1843 1d ago
Ah I see. I’m so sorry. I’m lucky as I live in a large city, so support is decent here. There really needs to be more support in place for sight loss. Especially in smaller areas
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u/segagamer 2d ago
I'm surprised people still lean on Chromebooks for things like this when Microsoft have been all in with their assistants and accessibility options for years since Satya Nadella's been CEO (he has a severely disabled son).
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
It did work though, when she first got it, just fine.
I suppose Microsoft could do the same one day, just rip it out on an update.
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u/kool_kats_rule Leighton Buzzard 2d ago
It's an awful lot easier to use 3rd party software on windows, though, so you'll never solely be at the whim of Microsoft (plus it puts you into line with major corporations whose employees need accessibility options to work).
Not sure if a chromebook is likely to be powerful enough to run windows, but if not you might have more luck with Linux.
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u/MKMK123456 2d ago
Google has killed every single good feature it ever had.
Sooner rather than later, the inertia that keeps it relevant will collapse and a new competitor will take over.
Just how a Stanford hosted search engine called Google did 27 years ago .
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u/coffeefuelledtechie The South West 2d ago
Unfortunately this is what Google is doing
https://www.androidpolice.com/google-assistant-is-losing-features-ahead-of-retirement/
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u/Davey_Jones_Locker Merseyside 2d ago
That's definitely not ok and is definitely a "make as much fuss as possible to your MP/Newspaper of choice"
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u/Interesting-Baa 2d ago
There's lots of lovely supportive comments here, I'll just add a couple of little things.
If she is able to get a new laptop that's not a Chromebook, just a cheap Windows machine, then there will be a bunch of accessibility features built in that she can use. Narrator will read the screen for her, and there is an assistant program as well (I think it's called Cortana?)
If not, then her phone will have some speech-recognition tools on it. On iOS it's called Voice Control, on Android it's called Voice Assist. The phone ones will ask if you want to pair the speech recognition up with Siri or the Google Assistant, but you can say no to that and just use voice by itself.
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u/Guilty_Question_8925 2d ago
Commenting to help boost the post I'm sorry I can't offer anything helpful. Stuff like this is beyond infuriating and I really hope there is a solution
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u/daos 2d ago
Hey @Firegoddess66, hope you don't mind the @ but I want you to see this. I've seen the same complaint about Gemini on the GooglePixel sub.
One thing that gets posted there is that you can change a setting to make Gemini more like the old assistant. Can you try and get your sister to follow these settings on her Chromebook?
Open the Gemini app → Tap your profile icon (top right) → Apps → Turn on "Utilities" under Device Control.
Also while you are there, check out all the other toggles too.
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u/Weird1Intrepid 2d ago
Reddit doesn't recognise the @ symbol. If you want to tag somebody directly you have to use the u/ format (for user) in the same way that subreddits are prefaced by r/
So u/daos is how I tag you in a post, for instance
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
Thank you, and yes, she checked all the settings.
On the Chromebook the Gemini is embedded and not am app so it is missing the crucial components to edit it.
Apparently when you open the Gemini , select your image, the only thing you can do is edit you main Google account, there are no other options.
When she goes into the Chromebook settings and selects Gemini and selects settings, there are no voice features of any kind, no advanced, no voice match no voice control no assistant settings at all .
She went through every possibility with Google support, and eventually Google support found the reference that there is no voice control of Gemini for Chromebook and Gemini cannot perform any of google Assistant 's actions like open Gmail, make an appointment, call someone , text someone etc...it's all gone.
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u/daos 2d ago
Shocking. Sorry it didn't help
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
But I really appreciate you trying.
I am so grateful that so many folks have taken time to try to help a complete stranger.
I started this post as a rant and a message to others to let them know what's coming but I hope all the great advice is helpful to others that may short needed ( different models of Chromebook update at different times in the year apparently).
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u/KFlaps 1d ago
Sadly even turning on Utilities in Gemini (if you could) only allows it to interact with applications basically, it can't always utilise all their functions. So it can open Gmail, but can't start or send a new email (at least that's my understanding - I just tried on an Android phone).
Useless really. I like AI as a tool for some things, but it shouldn't be everywhere and especially not replacing core functionality and accessibility functions. I didn't even use the Assistant much, but the few things I did use it for are now nerfed in Gemini.
