What to know

  • Assistant with Bard will begin rolling out to a few early testers on the Pixel 8 and Samsung S24 devices first.
  • Later, the update will arrive on Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 devices as well as Samsung S23.
  • Assistant with Bard will eventually arrive as an update to all Android devices while iOS users will have it as a standalone app. 

2023’s Made by Google event gave us an early look at Assistant with Bard which brings generative AI capabilities to Google Assistant. Integrating Bard into the digital assistant will open up new and intuitive ways of getting help from Google Assistant at the touch of a button. But when can users expect to get their hands on Assistant with Bard? Let’s find out.

Assistant with Bard rolling out to early testers

Soon after the event, Google mentioned in its blog that Assistant with Bard will begin rolling out to early testers. Since it is still in the experimental phase, it will be some time before the new AI-powered assistant becomes available to the general user.

Image: AssembleDebug

In the next phase, if rumors are to be believed, Assistant with Bard will be an experimental opt-in feature, similar to the Search Generative Experience of Google Search. 

Which devices will get Assistant with Bard?

Although Google hasn’t mentioned which devices will be getting Assistant with Bard, there’s enough evidence to suggest that certain devices will get precedence over others.

Pixel 8 and Galaxy S24

The launch of the Pixel 8 series will make it the first device to receive Assistant with Bard. However, since it is rolling out to a few testers, only a handful of Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro owners will get to try it out at the moment. As highlighted by AssembleDebug, the update to the new Assistant with Bard will appear when invoking the assistant and tapping on the ‘Try it now’ button.

Image: AssembleDebug

Other than the latest Pixel devices, Assistant with Bard will also make an appearance on Galaxy S24. Even though it isn’t set to launch until January or February of next year, Samsung users will become the first non-Pixel Android users to try out the AI-powered Google Assistant.

Image: Google

Assistant with Bard looks to be a resource-hungry AI tool. Having it integrated at the system level for Android will require nothing less than the best silicon, which is why Google is restricting early use of Assistant with Bard to Pixel 8 and the upcoming Galaxy S24.

Other Tensor-powered Pixels and Galaxy S23

In the months following its initial rollout, Google will expand Assistant with Bard to other tensor-powered Pixel devices, such as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series, as well as to Galaxy S23. There is no confirmed date yet as to when this will be so. But as and when it is revealed, you can be sure to get the update here including the instructions on how to get it. The only thing that Google has confirmed is that Assistant with Bard will (eventually) be available to Android and iOS devices in the next few months, even though the latter won’t have it integrated into the system but will be available as a separate app. Given the timeline for its test release on Pixel and Samsung devices, you can expect the AI assistant to take some time before it is widely available.

FAQ

Let’s take a look at a few commonly asked questions about the availability of Assistant with Bard.

Will iOS devices get Assistant with Bard?

Yes, Google has confirmed that iOS devices will receive Assistant with Bard. However, since it can’t be integrated at the system level for Apple devices, it will only be available as a standalone app.

When will Assistant with Bard come to Android and iOS?

There is no confirmed release date for Assistant with Bard on Android and iOS devices. But the unofficial timeline for early rollout suggests that users may have to wait at least until the summer of 2024 if not longer.

How to get Assistant with Bard on Android?

Early leaks suggest that Assistant with Bard will appear as an update when invoking Google Assistant. You’ll be able to get Assistant with Bard by tapping on the ‘Try it now’ button. The integration of Bard into Google Assistant heralds a future where you’ll have generative AI built right into your Android devices. With a simple ‘Hey Google’, you’ll soon get AI assistance to help you with a host of things while simultaneously adapting to your voice, your tasks, and your lifestyle. Until next time!