It looks like Google Assistant is coming to Android tablets after all

Fans of Android tablets have had a rough time over the past few years. A barren release schedule, the general lack of support for updates, and the recent emergence of Chrome OS as a viable hybrid tablet platform are all stark reminders that the Android tablet market is currently on life support.

This bleak scenario was made worse back in March, when Google seemed to confirm that its flashy new Assistant AI would not be making the jump to tablets.

Since then, Assistant has graced millions of Android devices from countless different manufacturers, Google’s Home smart speakers, car infotainment systems, smart TVs, Android Wear, and more recently Google’s flagship Chromebook laptop, the Pixelbook. Assistant even found its way onto the iPhone and iPad via an iOS app.

Now, after months of waiting, it appears that Android tablet owners will finally get to join in the fun.

While Google has yet to officially confirm the news, the latest beta (version 7.16) of the main Google app lists Assistant support for tablets and includes a tiny tablet icon amongst the product types that are compatible with the digital assistant.

Read: What is Google Assistant? How can you use it?

The reference was first spotted by the folks over at 9to5Google, who note that the changes can be seen in the Assistant settings menu within the beta app. This follows a string found during a teardown of version 7.14 of the Google app that also suggested Assistant would be making its way to tablets very soon.

Before you rush to download the latest beta on your tablet, however, be aware that you’ll still be met with the Now on Tap window rather than Google’s fantastic Assistant for the time being. Nevertheless, the revised support list suggests we won’t have to wait long until Google shows the forgotten product range some long-overdue love.

Are you excited about Assistant’s seemingly imminent arrival on Android tablets? Let us know in the comments.