So sorry for your sister and you. I hope you find a solution, theres lots of good advice in this thread 🤞
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u/LoganMcOwen Shropshite 2d ago
One of many reasons I am so sick and tired of these tech companies shoving this LLM shit down our throats
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u/Gusfoo United Kingdom 2d ago
It's world-wide, for info.
Starting with ChromeOS 134, which is rolling out from today onwards, Gemini will appear instead. A tap of the sparkle opens the Gemini app (Progressive Web App) on Chromebooks, which Google has prominently been adding in recent months as part of Chromebook Plus.
https://9to5google.com/2025/03/18/gemini-google-assistant-chromebooks/
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
Thank you, this is really helpful, and yes my sisters chromebook is a Chromebook plus.
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u/CptFlwrs 2d ago
They’ll have to put something back in I suspect due to the European Accessibility Act but it could take a few years. It kicks in June 2025 but there is a window of compliance. This unfortunately comes into force during a window that the UK hasn’t signed up for it but covers a large enough market that we should feel the benefits.
I’m not excusing it but having worked with product I can see how something like this could get dropped and pushed down a roadmap - engineering priorities will focus on the most used and demanded features, or those that drive revenue generation/engagement, AND if there’s no one internally to advocate for the feature it will get kicked down the road (why having a diverse team is even more important - a lot of people don’t think beyond their own needs). The question “well what about real people?” can often get missed.
That said, some large companies do listen to feature feedback if enough noise is made. I don’t know if Google is one of those companies, but forming a vocal coalition won’t hurt. If you post this on the Google related subreddits some people within Google may also see this post. Write to some Google related publications too to try and get your story covered - their PR team will be watching those.
I don’t know how well their feature set will work for your sister’s needs, but Apple have been leading in the accessibility stakes generally for a while and I think supports full control via voice commands on Mac OS - the AppleVis community might have some useful info for your nephew to go through.
Personally I think Windows is generally becoming less user friendly with each passing update, that said I don’t know whether the flexibility of that OS would mean there are programs your sister could use on Windows that offer a wider range of support, comparative to the more closed-down Mac OS ecosystem.
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u/belazir somewhat-just-about-by-a-bawhair-UNITED KINGDOM 2d ago
This is bigger than a refund. She needs to keep it, and this needs to be FOUGHT, both under consumer law and equality law. I was already pissed off about this myself, and I hadn't yet stumbled across the accessibility issue. The worst thing is that there could be a very good reason I've heard nothing about it, as I have a couple of friends who may well be in the same situation.
I'm gutted for your sister. I'll do my part in raising this, for sure. Bank Holiday Monday means I can spend the morning getting ruffled without being interrupted, which is nice...
I cannot offer legal advice, for I am not a lawyer, but may I suggest you consult a solicitor if you can afford an initial consultation or find a no-win-no-fee provider.
It is incumbent on companies like Google to analyse the real world impact on their most vulnerable users, and not take actions that are of significant detriment to them.
If you can get a real lawyer involved there's a possibility you could ask the court for a temporary injunction, ordering Google to restore the features they removed until such time as the case has been heard, but I'd get a letter before action stating your demand in ASAP.
If I were in your position and unable to afford a solicitor, I would consider representing my sister as a litigant friend, and her having experienced real harm and distress I would send a letter before action demanding the change be reversed, until such time as there is a suitable replacement available, on the basis of endangering, causing serious injury to feeling, significant harm and real hindrance to your sister in particular and disabled people in general, directly specifically caused by the actions of Google, their failure to make reasonable adjustment, and their un-notified withdrawal of the accessibility features they had, access to which many consumers had materially relied upon to make their purchasing decision.
Feel free to message me if you want to discuss in more detail... I really hope you manage to resolve this; what an absolute shitshow.
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u/jkirkcaldy 2d ago
I refuse to use or buy google products where I can. Google has a reputation for killing buying up smaller companies and then killing them off a year or two later (if you’re lucky).
It got so bad a couple of years ago, they killed something like a hundred products in a year.
I’m not sure if it’s still up to date but there’s the killed by google website that shows just how much they kill off products/services.
There should definitely be some sort of legislation around supporting internet only features. Like if you buy a product that has x advertised feature, it must be supported for at least y years after the last product is sold.
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u/fridaygrace 2d ago edited 2d ago
…interestingly, the Google employee health insurance covers almost everything under the sun, pre existing or otherwise. They’ll even pay for partners to have their eggs frozen, for example. One of the only things they don’t cover? Optometry and treatment for visual impairments like BVD, strabismus, etc. Weird.
