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How to remove Google Assistant from your home screen
Turning off the Assistant, the button gesture, and voice match — plus how to set up the speaker the way you actually want it.
Our pick: Change the default assistant app first — that removes the gesture, not just the icon
Google Assistant is convenient and also occasionally unwelcome: it opens when you swipe for something else, it listens for a hotword, and its snapshot takes up home screen space. Removing it properly means three separate changes, because the icon, the gesture, and the microphone are three different settings.
Step 1: stop the gesture from launching it
This is the setting people miss. The Assistant is usually triggered by holding the home button or swiping from a bottom corner. Go to Settings, then Apps, then Default apps, then Digital assistant app, and choose None. The gesture stops launching the Assistant without affecting anything else on the phone. On Samsung devices, also check Bixby's own settings if the gesture still responds.
Step 2: clear it off the home screen
Long-press the Assistant snapshot card or widget and dismiss or remove it. On Pixel launchers, the search bar at the bottom is a persistent element with its own toggle in home screen settings rather than something you can drag away. Check the launcher's home screen settings rather than fighting the widget itself.
Step 3: deal with the microphone
- Google app → profile → Settings → Google Assistant → Voice Match: remove your voice model to stop hotword detection.
- Google account → Data and privacy → Activity controls: pause voice and audio activity so recordings are not retained.
- Device settings → Privacy → Permission manager → Microphone: review which apps hold access.
- Google Home app → each speaker's settings → Voice Match: manage recognition on the speaker rather than the phone.
If you want the speakers instead
Plenty of people turn the Assistant off on their phone and keep it on a kitchen speaker, which is a reasonable split. In the Google Home app, assign each speaker to a room, name it something you will actually say, and enrol Voice Match so it responds to you specifically. Device control, timers, and routines remain free; the newer Gemini-era automation and camera features sit in the Google Home Premium subscription at roughly $10 to $20 a month.
Turning off the icon hides it. Changing the default assistant is what actually stops it.
Lab notes, platform guide 2026
The verdict
Change the default assistant app first, then remove the home screen element, then handle Voice Match and activity controls if listening is the concern. If you would rather keep the convenience, set up the speaker properly instead — our smart home platform comparison covers what Google Home does well against Apple and Alexa.
Questions we get
How do I remove Google Assistant from my home screen?
Remove the Assistant snapshot or widget from the home screen by long-pressing it and dismissing it, then change your default digital assistant app to None in Android settings under Apps, Default apps. That stops the home-button or corner-swipe gesture from opening the Assistant rather than merely hiding the icon. Exact menu names vary by Android version and manufacturer.
How do I disable the Google Assistant home button?
On most Android phones the invocation is a gesture rather than a dedicated button. Open Settings, go to Apps, then Default apps, then Digital assistant app, and change the selection to None. On some devices the path is under Google, then Settings for Google apps. Samsung phones additionally manage Bixby through their own settings, so disable both if the gesture persists.
How do I stop 'Hey Google' from listening?
Open the Google app, go to your profile, then Settings, then Google Assistant, and find the Voice Match or 'Hey Google' section to remove your voice model. Also review Activity controls in your Google account to pause voice and audio activity, which is the setting that determines whether recordings are retained.
How do I set up voice control for my Google Home speakers?
In the Google Home app, open each speaker's settings, then Voice Match, and enrol your voice so the device recognises you. Assign each speaker to a room, name it clearly, and test basic commands like lights and timers. For automations, Gemini-era features now sit in the Google Home Premium subscription while basic device control remains free.