Google is replacing Assistant with Gemini, and Android users will soon lose the option to switch back to the old Assistant.
Google is preparing to retire the Google Assistant from Android phones and several connected devices, ending users’ ability to switch between Assistant and Gemini.
The transition will begin on September 4, 2026, and may take several weeks to reach all eligible devices. Once the change takes effect, users will no longer be able to switch back to Google Assistant.
The phaseout will affect Android phones and tablets, Wear OS watches, headphones, earbuds, and vehicles that use phone-projected Android Auto. Google will instead make Gemini its primary AI assistant across these devices.
The company began moving users from Assistant to Gemini voluntarily after launching the newer AI assistant on mobile devices. Google is now making that transition permanent.
Gemini has already surpassed Assistant’s reach.
Google’s decision comes as Gemini’s user base continues to expand rapidly.
Gemini reached 950 million monthly active users in the second quarter of 2026, more than double the 450 million reported a year earlier. Google also said daily use of Gemini had tripled over the same period.
By comparison, Google said in 2020 that Assistant was being used by more than 500 million people each month across devices. Google has not disclosed how many people continue to use Assistant today.
The company has positioned Gemini as more than a conventional voice assistant, describing generative AI as a broader platform shift. The move reflects Google’s wider effort to integrate Gemini across its products rather than maintain Assistant as a separate system.
Some Assistant features are still missing.
The biggest concern for existing Assistant users is not simply the change in branding. It is whether Gemini can reliably perform the everyday tasks they already depend on.
Gemini can handle calls, messages, navigation, routines and several device controls, but Google’s own support documentation lists a number of Assistant capabilities that remain unavailable or work differently.
These include support for some podcasts, news and radio services, third-party music providers and Interpreter Mode. Google currently directs users who need certain missing features to switch back to Assistant. That fallback will disappear once the migration reaches their device.
For users who rely heavily on voice commands, reliability could be particularly important.
Accessibility advocates have reported cases involving timers, reminders, navigation, calls, and smart-home controls where Gemini has incorrectly indicated that an action had been completed. Such errors can be more serious for people who depend on voice commands as their primary way of controlling a device.
At the same time, Gemini has introduced accessibility improvements of its own. Its integration with TalkBack, Android’s screen reader, can provide detailed descriptions of images for blind and low-vision users.
Why Google is making the switch
Google argues that Gemini can understand more complex requests than the older Assistant because it is built around generative AI.
But that strength can also create a weakness for simple commands.
Google Assistant was designed to handle narrow instructions such as setting a timer, switching on a light, or playing music. Users generally expected the same command to produce the same result.
Generative AI systems are designed to interpret language more broadly, which can make them more capable but potentially less predictable for routine device controls.
That distinction matters because people often use voice assistants precisely because they want simple tasks completed without having to explain them.
What happens to unsupported devices?
Google’s transition also leaves questions for some older Android devices.
When Gemini was introduced, Google said Assistant would remain available on phones that did not meet Gemini’s minimum system requirements. The latest shutdown notice says eligible users will receive Gemini, but it does not clearly explain what will happen on every device that cannot support the replacement.
Businesses may face additional restrictions. Gemini is not available as a mobile app inside an Android Work Profile, although organisations can provide access to its web version depending on their policies.
Not every Google device is losing Assistant.
The September 4 transition does not apply universally across Google’s hardware ecosystem.
Cars with Google built-in will retain Google Assistant beyond the September deadline. The announcement also does not apply to Google Home speakers, smart displays or Google TV devices.
Google is handling those products separately through Gemini for Home, its broader effort to bring Gemini into smart-home products.
The move therefore represents a major change for Android users, but not the complete disappearance of Google Assistant from every Google product at once.
What Android users should do before September
Users who rely on Assistant for everyday commands should test their most frequently used functions before the transition reaches their devices.
This is particularly important for routines, reminders, smart-home controls, navigation, calls and third-party media services. If a particular command does not work correctly in Gemini today, users should not assume that Assistant will remain available as a backup after the September migration.
Google’s decision ultimately marks the end of an era for one of Android’s most recognisable features. Google Assistant helped normalise voice-controlled smartphones and connected devices. Now Google is betting that a more capable generative AI system can take its place.
The important distinction for users is simple: Gemini is becoming the replacement, not an optional alternative. Once Google Assistant is removed from an eligible device, there will be no switch back.
Source: Inc
Illustration: Inc; Photo: Adobe Stock