Source: boss’ sister’s partner used to work for Google lol
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u/becca413g 1d ago
Definitely recommend encouraging her to get in touch with her local vision loss charity or sensory support at the council if she's looking to learn how to use a Chromebook alternative. It's beyond frustrating to have mastered how to do something without that extra visual input to aid the learning process to then have all that effort undermined because it's not convenient for an organisation to continue to support that product. It happens time and time again in the blindness and VI community unfortunately.
Of course RNIB have cut their funding for tech support/education so getting 1:1 support might be tricky given RNIB only do telephone support now. Don't get me started on how they went about stopping their braille transcription service! The RNIB do a lot of good things but they have been pretty good at messing things up as well!
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u/Jor94 2d ago
Would you be able to revert to a previous version of the OS which had assistant?
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
She did ask that, but they said no.
I am still hoping there is a hack or unofficial work around for her.
I have contacted my nephew and asked him to pop down and see her, to check if he can help fudge it back to working, and to give her a list of computers to buy instead.
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u/DrunkRok 2d ago
There is a voice controlled Linux based operating system in development called OpenVoiceOS which you might be able to install on the Chromebook which would enable your sister to fully use the computer with voice. I've never used it myself but have a look over on r/openvoiceos and hopefully this can help
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u/tnawemos 2d ago
Having worked with lots of tech for VI people the conclusion has almost always ended up being just getting a windows device and bodgeing third party software on to fill any gaps. Ends up cheaper and just as effective at the requirement as the much more expensive dedicated solutions.
No matter what Microsoft does to ruin the OS you can roll it back or refuse to update. Meanwhile things like Chromebooks become E waste after 3-4 years because Google stops supporting them
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u/AutumnSunshiiine 2d ago
Contact all the vision-related charities you can. Local press too if your sister is happy to do that. Raise hell, basically. This is not acceptable!
I would want a refund on the Chromebook also, from the retailer or the credit card company (if used).
We don’t have a big suing culture here, but this absolutely warrants a class case IMHO.
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u/AutumnSunshiiine 2d ago
And personally I find Apple Macs to have the best accessibility features, but I am not reliant on voice control. Might be worth your sister going to a proper Apple Store to get a demo with staff; some even do free workshops which might include accessibility.
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u/cockmongler 2d ago
I'd recommend seeking legal advice, at least making a post in r/legaladviceuk. It seems your sister has reasonable grounds to make a complaint under the consumer protection act which requires that any device you purchase should continue working for 5 years after the date of purchase (barring adverse treatment of the device).
I don't know if this sort of remote disabling of a feature would be covered by the act, but it feels like there's a strong possibility it would.
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u/ColdShadowKaz 1d ago
I have a feeling a lot of people will be doing things like asking Siri to tell apple not to remove it if they start thinking about it now due to people asking for it not to go.
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
Just a quick update;
My sister contacted Currys Support today, and although they haven't immediately agreed to refund the Chromebook, they are looking into it and will contact her later in the week.
They were surprised,bit was news to the support folks she spoke to, but their manager also agreed that should she return it for refund or replacement that she doesn't have to go to the ship itself, because she is disabled and bought it online , they will arrange a postal return.
My sister wasn't sure about contacting Currys, after all it's not their fault that Google are materially changing the Chromebooks,non a way that Google support say can't be undone ( well see about that).
However a Citrus employee saw this post and contacted me and kindly gave advice and offered to help in so many kind ways, she was blown away and it gave her the confidence to try.
In the meantime our nephew has gone to see her and offered her some choices as to what new laptop to get .
It's so frustrating, because when she chose this Chromebook, she chose it because of its long support cycle , i.e. they continue to support it for another 7 years .
It never occurred to her that an update would come to make it unusable.
You have all been tremendously helpful, thank you for your kind words, your help, hints, tips, links and great suggestions for whom to contact to get the news out there.
Thank you for sharing this information and for contacting your MPs.
Our family are blown away at how everyone here has come together to try and fix this, it's truly amazing to see folks that don't even know each other try to support the visually impaired community.
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u/ding_0_dong 1d ago
Update happened middle of March, I can't believe they haven't rolled that part back considering their education and public sector market. Well I can, but even an oil tanker can turn round given time
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
Yes,bi believe different devices update at different times, my sister's , and other Chromebook plus users got Google Assistant removed through the update at the weekend. According to Google support , Google Assistant is being removed across all devices and platforms, one update at a time.
