You will be able to say 'Hey ChatGPT' while the phone is locked
You are cooking with your hands full and ask ChatGPT to find an airline email, check your flight time, message someone on WhatsApp, turn on Do Not Disturb and book a taxi. Today, that experience is largely reserved for Gemini.
The European Commission has adopted binding measures requiring Android to give rival AI assistants access comparable to Gemini. Eleven important Android capabilities must be opened, including persistent wake words, system buttons and contextual access.
Most changes are due with Android 18 by 1 August 2027. Multiple assistants with separate wake words may follow with Android 19 by 1 August 2028.
The important part is not calling the assistant, but letting it act
Rival assistants will be able to send messages, create notes, manage meetings, move across Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Maps and YouTube, and change phone settings.
This is the same shift covered in our guide to AI agents: the system no longer only explains what to do. It performs the task inside applications.
Google keeps an advantage, but it cannot lock every door
Android is used by roughly 60% of European mobile users, giving Gemini a distribution advantage before people even consider alternatives.
Google may still preinstall and promote Gemini, but it will no longer be the only assistant with deep system access. Choosing an assistant will increasingly mean choosing who understands the phone and who may act inside it.
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