Google Assistant Dies September 4 as Gemini Becomes the Only Voice Assistant Option

Google is killing Assistant on phones September 4. Gemini is the only option left.

Google confirmed Assistant on Android phones dies September 4, forcing everyone to Gemini. Smartwatches, headphones, and Android Auto also affected. TVs and built-in car systems transition later. No date for those. Google confirmed in emails to users that Assistant on Android phones will shut down starting September 4, forcing everyone to Gemini. The process may take several weeks to complete, so holdouts may get a brief extension, but the direction is final. The original plan was to retire Assistant in late 2025. Google delayed to shore up Gemini's capabilities. It now considers Gemini ready. The shutdown extends beyond phones. Smartwatches, headphones, and cars using Android Auto will also lose Assistant and move to Gemini, since those devices connect through the phone for smart features. Most Google smart home devices have already transitioned. Android-powered TVs, set-top boxes, and vehicles with Google built-in are not included in this round and will transition later, with no date announced. Older devices that do not meet Gemini's minimum specs or users in regions where Gemini is not supported may keep Assistant longer, but virtually everyone else loses access within one to two months. Google rebuilt Search around AI-generated summaries and faced backlash for replacing a predictable system with an unpredictable one. The same tension applies here: Assistant was limited but reliable. Gemini is powerful but sometimes forgets it has access to a tool, goes on tangents, or misinterprets quick voice commands that Assistant handled consistently. "Hey Google" now means talking to a generative AI chatbot instead of a rule-based assistant. For users who want to set a timer, play a song, or check the weather, Gemini is more capable than necessary and occasionally less reliable than what it replaces. A German court ruled Google liable for AI-generated content, and every voice interaction that Gemini handles differently from Assistant is a user experience change Google is imposing without consent. The alternative is to turn off voice control entirely.

Google Assistant shuts down on Android in September -- here's what's next

Google Assistant is going away after a stay of execution last year. Google is emailing customers to let them know that its original voice assistant will be "discontinued" in favor of Gemini on Android and Wear OS starting September 4. The shutdown will "take a few weeks," Google says. When complete, you won't have the option of using or reverting to Assistant on phones, tablets, and paired devices like smartwatches, earbuds, and cars with Android Auto. Smart speakers, smart displays, TVs, and cars with Google built-in (aka Android Automotive) aren't affected. Google vows a "smooth transition" and is "confident" Gemini will be more useful than the outgoing AI helper. Gemini is already rolling out to some smart home devices and cars, such as the Google Home Speaker and GM vehicles. Gemini was originally meant to replace Google Assistant by the end of 2025, but the deployment was delayed to 2026. As users noted, the replacement just wasn't ready at the time. While Gemini was good with knowledge requests, summaries, and conversations, it struggled with simple commands like direct device controls. The longer transition should help Gemini fill those gaps while providing additional polish. How do I switch from Google Assistant to Gemini? You don't have to take action, but prepare yourself You won't necessarily have to do anything to switch from Google Assistant to Gemini. If you want to adopt the technology before the September 4 cutoff, it takes just a few steps: * Download the Gemini app from the Play Store (you might have it already). * Open your device's Settings app. * Choose Apps. * Choose Assistant. * Choose Digital assistants from Google and then Gemini. * Follow the remaining instructions. The commands you use in Google Assistant should translate to Gemini, and the generative AI allows for more natural requests as well as back-and-forth conversations. If you're asking about classic sports cars, for instance, you can dive deeper into the subject than you would with a standard search. Just remember there isn't any going back after the deadline. Google is fully committed to its latest AI, and on higher-end Android 17 devices is launching Gemini Intelligence to offer agent-level app control. Unless Google makes alternative AI models available, Gemini represents Android's future.

Google Assistant dies in September: what you need to know and how to switch to Gemini

Over the last year and change, Google has been slowly lopping off parts of Google Assistant and replacing them with Gemini. Now, it appears Assistant has an official end date. As reported by 9to5Google, an announcement email has apparently been sent to some users. A full version of the email popped up in the r/google subreddit. "Google Assistant on your mobile device is being discontinued, and Gemini - our next-generation AI-powered assistant - is now the Assistant experience on Android," the email starts. It goes on to reveal that Assistant will be replaced on mobile devices and Wear OS devices starting on September 4. "We will begin removing access to Google Assistant starting on September 4," Google states in the email, "and expect that this process may take a few weeks to reach everyone. Once availability is removed, you will no longer be able to use or switch back to Google Assistant on your phone, tablet or paired devices." Per the announcement, that affects Android phones, watches and tablets. However, Assistant should still be available on Google TV and isn't fully dead on Google Home. The slow decline The great Gemini migration started in earnest last summer when Google announced that the new AI chatbot would replace Google Assistant in Google Home and smart home devices like the Google Nest Hub. That shift didn't really kick off until October of 2025. It really started in March of 2025 when various features like Live Translation in Interpreter mode, the ability to share photos via voice commands and birthday reminder notifications were axed in Nest devices. They came back with Gemini. In the same month, Google announced plans to replace Assistant with Gemini, though a specific timeline wasn't presented. More recently, Google Assistant was kicked off Android Auto in favor of Gemini. The rollout was announced last year, but didn't hit everyone until this summer. Meanwhile, Gemini has been steadily improving over the last year, making it more capable of handling everything from deep work to Android Auto and exploring the world. What next If you've been using Google Assistant and not Gemini, you'll need to get Gemini when you can. If it doesn't come pre-installed, you can get it from the Google Play Store. Gemini is more than just a voice assistant, as it encompasses most of Google's AI ventures, from image generation to search and chatbot prompts. Once you've installed Gemini, it will have a guide for replacing Google Assistant as the default AI. Your Google Account should cross-reference both apps, so the switch should be quick. Unlike Gemini, Assistant doesn't really have a true chat archive. You can find your interactions via the Web & App Activity page in your Google account. Old Google Assistant commands will still work with Gemini using the "Hey Google" prompt. The difference is that Gemini conversations will sync across your devices. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.