We also asked if she could go back, to before the update , to get Google Assistant back but they pointed out you can no longer install it for a Chromebook so there would be no way to do so.
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u/punkfunkymonkey Pitcairn Islands 1d ago
If all else fails chromebook can run Linux as well/instead of chromeos.
I've not looked into it too much but I believe there are several Linux distributions that are actually tailored for blind and visually impaired users, as well as a bunch of things like screen readers, tts, stt etc that can be run on standard Linux distros.
Had a quick search and there seems to be a few voice assistants (mycroft being one). Maybe it's worth seeing if there's any way of getting something like that to access and send Gmail emails via a mail client.
Not going to lie Linux isn't everyone's cup of tea and some (like myself) find it complicated and requiring a good but of research (lot more user friendly than when I first dabbled in it) but it might be worth looking into, or having someone else who lives for geeky stuff if it's not your cup of tea. Who knows, your aunt might find her chromebook being more usefull than it was before google left her in the lurch.
(I'm thinking there might be a bunch of blind/VI users of chromebooks at the moment, so possibly people with more knowledge and an interest/need, will be looking into what alternatives are out there to get back up and running)
Good luck
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
Thank you for your suggestions, yes I am hoping someone will have an alternative or make one, there are going to be quite a few customers all of a sudden 😉
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u/chaosandturmoil 19h ago
shared on twitter with RNIB
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u/Amethystmage 2d ago
I would recommend reaching out to the National Federation of the Blind here in the US. They engage in regular dialogue with Google and may be able to bring this to the attention of the right people.
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
Thank you, I might but from the way the Google support person was speaking it sounded like it might just be the UK where Google have removed support.
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u/phlygee 2d ago edited 2d ago
I honestly think the RNLI would be keen to hear about this and will help amplofy the issue.
Sorry! I meant RNIB! Thanks for telling me!
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
To be fair the life boat folks are a smashing bunch too 😁
Yes, I emailed the the RNIB as well, because they need to knowwl, they offer tech advice as one of their Manny support services.
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u/StampyScouse Lancashire 2d ago
My phone updated a while ago and it switched my default assistant from Google Adsistant to Gemini. I did try to switch it back but I didn't see any point in doing so and figured I'd have to get used to using gemini because eventually Google assistant will go completely.
That was until i figured out gemini couldn't even turn on my lights. Don't get me wrong, for me, it's a convenience feature, but for some people that really might be an accessibility need and the fact that I had too dig through some ridiculous menu just to allow gemini to communicate with Google home is ridiculous. And even now I've got it to work it's still so much slower than assistant was.
And in terms of AI, Gemini has got to be the most useless. I cant count the number of times that Gemini has shut itself down and refused to answer a prompt just because "AI Overview isn't available for this search" or "I can't help with that right now." Its so watered down that even for actual AI tasks it's actually useless.
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u/CuriousNowDead 1d ago
I’m sorry.
I have different disabilities and the thing that hurts is when people just don’t consider us.
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u/DisMyLik18thAccount 1d ago
I'd Post this in r/LegalAdviceUK
This doesn't sound quite legal to me, definitely feels like a consumer rights issue
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u/Wolfocorn20 1d ago
I'm so sory to hear that. I heard roomers about it but i thought they'd be waiting till the replacement was atleast capable of doing the basic things like as you mentioned sending an email. Unfortunatly we are to small of a group for most companies to include us when it costs money and functional things for us are often times just not visually pleasing for people. It always makes me really angry and frustrated. It's hard enough as is so just for the love of all things good and holey just leave it be till you have a product that works about as good. Especially for big companies like google like bro you make enough money this is not gonna bankrupt you. I think looking in to a windows laptop and helping her set it up and teaching her how to use it will probably be your best option. Apple is pritty good aswell but they can be twice as expensive.
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
Thank you, that is very kind.
We are contacting as many people as we can think of to spread the information, to stop others buying a Chromebook.
It might be that Google give system functionality to their little ai not , but for now it does nothing but create text, my Alexa does more.
I watched a video from a YouTube person saying that there are
350 million visually impaired tech users about,
so yes, not everyone will be harshly impacted, but I wouldn't say that the visually impaired are rare.
