Dicio Offers On-Device Android Voice Assistant As Google Retires Assistant

Dicio is getting attention as an Android voice-assistant alternative while Google prepares to discontinue Assistant next month.

A ZDNet review identified local voice interpretation and on-device responses as the privacy difference from cloud-based assistants when the app can handle a request without remote processing.

The app can handle routine assistant jobs including weather checks, internet searches, song-lyric lookups, app launches, calculations, navigation, contact calls, timers, media control, jokes, wake-word listening, translation, notification reading and flashlight control.

That scope makes Dicio useful for basic phone commands, even though it does not attempt to match every Google service integration.

Local Processing Defines The Trade-Off

Dicio is available through the Google Play Store and requires microphone permission, speech-to-text files and an AI model download during setup.

After installation, users trigger it with the “Hey, Dicio” wake phrase and issue commands in the same general pattern used with Google Assistant.

The local-first design gives users a privacy path at the cost of ecosystem reach.

Dicio does not send messages or compose emails by voice, and the app does not connect with Android Auto because Google does not recognize it as a valid voice assistant for that environment.

That Android Auto gap is the clearest operating limit.

A user can keep Dicio as the default assistant on a phone, but hands-free calling while driving still depends on a separate path if the phone is connected to Android Auto.

The privacy gain therefore does not remove the need for Google-controlled platform recognition in the car interface.

Setup And Skills Remain Narrower Than Google’s

The setup flow also shows that Dicio is closer to a configurable open-source assistant than a fully bundled commercial replacement.

Users must approve microphone access, download the speech-to-text component and pull the AI model before the app is ready.

Settings cover language, theme, skills, input method, wake-word recognition, search output and listening behavior.

Notes, audio notes, email, messages and Android Auto support remain missing or limited in the current version, and app-opening behavior was inconsistent in testing.

The custom wake-word import option appears to rely on Python Pip installation through the command line rather than a normal Android setup path.

Assistant Replacement Remains Incomplete

Google Assistant is scheduled to be discontinued next month, while Gemini has not solved every hands-free use case that Assistant handled for some Android users.

Dicio’s active development leaves room for more skills, but the current version is strongest where local processing and ordinary phone commands are enough.

For users who want privacy first, the app can cover many everyday requests; for drivers or users who depend on messaging by voice, the missing integrations remain the operating boundary.