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Owners of LG smart TVs made since 2018 are waking up to an unexpected message on their screens notifying them that, as of May 1, Google Assistant will no longer be supported. The change follows a similar moves by Samsung, and Panasonic.
According to 9to5Google, the full message reads:
Google Assistant Service Termination
Google Assistant will no longer be available on this device starting on May 1, 2025.
The voice recognition service provided through the microphone button on the remote control will still be available for use
As the message notes, voice commands will still work on the affected LG TVs via LG’s ThinQ voice system. When ThinQ was added to LG’s 2018 TVs, one of the advantages touted by the company was the inherent flexibility of the system. When a voice command was received that ThinQ couldn’t process, it would hand it off to a third-party assistant, like Google Assistant.
In theory, that system remains in place and it leaves the door open for LG to find a replacement for Google Assistant. That replacement may be Microsoft’s Copilot AI. Both LG and Samsung announced Copilot integrations for select 2025 smart TVs at CES, according to The Verge, and while Samsung’s version of this partnership appears to be based on a web app that runs within the Tizen OS, LG has yet to confirm how its Copilot integration will work.
If Copilot indeed replaces Google Assistant, it may not be compatible with all of the LG smart TV models that currently have access to Google Assistant.
It’s not entirely clear why these TV makers are parting ways with Google’s voice assistant, but Panasonic’s U.K. website suggests it was triggered by Google: “Please note that starting in March 2025, Google Assistant will no longer be supported on select Panasonic TVs due to a change in Google’s policy.”
Curiously, that policy might be at the root of other changes to the Google Assistant landscape. In previous years, the technology was built into many wireless headphones and earbuds, like the Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Focal Bathys. However, the newest versions of these products (WH-1000XM5 and Bathys MG) no longer include Google Assistant built-in. It can only be accessed if you have an Android phone that runs Google Assistant as its native voice command system.
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