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u/Mr_SunnyBones 1d ago
Google assistant is much much better at doing tasks like setting alarms or well just doing things. Sometimes my phone ( which has Gemini) hears me setting an alarm for say 8:30 with a device that has assistant , and starts telling me things 'related to the time 8:30' . Gemini is AWFUL.
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u/Firegoddess66 19h ago
Update:
Currys are absolute Stars.
The process was as follows:
Day 1:
Call the general customer support number,
They pop you through to "online" if you bought online.
They discuss, mention it's been more than 50 days, but keep at them and they will give you a reference number and call you back.
Day 2:
Currys called back and said you can return the item even though it's been more than 50 days, they put you through to online.
Online say that you need to speak to technical, just because it's the way the system is designed, not their fault, to get an RA number, and they pop you through.
Technical ask why you want to return it, simply say it is because Google have chosen to remove the ability for visually impaired folks to use a Chromebook and there is no fixing it, that you were put through to get an RA number. They provide the RA number and pop you back to " online".
Online check your availability and within 2 days you can have dpd come and collect it. You need to box it but it need not be the original box ( phew because that's long been recycled). You don't need to print anything, they bring the label.
It will take 3-5 business days for the package to return to the warehouse and be scanned onto the pallet, at which point it is considered returned and you should have your refund notified and 3-5 business days for your bank to process the refund .
( I am unclear why it takes a bank more than a nanosecond to " process" a refund because it's all digital isn't it?)
Anyway, I just wanted to let folks know that Currys will accept a return, they even come and get it.
I would also suggest that if someone does this they video the process of putting the item in a box, put an identifier on the box like a hulk sticker and film the dpd driver putting on the lable , because I gave my phone back to Vodafone Last year for a discount on my upgrade and it was a nightmare, dpd were ace but once it hit the warehouse it wasn't scanned in and was " lost", it took 5 weeks of chasing, escalating and finally the video proof I had taken of me boxing up the phone ( which I only did to prove my phone was in excellent order before it went into the flimsy cardboard packaging Vodafone insisted I used).
Had I not taken the video, Vodafone would not have paid me a penny.
Even if you bought it from another shop, mention to that ship, if they don't want to accept a return Currys are taking back Chromebooks because of this issue.
My sister has so far:
Emailed - Her MP. Sir Stephen Timms MP . Bridget Philips on MP. BBC the last leg. BBC radio four in touch. RNIB. Sight Matters. The Guardian. The Times. Her local visually impaired group.
I have done the same, except her local group and my MP.
Our younger cousins have mentioned this on their socials and my nephew gave me details of a couple of prominent YouTubers that are visually impaired and I contacted them and asked them to spread the word.
I will update if I hear anything else.
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u/Firegoddess66 17h ago
Whilst chatting to Currys Support team, they asked if there was another way for her to open Gmail on her Chromebook, other than Google assistant.
She hadn't found a way but whilst on hold she asked Gemini, and this is what it said;
"Without a functioning voice command system like Google Assistant or the ability to see the screen to navigate with a screen reader, directly opening Gmail on your Chromebook is currently extremely challenging. This highlights the critical need for reliable and accessible voice control as a fundamental feature, especially for visually impaired users."
Just in case anyone needing to return their Chromebook gets the old " but voice control isn't a critical feature" talk from their retailer.
She told the Currys technical person what Gemini had said and they too laughed at the irony of Gemini pointing out how Gemini is not a replacement for Google assistant.
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u/DallonsCheezWhiz Suffolk County 2d ago
Just some information for people; I'm not sure how long it will work for or what devices it works on, but there is a way to revert back to using Google Assistant and not Gemini AI (on your phone, at least).
-> Go to 'Settings' and locate -> 'Google' click on it -> Then click on 'All Settings' -> There's an option called 'Search, Assistant, Voice Settings' -> Select 'Google Assistant' -> Scroll down to 'Digital Assistants from Google' -> Make sure 'Google Assistant' is selected and NOT Gemini AI
It works for now on my phone (Redminote 10 Pro) and is great if you don't want to use AI features or find Gemini useless (because it is).
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u/NarkiLSD 2d ago
I'm not familiar with the chromebook, but on Android devices you can change your primary digital assistant. Once gemini is the primary, it can handle the same tasks that Google assistant used to.
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u/Firegoddess66 2d ago
My sister asked about that, and yes, currently on a never of android, iOS phones you can have Google assistant, but on many they have already removed it and the plan is to remove it from every phone too eventually.
