Key Takeaways
- Google Assistant and Gemini users are facing an issue with Quick Phrases, wherein the onscreen bubble refuses to disappear.
- The Google app could be responsible for this bug, and an update may be required to fix this once and for all.
- While some have found luck with remedies like restarting their device, it doesn’t appear to do the trick for everyone.
Assistant is no longer the preferred voice assistant for Google, as Gemini takes over gradually. Although the chatbot lacked some of Assistant’s features initially, Google has done a great deal since then to bridge the gap. Looking through the Gemini settings, you will find that a bunch of Assistant features are now available in the app, including Quick Phrases. This lets you stop timers or alarms using a simple voice command like “Stop” or “Snooze” without saying “Hey Google” first. Many users are now reporting a pretty irritating bug with Quick Phrases’ onscreen bubbles.
As per a couple of user reports on Reddit, with the latest one popping up yesterday, the onscreen bubble that nudges users to Say Stop refuses to disappear even after the alarm or timer has been turned off. The issue doesn’t seem limited to just one type of device and operating system, with users on both stable Android 15 and Android 15 betas facing this problem (via 9to5Google).
I tried to replicate this glitch on my Pixel 6a running Android 15 stable, but the onscreen bubble disappears as designed after saying “stop.” However, multiple replies to the Reddit threads we mentioned above claim to be facing the issue repeatedly, with the bubbles simply refusing to go away. Some users are reportedly seeing this onscreen prompt appear randomly, even without a timer or alarm in place, which only adds to the frustration.
Some remedies may work, but don’t get your hopes up
As 9to5Google notes, this is likely a bug related to the Google app, which powers both the Gemini and Assistant experiences. But until Google fixes it with an update, users will have to come up with some solutions of their own. So far, some have seen the persistent bubble disappear after restarting the device, while others have found success by turning off the toggles inside the Quick Phrases menu.
But as some others point out, even these remedies don’t always work, indicating that an update to the Google app may be necessary here. With enough people already mentioning this Quick Phrases bug, we won’t be surprised if Google rolls out a server-side update anytime now.
The Quick Phrases menu can be accessed by navigating to the Gemini or Assistant options via the Google app’s Settings. In addition to stopping or snoozing alarms, you can also manage incoming calls with single-word commands like answer, decline, and silence using Quick Phrases, though it’s expectedly more useful for timers and alarms.
Are you seeing a similar issue with Quick Phrases on your Android smartphone?