Google Assistant with Bard appears again, hinting at release and eligible devices

What you need to know

• Tipsters have found a page in the Pixel Tips app that previews Google Assistant with Bard.
• The demo video shows how Google Assistant with Bard will work on Android. 
• Based on the leak, Assistant with Bard could debut as part of the March 2024 Pixel Feature Drop. 

Google seems to be shifting its focus to Assistant with Bard, the new version of its voice assistant that includes artificial intelligence. However, despite being announced months ago, we’re still waiting for a confirmation on when Google Assistant with Bard will be released. 

While we haven’t gotten official word yet, tipsters on the Google News Telegram have perhaps found the strongest evidence to date that Assistant with Bard is coming soon. The group shared a demo video of Google Assistant with Bard from the Pixel Tips app, which is used to show off new features to users. Though it isn’t publicly available yet, the demo video signals that a release is on the horizon. 

The video shows that activating Google Assistant with Bard will work similarly to triggering Google Assistant today. Clicking the Bard app, saying “Hey Google,” and pressing and holding the power button can all launch Assistant with Bard. Then, users can ask Assistant with Bard a question with their voice, through the on-screen keyboard, or attach a screenshot.

By attaching a screenshot, users will be able to ask Assistant with Bard questions related to what’s on their screen. For example, the demo shows Bard looking at a picture of a user’s plant and giving them advice on how to take care of it.

However, the leak includes more than just the demo video. Android expert Mishaal Rahman shared the Assistant with Bard release date and its supported devices in a post on X. While Rahman cautions that these could change, it seems to line up with previous reports.

Rahman spotted 202403 as the feature’s “publication date,” which is further evidence that Assistant with Bard could debut as part of the March 2024 Pixel Feature Drop. The fact that a demo video is even in Pixel Tips also serves as an indicator that Assistant with Bard is coming to Pixel devices soon. 

There are a few limits to which Pixel devices can use Assistant with Bard, though. Rahman notes that the Pixel Tip is blocked from showing up on all Pixel devices, save for Pixel phones with Tensor processors. That means the Pixel Tablet won’t show the tip, but apparently, neither will Google’s current or upcoming foldables, although it’s not clear why. The devices that can see the tip are likely to get Assistant with Bard, and the ones that can’t might be left without the feature.

Rahman notes that it’s still somewhat early, so the information may be incorrect or change, but it does leave us curious.

Right now, the new Pixel Tip can only be viewed while running the Android 14 QPR2 beta on a Tensor-powered Pixel phone that isn’t a foldable. It’s fairly confusing, but by the looks of it, the Pixel 6 through Pixel 8 series will be the only devices to get Assistant with Bard.