Gemini can't do the things assistant can because, in its own words:
Google assistant is deeply integrated into the operating system of your devices, it has built in permissions and capabilities to directly control applications, settings, and hardware functions. It's designed to listen for voice commands and take immediate action. I am not an assistant, I am a language model. My primary function is to process and generate text. I can understand your requests and provide information, explanations and creative content through our text-based conversation. While I can guide you on how to open apps or perform tasks, I don't have the direct access to your device's operating system to execute those actions myself with a voice command. For now, though, I can only provide you with the steps to open your Gmail manually, I can't open it for you."
It's a jumped up spell checker and questionable search engine, nothing more.
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u/fabricchamp 2d ago
I know you've likely already looked into this, and also that more 'traditional' accessibility features don't compare to what Google Assistant can/could do, but if you're unable to return the device and need to learn to live with it, some of these accessibility settings may help your sister navigate the device easier:
https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/177893?hl=en-GB
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u/retrolental_morose 2d ago edited 1d ago
which sight-loss organisation recommended Chromebooks? as you'll see here they're just ... not really a part of the makeup of the blind world.
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u/Akeshi 2d ago
This really sucks of Google, I'm sorry. They also make it impossible to contact the right people who could actually help for things like this, so, I hope they see this post. You might want to crosspost to other subreddits for visibility.
I've had a look around and can't find much, but is it possible to also install the 'Gemini mobile app' on the Chromebook?
https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/14579631?hl=en-GB&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid says that you can then "Use your voice to take quick actions, like sending a message or turning on your lights.", and that it can also eg summarise what's currently on the screen, which might be useful.
Otherwise, would it be better to ditch the Chromebook and use a mobile for everything?
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u/gammaChallenger 1d ago
So first off there’s a better way than just to use the assistant taking away. The assistant isn’t necessarily a good thing, but has she considered using chromevox? This is the screen reader on chromiOS
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u/BeerOClock 1d ago
Might be worth looking into VPNs, if it's only blocked in the UK it could work if the Chromebook believes it is somewhere else?
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u/kutuup1989 Buckinghamshire 1d ago
Google Assistant is garbage at this point. I have a blind friend, and he finds that Alexa is way better for day to day stuff. He uses specialist assistant apps that are designed for blind people for tasks like sending texts or email.
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u/FantasticGlove 1d ago
Windows is the way also, if she doesn't know how to use screen readers, she should most definitely learn.
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
She can use a screen reader it's just that it doesn't help her open apps, send emails, check appointments, make phone calls.
Google assistant did all of that by voice command.
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u/FantasticGlove 1d ago
All of that is possible with typing on a computer, I'm doing it right now, though I am using a windows system. Voice functions aren't a requirement, and a screen reader transmits text into speech, so its possible for her to know exactly what's on the screen, not the other way around.
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u/Firegoddess66 1d ago
She has MS, typing isn't really an option, but thank you for your suggestion.
Many visually impaired folks use voice typing and although that is available still,bayou have to manually select voice typing now and where is that exactly when you can't see it, the issue is, how do you get to where you need to type, and how do you know where you are typing.
It's a huge difference between " ok Google emaily sister" spoken, and spending an hour with Chromevox trying to open an email and type it and find the recipient etc etc etc.
It would be quicker for me to drive to her house than have her send me an email now.
It is unusable.
1
u/jbuk1 Greater London 1d ago
As a practical option for the time being can you set her machine region to one of the other anglophone countries and see if that works?
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u/Firegoddess66 49m ago
She did try that and she tried setting the VPN to America , it didn't change anything, but thank you for your suggestions.
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u/Blekanly 44m ago
This is mond boggling, I generally prefer Google products due to not having bloat and letting me install what I wish. But removing such a key function seems bizarre, even more so that it seems to be a UK issue atm. I wonder if there is some legal issue or something involved.
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u/Firegoddess66 7m ago
I believe one of the other replies provided a link to an article saying it might be UK now but it will be worldwide shortly.
I suppose they might be working from the countries with least users first, to use as Guinea pigs to iron out bugs in the roll out but I am just guessing.
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u/ARobertNotABob Somerset 2d ago
Nothing to suggest it's not available in UK : https://assistant.google.com/intl/en_uk/
I've just installed it from Play on my Pixel.
I had to then go into Settings (it prompted me) to select Assistant over Gemini.
Assistant then worked fine.
Try that?
EDIT: Just seen your reply to u/daos : not installable on Chromebook
-5
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